Somon Air (SZ, Dushanbe) has signed an agreement to purchase two new B737-8s from DAE Capital, its first B737 MAX aircraft. The two jets will join the carrier in 2026.
"The signing of this agreement is part of our long-term strategy to modernise the fleet and improve the quality of service," said Somon Air CEO Abdulkosim Valiev. "The new B737-8s will allow us to expand our route network, increase operational efficiency and offer our passengers modern conditions for comfortable flights, as well as increase the frequency of flights."
Somon Air has also secured permission from the Civil Aviation Agency of Tajikistan to commence London flights, which will be in the range of the -8. The local authority granted the carrier permission to operate the route nonstop and also via Tbilisi. The latter is reportedly a fallback option if direct flights from Dushanbe do not generate the required amount of ticket sales. There are currently no scheduled passenger operators flying the Tajikistan-United Kingdom country pair.
According to the ch-aviation PRO airlines module, Somon Air flies to 25 airports in 13 countries with a fleet of six aircraft, including four B737-800s and two B737-900ERs. It also operates a B787-8(BBJ) on behalf of the government.
The airline had on-off plans to add B737-8s before 2019 but subsequently suspended them during the type's grounding and the pandemic. In 2024, Valiev told ch-aviation that Somon Air was leaning towards the B737-8 for its narrowbody fleet renewal options but would target the end of the decade for the type's entry into service.
DAE Capital currently owns forty-four B737-8s and has a further 43 units of the type on order from Boeing.
