Uzbekistan Airways has converted eight options for Boeing 787-9 aircraft into firm orders, following up on a significant fleet-expansion agreement that the Tashkent headquartered carrier reach with Boeing in September.
Picking up the eight Dreamliner options brings Uzbekistan Airways’ total firm orders for Boeing’s flagship widebody jets to 22, representing the carrier’s largest-ever fleet commitment.
It also caps a major day for Boeing’s sales activities in Central Asia, with new aircraft commitments coming from Somon Air and Air Astana during the “C5+1 Summit” in Washington, DC with representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Neither Boeing nor Uzbekistan Airways have disclosed when they expect deliveries of the twin-aisle long-haul aircraft to begin.
”With this new contract, we are further strengthening both our airline’s and our nation’s position as a leading aviation hub in Central Asia, while providing our passengers with greater global connectivity,” company chairman Shukhrat Khudaikulov said in September.
Boeing said at the time that the 787-9’s increased capacity and extended range will help Uzbekistan Airways expand into new international markets.
Uzbekistan Airways has been a 787-8 operator since 2016, and also flies a fleet of fewer than 10 767-300s.
