Designed to capture the shape of a soaring falcon, the impressive new international airport in Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat, has just had its official opening.
The massive five-storey building can process up to 1600 passengers an hour – that’s about 14 million people a year.
There’s just one problem – hardly anyone will be using it.
Strict visa requirements mean only a small number of outsiders visit the country, which is considered to be one of the most isolated countries in Central Asia.
Only 105,000 international visitors made it across the borders of the former Soviet nation last year, which is well-known for its beautiful, if bizarre, architecture.
In 2013, the Guinness World Records named the city as having the most marble-clad buildings in the world, well over 540.
The airport should be receiving a few more passengers next year when the city hosts the Asian Olympic Games – otherwise, any chance they can ship it to Sydney?
