Uzbekistan Airways Orders Up To 22 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

Uzbekistan Airways has placed an order for up to 22 examples of the mid-sized Boeing 787-9 from the US planemaker’s Dreamliner family of widebody twinjets. Consisting of both firm orders and options for more down the line, the carrier plans to use the type to modernize its fleet of twin-aisle aircraft.

Having already made history by being the first Dreamliner operator in Central Asia by putting the Boeing 787-8 into service, Uzbekistan Airways is now looking to upgauge this side of its operations by putting the 787-9’s additional range and capacity into action. These factors will allow it to expand its international network, with routes to the United States of America among those being considered for the type.

Uzbekistan Airways’ Largest-Ever Order

Credit: Boeing

According to a corresponding statement released yesterday by Boeing in order to announce the deal, this transaction represents the single largest order in the history of Uzbekistan Airways. The 22 examples of the 787-9 that the carrier has put its name down for are split between 14 firm orders and eight options.

The deal marks part of a wider initiative between Boeing and the Uzbekistan Ministry of Transport, with the US manufacturer also noting that it has “signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to explore opportunities to further expand the country’s aviation ecosystem.” Shukhrat Khudaikulov, the airline’s Chair, said:

“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. This step reaffirms our ambitions and strategic commitment to sustainable growth.”

Eyeing An International Expansion

Credit: Boeing

Uzbekistan Airways’ order for as many as 22 units of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was commemorated at a ceremony at the United Nations General Assembly. Here, representatives from the airline and the manufacturer were joined by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, underlining the deal’s importance. According to Uzbekistan Airways, the 787-9 will help it position Tashkent as an Asian transit hub.

As previously noted, Uzbekistan Airways already flies the smaller Boeing 787-8, but the mid-sized 787-9 Dreamliner trumps this model in terms of both range and capacity. Indeed, Boeing’s data shows that the former can fly 7,305 NM (13,530 km) with 248 passengers in a two-class configuration, compared to 7,565 NM (14,010 km) with 296 passengers. For this reason, the 787-9 has far outsold the 787-8.

With these improved metrics in mind, Uzbekistan Airways is eyeing an international expansion with its larger and longer-range Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which ch-aviation says will begin to be delivered in 2031. Indeed, Boeing says that Uzbekistan Airways will use the type to “expand international routes to the US and other long-haul destinations as demand for international travel continues to rise.”

The Carrier Already Flies The Boeing 787-8

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As far as Uzbekistan Airways’ current operations of the smaller Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner area concerned, present fleet data made available by ch-aviation shows that the carrier has seven units of the type at its disposal. These widebody twinjets are 7.5 years old on average, and have two different seating layouts. According to aeroLOPA, the first of these configurations has space for 270 passengers onboard.

This figure is split between 24 business class flatbeds and 246 economy class seats. Meanwhile, the second setup has 24 business class flatbeds and 222 economy class seats, giving it a total capacity of 246 passengers. In both instances, the lie-flat business class seats are laid out six-abreast in a 2-2-2 configuration, but the latter’s cabin is spread across two sections, hence the lower capacity in economy class.

This month, scheduling data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that Uzbekistan Airways has penciled in a grand total of 344 flights with its existing fleet of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. Seoul (ICN) is the only destination served daily by the type from Tashkent (TAS), although Istanbul (IST) isn’t far behind, with 27 rotations. New York (JFK) ranks third on the list, with 22 round trips.