The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is at the center of a major aviation expansion in Central Asia, with three national carriers ordering up to 27 of the advanced wide-body jets. This is part of a larger 37-plane deal announced by the Trump administration on Thursday. The Commerce Department confirmed the sales to Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, highlighting the Dreamliner’s role in the region’s modernization.
Kazakhstan’s Air Astana is leading this trend, with plans to buy up to 15 of the 787-9 model. Uzbekistan Airways is also heavily investing in the aircraft, ordering eight additional 787s. Tajikistan’s Somon Air is rounding out the 787 orders with a commitment for four, as part of a larger 14-plane deal that also includes ten 737 MAXs.
The strategic value of the 787 is clear. For Air Astana, the 15 Dreamliners will replace its three aging 767s and enable a significant network expansion. Boeing specifically noted that the new planes will give Air Astana the capability to launch its first-ever direct services to North America, a move that will transform Kazakhstan’s global connectivity.
The 10th-anniversary C5+1 Summit, a meeting of U.S. and Central Asian leaders, was the chosen venue for this announcement. The Trump administration used the platform to demonstrate the economic benefits of its diplomatic engagement with the region, highlighting the sales as a victory for American manufacturing and a strengthening of strategic partnerships.
This focus on U.S.-made goods, especially Boeing jets, in trade negotiations has been a hallmark of the Trump administration. These 37 orders join hundreds of others announced this year in similar contexts. While a significant deal, it is dwarfed by the potential 500-jet sale to China that Boeing is reportedly negotiating, a deal that remains a key focus for the industry.