Central Asian national carrier Turkmenistan Airlines has moved a step closer to formally signing an agreement for the purchase of three Boeing 737MAX-7 aircraft.

In mid-September the head of the country approved a resolution allowing Turkmenistan Airlines to purchase three re-engined narrow-body aircraft, including one for transporting high-ranking officials.

Thus, one of the three aircraft will be a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), making Turkmenistan one of the first countries in the CIS to operate that version of the 737MAX.

The first deliveries of the Boeing 737MAX-7, currently in certification trials, are scheduled for 2019. “That choice of the type was determined by the accumulated positive experience of operating on international, domestic and regional routes,” said Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Turkmenistan president.

By aligning its current 20-strong fleet of a range of Boeings – 717/737/757/777s – with the new-generation aircraft, Turkmenistan Airlines is hoping to stimulate further development of the country’s air travel market.