Vietjet Qazaqstan plans to introduce 20 Boeing 737MAX aircraft over four years
The Kazakh carrier transitions from an all-turboprop fleet to next-generation narrowbodies, with first deliveries scheduled for 2026
Vietjet Qazaqstan’s fleet expansion program, centered on new Boeing737 MAX narrowbody aircraft, will span four years, CEO Adilbek Umraliyev stated at the Central Asia Aviation Summit held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on November 27.
The acquisition plan was first announced in May of this year, following the purchase of a controlling stake in the Kazakh carrier—previously known as Qazaq Air—by Vietnam’s Sovico Group. The group also owns Vietnamese low-cost carrier VietJet. The aircraft for Kazakhstan will be sourced from Sovico’s existing 200-aircraft order for the Boeing 737MAX-8.
Currently operating an all-turboprop fleet, the carrier has adopted a conservative approach to expansion.
The first two aircraft are scheduled to arrive in Kazakhstan during the second half of 2026. Boeing’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Paul Righi, previously confirmed that deliveries to Vietjet Qazaqstan will begin in September of next year.
Under the current delivery schedule, the airline will receive four additional Boeing 737MAXs in 2027, followed by six in 2028, and the final eight of the 20-aircraft order in 2029.
According to Umraliyev, the configuration of the aircraft for Vietjet Qazaqstan will be identical to those operated by Vietjet Thailand, which received its first of 50 737 MAXs in November.
The airline plans to initially operate the new narrowbody jets on flights to neighboring countries, a strategy Umraliyev said is necessary for crew training. Vietjet Qazaqstan recently launched two new international destinations from Astana: to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and to Samarkand, a major tourist center in Uzbekistan. Prior to these additions, the carrier’s international network consisted solely of Novosibirsk and Omsk in Russia.
As additional aircraft are delivered, the airline’s geographic footprint will expand, though Vietjet Qazaqstan will continue to build its route network from its Astana hub, the CEO explained.
He added that the five De Havilland Q400 turboprop aircraft currently in the fleet will remain in service. The Kazakh carrier achieves the highest utilization rate globally for this aircraft type, averaging eight block hours per aircraft per day.
