Uzbekistan Airways (HY, Tashkent International) has firmed eight options for B787-9 aircraft, increasing its commitment for the type to 22 units due directly from Boeing.

The airline announced the conversion of the options just over a month after they were first secured. Joining its regional rivals Air Astana and Somon Air, Uzbekistan Airways disclosed the increased contract during the C5+1 Summit of Central Asian states and the United States, held in Washington, DC.

When announcing its initial order for fourteen B787-9s in September, the airline said deliveries were due to begin in 2031.

Uzbekistan Airways' current widebody fleet comprises seven B787-8s, including one in a VIP configuration operated for the government, and six B767-300ERs. It did not clarify whether the -9s would be replacing the -8s and the B767s or were intended purely for fleet growth.

During the same summit, Somon Air "committed" to ordering ten B737-8s and four B787-9s, and Air Astana signed up for five B787-9s with five more options and five purchase rights.