SCAT Airlines (DV, Shymkent) has announced it has ordered two B737-9s. In a statement, the privately-owned airline said it would take delivery of the jets direct from Boeing in May of this year.

They will arrive in time to operate Summer 2019 flights and will be configured with 189 seats, including 16 business class seats.

SCAT already has one B737-8 in service out of an order for six of the type. It also had options for five more B737 MAX.

The Kazakh carrier also operates four B737-300s, three B737-500s, one B737-700, and seven CRJ200s, while four B757-200s and one B767-300(ER) are in service for its leisure unit Sunday Airlines. Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows the carrier uses its MAX 8 to run flights from Kazakhstan to Thailand, Egypt, and India.

Last month, Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev instructed the country's airlines to develop direct flights between Kazakhstan and the United States, as well as with Japan.