FLEET - SCAT to add converted B767-300 freighter

 SCAT Airlines has signed an agreement with Boeing to add its first dedicated freighter, a B767-300ER(BCF). The parties did not disclose a timeline for the induction, or whether the aircraft would come from the pool of already-converted units or have to first undergo conversion. SCAT is a nearly all-Boeing operator with a fleet of one B737-300, three B737-500s, one B737-700, nine B737-8s, eight B737-800s, five B737-9s, three B757-200s, and one B767-300ER. It also operates four CRJ200s, and is reportedly mulling new orders for B787s and B777s.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, rival Air Astana planned to convert its B767-300ERs to freighters, but the plans did not ultimately materialise.

CH Avaition

ORDER - Boeing and SCAT Airlines Announce Order for Five 737 MAX Jets to Support Growth

• Kazakhstan carrier will add capacity and range with the 737-9 to serve growing air travel demand and expand international routes
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• First Central Asian 737 MAX operator continues fleet modernization with fuel-efficient airplanes

SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire(opens in a new tab)/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and SCAT Airlines today announced the carrier will expand its fleet and boost capacity with the fuel-efficient 737 MAX. The airline's previously unidentified order for five more 737-9 jets will support operational efficiency and expand longer-range single-aisle service, including more routes to Europe.

SCAT also converted five 737-8 jets from a previous order to the larger 737-9.

Boeing and Kazakhstan's SCAT Airlines announced that the carrier will expand its fleet and boost capacity with the fuel-efficient 737 MAX.

SCAT Airlines will leverage its larger 737-9 fleet to operate long-haul flights from Kazakhstan and pioneer seventh-freedom routes from Central Asia across Europe and Asia. The airline recently launched a landmark Prague-Sanya service, connecting the Czech Republic and China with a technical stop in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan ─ a journey of more than 14 hours.

"This fleet update allows SCAT Airlines to better meet growing passenger demand while maintaining the flexibility to serve a diverse and expanding route network," said Vladimir Denissov, president of JSC SCAT Airlines. "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."

The 737 MAX family delivers exceptional efficiency and performance, reducing fuel use by 20% compared to the airplanes it replaces. The 737-9 seats up to 220 passengers and has a range of up to 6,110 kilometers (3,300 nautical miles), giving airlines the capacity and extended range to open new routes and profitably serve high-demand markets.

"SCAT's decision to grow its 737-9 fleet highlights the versatility and economic advantages of the 737 MAX family," said Paul Righi, Boeing vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing for Eurasia, India and South Asia. "The 737-9 offers the right combination of capacity, range and efficiency to help airlines expand their networks while lowering operating costs. We're proud to support SCAT as it connects Central Asia with more destinations across Europe and beyond."

Based in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, SCAT Airlines operates an extensive domestic and international network across Central Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States with nearly 40 Boeing jets in service. The airline was the first in Central Asia to fly the 737 MAX and currently operates nine 737-8 and five 737-9 airplanes.

A leading global aerospace company and top U.S. exporter, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. Boeing's global workforce and supplier base drive innovation, economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. The company is committed to fostering a culture based on its core values of safety, quality and integrity.

FLEET - Kazakhstan's SCAT Airlines considering B777s, B787s

SCAT Airlines (DV, Shymkent) is considering adding either B777 or B787 aircraft to its fleet for deliveries after 2030, Aviation Week has reported, citing senior marketing manager Zhanar Balgabay.

According to ch-aviation data, the Kazakh airline currently has commitments for seven more B737-8s and one additional B737-9.

Its in-house fleet comprises one B737-300, three B737-500s, one B737-700, seven B737-8s, eight B737-800s, five B737-9s, two CRJ200ERs, and two CRJ200LRs.

In addition, three B757-200s and one B767-300ER are operated by subsidiary Sunday Airlines (Shymkent), which deploys the aircraft on charter services to destinations including Phuket, Dhaka, Moscow Vnukovo, Phu Quoc, and Nha Trang Cam Ranh.

Meanwhile, SCAT Airlines has firmed plans to launch flights from Turkistan to Urgench, Bukhara, and Samarkand by December 2025. The carrier currently serves 40 destinations across 16 countries, operating a total of 61 routes.

