Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines has placed a firm order for five additional Boeing 737-9 aircraft and converted five previously ordered 737-8 jets to the larger variant, expanding its planned 737 MAX 9 fleet as it develops longer-range international routes.
The new order had previously been listed as unidentified on Boeing’s orders and deliveries tracker. Together with the conversions, the agreement shifts ten aircraft in SCAT’s backlog to the 737-9 configuration.
“This fleet update allows SCAT Airlines to better meet growing passenger demand while maintaining the flexibility to serve a diverse and expanding route network,” Vladimir Denissov, President of JSC SCAT Airlines, said in a statement.
“Converting five of the previously ordered 737-8s to 737-9s, together with the new firm order for five 737-9s, enhances our seating capacity per flight and will improve schedule reliability as we expand our international network,” Denissov added.
Larger MAX variant to support longer international routes
The 737-9 is the largest 737 MAX variant currently in service, offering more seats and range than the 737-8. For SCAT, the additional capacity is intended to support growth on long-haul single-aisle routes from Kazakhstan, as well as so-called seventh-freedom operations, where an airline flies between two foreign countries without routing through its home state.
SCAT has already started using the 737 MAX 9 on longer international sectors. The Shymkent-based carrier recently launched a weekly service between Prague, Czech Republic, and Sanya, China, with a technical stop in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The journey takes more than 14 hours and is operated with the 737 MAX 9.
The airline currently operates nine 737-8 and five 737-9 aircraft, according to Boeing, within a total fleet of nearly 40 Boeing aircraft.
SCAT became the first airline in Central Asia to operate the 737 MAX when it took delivery of its first 737-8 in March 2018. It was also the first carrier outside North and South America to resume commercial 737 MAX operations after the type’s global grounding, returning the aircraft to service in February 2021.
The latest 737-9 commitment follows SCAT’s order for seven 737-8 aircraft announced at the Dubai Airshow in 2023.