At the Dubai Airshow 2025, Boeing has committed to deliver the first B787-9 of Air Astana (KC, Astana Nursultan Nazarbayev) and the first B737-8 of Vietjet Qazaqstan (IQ, Astana Nursultan Nazarbayev) within the second half of 2026, the Kazinform news agency reported.

Boeing vice president of sales and marketing Paul Wrigley said the initial B787-9 will arrive in July 2026, while the B737-8 will be handed over in September.

Air Astana has commitments for up to eighteen B787-9s. The carrier has existing dry-lease arrangements for three units from Air Lease Corporation due between 2026 and 2027. It signed an order for fifteen more units directly from the manufacturer at the recent Dubai Airshow, due from 2032 until 2035.

These jets will enable Air Astana to launch its much-anticipated services from Almaty International to New York JFK and Singapore Changi, among others. Chief executive Peter Foster said in September it could not operate non-stop flights to the US without Russia overflights and would need an additional stop in Europe.

The Kazakh flag carrier currently operates a fleet of eleven A320-200Ns, three A321-200s, thirteen A321-200NX(LR)s, and three B767-300ERs.

Meanwhile, Vietjet Qazaqstan, which is rebranding from Qazaq Air, will receive its first narrowbody aircraft in the third quarter of 2026. ch-aviation previously reported that the airline will receive up to twenty B737 MAX from associate company VietJetAir between 2026 and 2031.

The airline is planning to transition to an all-narrowbody fleet when it completes its rebranding, eventually retiring its five DHC-8-Q400 aircraft.