Boeing announces deals with Central Asia carriers

US aviation giant Boeing on Thursday announced orders of up to 29 jets from Kazakhstan's Air Astana and Tajikistan's Somon Air, including 19 787-9 Dreamliners, as the Central Asian airlines seek to develop their long-haul capabilities.

Air Astana is set to purchase up to 15 Dreamliners, Boeing said in a statement.

The Kazakh carrier currently has just three Boeings, all of them 767s, in its fleet dominated by Airbus planes. It will acquire three more Dreamliners via long-term lease.

Air Astana also operates the low-cost carrier FlyArystan.

"Air Astana is strategically committed to boosting its service capabilities from Central Asia / Caucasus to Asia, Europe and the rest of the world over the next decade," said CEO Peter Foster.

Somon Air plans to buy four Dreamliners and up to 10 737-8 MAX jets to modernise its fleet, Boeing said in a separate statement.

The company currently only has six planes, all of them 737s.

It plans to launch new "intercontinental" routes with the Dreamliners from Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe.

The deals were announced on the sidelines of a White House summit with five Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.