The initial airport was built in 1934, on a site at the edge of the city centre, and moved further out to its current location in 1944.

In 1980 it underwent major reconstructions, including the construction of a new terminal building and the modernization of the runway.

This made the landing of heavier aircraft possible, which allowed a gateway to many new destinations in the Soviet Union.

It is not related to Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan on the World Heritage List.

The airport is usually used as a staging area, from which the returning crewmembers of the International Space Station are flown to their respective home bases at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, the Johnson Space Center or the European Astronaut Centre following a traditional welcome ceremony upon landing in their Soyuz (spacecraft) capsule.