During the May 15 meeting,

“the parties discussed key issues related to the introduction into service of the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, whose delivery to Tajikistan is scheduled for July–August 2026,”

Dushanbe-based Somon Air said.

“The expansion of the fleet with modern aircraft will enable Somon Air to improve the quality of passenger service, expand its route network, and strengthen its position in the regional civil aviation market,” the airline said.

Established in 2008, Somon Air currently operates six Boeing 737 Next Generation airplanes on routes to Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It has a total of 25 destinations. Tajikistan’s international routes traditionally focused on Russia, the destination for many migrants from Central Asia.

According to Boeing, the new aircraft for Somon Air will deliver a 20–25% fuel-use improvement compared to the airplanes they replace and enable lower seat and maintenance costs.

In another sign of commercial aviation growth in Tajikistan, Shohin Airlines, a new private airline registered in the country, said in April that it was in the final stage of acquiring four planes from the Airbus A320neo line of aircraft.

Shohin Airlines, which operates helicopters for specialized flights, wants to make a significant expansion into commercial passenger traffic. It had announced a $200 million investment from a European investment fund.

In 2025, Tajikistan introduced an Open Skies policy in which civil aviation authorities lifted many market restrictions. The move came two years after a 2023 study in which the World Bank said airport charges in Tajikistan were very high and that refueling costs were among the most expensive in Central Asia. The agency recommended market deregulation as a way to encourage competition, leading to better prices for passengers, more efficient service and route diversification.