AN ALL-BOEING OPERATOR MOVES TO THE CURRENT GENERATION

Boeing and Somon Air have announced the delivery of the airline’s first 737 MAX, the first aircraft of the type to be operated in Tajikistan. The 737-8 is the first of two aircraft leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise and is central to the national carrier’s fleet renewal strategy. Somon Air has operated an all-Boeing fleet since beginning operations in 2008 and currently flies six Next-Generation 737s from its hub at Dushanbe International Airport to 29 destinations across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Abdulkosim Valiev, Chief Executive of Somon Air, said that considering Tajikistan’s central geographic location and the improved range capability of the 737-8, the fleet expansion gave the airline the opportunity to open new routes with improved economics given the aircraft’s fuel efficiency. He said the airline valued its long-term relationship with Boeing and looked forward to continued fleet growth. Paul Righi, Boeing Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing for Eurasia, India and South Asia, said the company was honoured by the airline’s trust as it had evolved from a regional carrier into an emerging international presence over the past twenty years.

WHY RANGE MATTERS FROM DUSHANBE

The 737-8 carries up to 210 passengers depending on configuration with a range of up to 3,500 nautical miles, and Boeing states it reduces fuel use and carbon emissions by 20% compared with the aircraft it replaces. The range figure is the operative one for an airline based in Dushanbe. Tajikistan is landlocked and sits at a point from which a substantial portion of Europe, South and East Asia and the Middle East falls within single-sector reach of a current-generation narrowbody — a geographic position that rewards range improvement more than it would a carrier operating from a denser, more centrally located market. Somon Air will use the type on short and medium-haul routes across Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, with planned service to London, Beijing and Guangzhou named among its growth intentions.

Firoz Tarapore, Chief Executive of DAE, said the lessor was delighted to deliver both Somon Air’s first 737-8 and the first of the type in Tajikistan, and that the aircraft formed part of a two-aircraft commitment. DAE Capital has over 190 Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft in its fleet. The delivery follows the commitment announced by Boeing and Somon Air in November 2025 covering up to 14 aircraft across the 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX families.