The Trump administration has reinforced its strategic and economic ties with Central Asia, announcing new deals for up to 37 U.S.-made Boeing airplanes with three of the region’s nations. The announcement, made by the Commerce Department on Thursday, covers sales to airlines in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The deals were strategically unveiled at the C5+1 Summit in Washington, marking a decade of diplomatic engagement with the five Central Asian republics.
The agreements represent a major injection of modern aviation technology into the region. Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, Air Astana, is at the forefront with plans to acquire up to 15 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. This move is part of a broader fleet modernization and expansion. Alongside them, Tajikistan’s Somon Air intends to buy up to 14 planes, a mix of four 787s and ten 737 MAXs, while Uzbekistan Airways is adding eight more 787s to its fleet.
The impact of these new aircraft will be immediate and significant. For Air Astana, the 15 new 787-9s will replace its three aging 767s, which currently serve as its long-haul workhorses. Boeing highlighted that the new Dreamliners are a key enabler for Air Astana’s ambition to launch direct flights to North America, a route that would dramatically increase connectivity between the two regions.
The choice to announce these commercial deals at the C5+1 Summit was a deliberate one. It allowed the Trump administration to present a tangible “win” from its diplomatic engagement, framing the relationship with Central Asia in terms of mutual economic benefit and American job creation. This aligns with the administration’s broader “America First” trade and foreign policy, which often uses large-scale manufacturing sales as a metric of success.
This 37-plane deal is just the latest in a series of announcements this year where Boeing orders have been heavily featured in trade deals with foreign governments. This practice has become a hallmark of the Trump administration’s economic diplomacy. While this is a solid success, the administration and Boeing are also pursuing a much larger prize: a potential 500-jet sale to China, which remains in negotiation.