Tajikistan’s privately owned air carrier, Somon Air, is carrying out negotiations with the Boeing Company on purchasing two Boeing 737 MAXs.
Mr. Daniel L. Miller, regional Director for Business Operations, Sales and Support at Boeing Company, gave presentation of Boeing 737 MAX in Dushanbe on June 15, according to the Somon Air press service.
The event was reportedly attended by Mr. Thomas W. Hallam, Chief Executive (CEO) of Somon Air, Mr. Gary DeSpain, Operations Director of Somon Air, Mr. Bahodur Rahimov, Technical Director of Somon Air, and Ms. Bridget Wayram, Head of Airhost Service at Somon Air.
The Boeing 737 MAX is an American narrow-body aircraft series being developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes as the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, succeeding the Boeing 737 Next Generation. The program was launched on August 30, 2011. The first flight was on January 29, 2016. It gained FAA certification on March 9, 2017. The first delivery was a MAX 8 on May 16, 2017 to Malindo Air, which debuted it on May 22, 2017.
The 737 MAX is based on earlier 737 designs but re-engined with more efficient CFM International LEAP-1B along with aerodynamic improvements, most notably split-tip winglets, and airframe modifications. It is offered in three lengths, the 737 MAX 7, MAX 8 and MAX 9 replacing the 737-700, -800 and -900, typically offering 138 to 220 seats and a 6,510 to 7,084 km range. Through May 2017, it reportedly received 3,699 firm orders,
Somon Air is the first private airline in Tajikistan with an office headquartered in Dushanbe. The airline operations are based at Dushanbe International Airport. The airline started operating on February 5, 2008 with regular flights to Moscow and Dubai.
Somon Air also serves as the official carrier of President of the Republic of Tajikistan and other Tajikistan high-ranking officials.
Since formation, Somon Air has been primarily focused on passenger service and transportation to Eastern Europe and other locations. Most flights to international destinations operate from Dushanbe.
The airline uses the Boeing 737 in its fleet. Somon Air now operates 2 Boeing 737-300s, 2 Boeing 737-800s and 2 Boeing 737-900ERs.
Somon Air now operates to the following destinations: Afghanistan (Kabul); China (Urumqi); Germany (Frankfurt am Main); Kazakhstan (Almaty); Pakistan (Lahore); Russia (Irkutsk, Khanty-Mansisysk, Kazan, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Orenburg, St. Petersburg, Nizhnevartovsk, Tyumen and Yekaterinburg); Saudi Arabia (Jeddah); Tajikistan (Khujand); Turkey (Istanbul); Ukraine (Simferopol); and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai).
