It’s an exciting period for aviation in Central Asia, as in recent times we’ve seen aircraft order announcements from Air Astana, Somon Air, and Uzbekistan Airways.
While I first wrote about Air Astana’s big new aircraft order a few months ago, I’d like to provide an update — the order has now been finalized, so we also have a sense of how many orders are actually firm, and when the new planes will be delivered… and we’ll have to be patient.
Air Astana has up to 18 Boeing 787-9 aircraft on order
Air Astana is the national airline of Kazakhstan, and the airline has a fleet of nearly 35 planes. This includes Airbus A320 family aircraft, as well as Boeing 767s. It’s quite a cool fleet, as the airline flies modern A321neos and A321LRs, as well as the world’s youngest passenger 767s.
In November 2025, Air Astana announced plans to purchase up to 15 additional Boeing 787-9s, to grow and modernize its fleet (beyond the three that have already been ordered — more on that below). The agreement was signed at the C5+1 Summit, and now as of February 2026, the order has been finalized.
However, the “up to 15” number isn’t quite as exciting as it sounds. In reality, this includes five firm orders, five options, and five purchase rights. So realistically, only five of those planes are a sure(ish) bet. For what it’s worth, those planes are expected to be delivered between 2032 and 2035, so we’ll have to be very patient.
For context, this latest order is in addition to Air Astana’s previous plans to acquire three Boeing 787-9s through lessors, as those planes are expected to be delivered between late 2026 and 2028. That means in total, the airline has firm plans for up to eight Dreamliners, with options for up to 10 more.
Air Astana intends to equip its 787s with 303 seats, and plans to fly the aircraft to destinations in Asia and Europe, as well as to North America, as part of a global expansion.
Here’s how Air Astana CEO Peter Foster describes this:
“Air Astana is strategically committed to boosting its service capabilities from Central Asia / Caucasus to Asia, Europe and the rest of the world over the next decade, with the arrival of the first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner next year marking the start of this exciting phase of development. With its customer friendly cabin, fuel efficiency and range flexibility, the fleet of up to 18 Boeing 787-9 aircraft is destined to become an outstanding success with the airline and its discerning passengers.”
Air Astana runs a stellar, reliable operation
As I’ve said repeatedly, Central Asia is a fascinating area of the world, including for aviation. I’d argue that Air Astana is by far the region’s most well run carrier. The airline has a modern fleet, great operational reliability, a solid onboard product, and the company even does reasonably well financially.
I’ve enjoyed my flights on Air Astana in the past, and have been wanting to fly the carrier’s new A321LRs, though I’ve been waiting for the airline to take delivery of its initial batch of Dreamliners before doing so. The first three 787s are intended to replace the 767s, and then it seems the additional 787s will be used for incremental growth, though that’s still six plus years down the road.
I wish we’d see Air Astana partner with more airlines, whether it comes in the form of joining an alliance, or at least having more loyalty collaborations. You’d think Air Astana would be a great fit for one of the global alliances, given that no Central Asian carrier currently belongs to one. Basically, I’m just looking for a way to redeem miles for the carrier’s business class, rather than paying cash… is that too much to ask for? 😉
Bottom line
Air Astana is planning a long haul expansion, as the airline has placed an order for up to 15 incremental Boeing 787-9s. In reality, that deal only includes five incremental firm orders, and those planes are expected between 2032 and 2035.
More immediately, the airline is acquiring three Dreamliners through a leasing company, and those will be delivered between late 2026 and 2028.
It’s very cool to see the amount of growth in aviation in Central Asia at the moment, and I look forward to seeing how this all plays out.
What do you make of Air Astana’s Dreamliner order?
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