You may already know by now that Air Astana, Kazakhstan's flag carrier, has ordered an additional ten Boeing 787-9s . This takes its firm orders and options to 15 frames . It remains to be seen how many will eventually operate. Elsewhere, Uzbekistan Airways has firmed up eight 787-9s, with 22 aircraft now due to be delivered. Not to be outdone, Tajikistan's Somon Air has ordered four 787-9s, along with ten 737 MAX 8s.

Central Asia has been expanding rapidly recently. Air Astana and Uzbekistan Airways' orders demonstrate this—and that's just for widebodies. With government backing, Uzbekistan Airways, at least, is keen to take advantage of its excellent location right in the middle of Europe and Asia. This is to boost transit passenger volume and to grow inbound tourism. H

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