Following the signing of an agreement in November 2012 by the governments of France and Kazakhstan, Şymkent Airport was made available to French personnel withdrawing from Afghanistan.

After arriving on French aircraft, military weaponry was carried from the airport by train to Europe.

In order to guarantee the transshipment operations at Şymkent Airport, France was to provide the funding for the construction of the infrastructure required for the temporary bond storage and the space needed for stricter customs checks.

[2][clarification needed] 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision: on November 12, 1996, Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, an IL-76TD which took off from Şymkent International Airport collided with Saudia Flight 763, a Boeing 747 which took off from Indira Gandhi International Airport, in the air over Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, India.

A total of 349 people died, making it the deadliest ever mid-air collision involving two aircraft.