Air Astana’s North America Dreams Fly Closer with 15-Plane 787 Order

Air Astana is on the brink of realizing its long-held dream of connecting Kazakhstan with North America, following the announcement of a deal for up to 15 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. This transformative order was part of a larger, 37-plane sales package to Central Asia unveiled by the Trump administration on Thursday. The U.S. Commerce Department confirmed the deals with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan at a summit in Washington.
The 15 787-9s are the key to Air Astana’s intercontinental ambitions. The airline’s current wide-body fleet consists of just three Boeing 767s. The new Dreamliners will not only replace these older jets but will provide the necessary performance to launch non-stop flights to the U.S. and Canada. Boeing explicitly stated that the new aircraft will “enable expansion into North America.”
The announcement also included deals with Air Astana’s neighbors. Tajikistan’s national carrier, Somon Air, is planning to buy up to 14 Boeing airplanes, a mix of four 787s and ten 737 MAX aircraft. Uzbekistan Airways is also expanding its long-haul capabilities, committing to purchasing 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.