CH Aviation

 

DUBAI AIR SHOW 2023 - SCAT Airlines Announces Order for Seven Boeing 737 MAX Jets to Connect New Markets

- The Kazakhstan airline leverages the 737 MAX family to reduce fuel use, fly a more sustainable fleet as it looks to new routes

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and SCAT Airlines announced today an order for seven 737-8 airplanes to expand its 737 MAX fleet. The latest order will nearly double SCAT's 737 fleet as the airline looks to open new routes to European destinations.
"Today, SCAT Airlines is the most dynamically developing airline in Kazakhstan, and it has the largest aircraft fleet in the country," said Vladimir Denissov, president of JSC SCAT Airlines.
"Replenishing the fleet with seven more Boeing 737-8 will increase the airline's carrying capacity. It will also positively affect the timely execution of flight schedules. The company will get an opportunity to expand its route network and offer passengers even more travel destinations."



Based in Şhymkent, Kazakhstan, SCAT serves an extensive network of domestic and international destinations in the Commonwealth of Independent States and Central Asia. SCAT was the first airline in Central Asia to fly the 737 MAX and currently operates three 737-8 and five 737-9 airplanes. This order was previously unidentified on the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website.
"This repeat order is a testament to SCAT's confidence in the value, performance and reliability of the 737 MAX family," said Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. "We look forward to supporting their network expansion and continuing to play an integral role in their long-term success."
The 737 MAX family is designed to offer customers exceptional performance, with lower operating costs and additional range to profitably open up new destinations in the single-aisle market. The 737-8 can carry up to 210 passengers depending on configuration and offers a range of up to 6,480 km (3,500 nautical miles). The 737-9 seats up to 220 passengers and offers a range of up to 6,110 km (3,300 nautical miles).

SCAT picks up an ex-Belavia B737 MAX

SCAT Airlines (DV, Shimkent) has taken delivery of its second B737-8; a jet that was originally destined for the now sanctioned Belavia .

UP-B3737 (msn 43332) flew from Everett via Reykjavik Keflavik to Tashkent Islam Karimov on August 4-5, 2022, but has yet to be ferried onwards to Kazakhstan.

On lease from Air Lease Corporation, the 3-year-old Boeing jet was formerly registered as EW-529PA but was never actually delivered to the Belarussian flag carrier which has been under EU and US sanctions since late 2021 for its alleged role in a state-orchestrated people smuggling ring involving the transport of migrants and refugees mostly from the Middle East to the EU's borders in Poland and Lithuania. Under the sanctions, Western lessors and manufacturers are not allowed to lease or sell aircraft to the state-owned carrier.

Belavia managed to take a single B737-8 from Air Lease Corporation in 2021 but subsequently purchased it before sanctions kicked in. It recently reactivated it after Russia ungrounded the type.

For its part, SCAT Airlines already operates a single B737-8 and a single B737-9. It has five more B737-9s on order from undisclosed lessors.

Turkey's Corendon Airlines recently took a single B737-8 also originally assigned to Belavia.

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SCAT AIRLINES / B737-800W / UP-B3731

 Ton Jochems - AYT

SCAT Airlines adds first B737 MAX 9

SCAT Airlines (DV, Shimkent) took delivery of its first B737-9 on August 27, 2021.

UP-B3726 (msn 60389) was ferried from Seattle Boeing Field via Reykjavik Keflavik and Istanbul New to Shimkent on August 28 but has yet to be deployed into revenue service for the Kazakh carrier, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. SCAT has yet to file schedules for the type, although it said it would begin operating the aircraft "within a week". The jet is configured for up to 213 passengers in a single-class layout.

The newly delivered -9 joins SCAT's B737-8, which the airline took in March 2018 and reactivated after a nearly two-year grounding in February 2021. The carrier has a further four B737 MAX on firm order from Boeing, all of which are -9 variants. Deliveries are scheduled over the next two years.

Besides the two B737 MAX, SCAT Airlines also operates five B737-300s, three B737-500s, one B737-700, two B737-800s, four B757-200s, one B767-300(ER), and seven CRJ200s, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.