Turkmenistan Airlines takes delivery of another Boeing 737-800

Turkmenistan Airlines now operates seven Boeing 737-800s (Photo by Leonid Faerberg /Transport-Photo.com)

Turkmenistan Airlines has taken delivery of a factory-new Boeing 737-800 narrow-body aircraft. The purchase is backed by the Turkmenistan government  that wants to see the national carrier’s fleet eventually expand to 40 aircraft.

According to Flightradar24, the aircraft with tail number EZ-A019 and serial number 61574 landed at Turkmenbashi airport on February 25. It made its first flight on January 26 this year and arrived at the airline’s base straight from the manufacturer.

Turkmenistan’s president Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov signed a decree approving the purchase of three new Boeing 737-800s in April 2015. The choice of US-made aircraft is consistent with the airline’s experience in operating Boeings. Besides 737s, Turkmen carrier operates Boeing 717, Boeing 757 and Boeing 777, with the entire fleet exceeding 20 aircraft.

State support program is designed to facilitate the national carrier’s fleet expansion to some 40 aircraft, with replacements of obsolete aircraft factored in. The fleet is expected to include other aircraft makers, with the regional 50-100 seat jets for domestic lines being the most likely candidates.