Direct air travel between Central Asia and North America is a major step closer to reality following a 37-plane deal with Boeing. The U.S. Commerce Department, under the Trump administration, announced on Thursday that Kazakhstan’s Air Astana plans to buy up to 15 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners specifically for this purpose. The deal, which also includes orders for Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, was unveiled at a Washington summit.
The 15 new 787s are the key to Air Astana’s intercontinental plans. The airline currently relies on a small fleet of three Boeing 767s for its long-haul routes. The new Dreamliners offer the extended range and fuel efficiency needed to make non-stop flights to North America economically viable. Boeing confirmed this, stating the planes will “enable expansion into North America.”
The full announcement from the Commerce Department covers two other Central Asian nations. Tajikistan’s national carrier, Somon Air, is also making a significant investment, with plans to purchase up to 14 Boeing planes. This order is a mix of four 787 Dreamliners for long-haul routes and ten 737 MAX airplanes for its regional network. Additionally, Uzbekistan Airways is expanding its long-haul capacity, committing to buying eight additional 787 planes.
These significant orders were formalized and announced at the C5+1 Summit in Washington. This event, which marked the 10th anniversary of the diplomatic meeting between the U.S. and the five Central Asian republics, was used by the Trump administration as a platform to highlight the tangible economic benefits of the partnership. The deals represent a major victory for American manufacturing.
This style of deal-making, where high-profile purchases of U.S. goods are tied to diplomatic events, has been a hallmark of the Trump administration’s trade policy. Boeing has benefited from this approach, announcing hundreds of new orders this year. While the 37-plane deal is a solid win, the industry remains focused on even larger potential sales, such as a massive, 500-jet deal with China.
