Central Asia's first Boeing 787-9 FFS simulator, flight school, and other innovations: Uzbekistan Airways celebrates 10 years of Dreamliner service

**The first Boeing 787-9 FFS simulator in Central Asia, a flight school, and other innovations: Uzbekistan Airways celebrates 10 years of Dreamliner service**

Exactly ten years ago, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of Uzbekistan's independence, the national carrier's first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, tail number UK78701, arrived in Tashkent.

The arrival of the new-generation aircraft in the country's anniversary year was a significant event in the history of civil aviation in Uzbekistan. On August 27, Uzbekistan Airways celebrated this milestone in Tashkent.

Employees of the airline and its aircraft repair plant, Uzbekistan Airways Technics, veterans of the national aviation industry, members of the public, and the media gathered for the anniversary celebration. Among the invited guests were representatives of Boeing and the US Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Jonathan Henick.

The arrival of the Dreamliner opened up new opportunities for Uzbekistan Airways to develop long-haul flights, expand its international route network, and master advanced aviation technologies.

The first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner entered commercial service in 2016. The airline received its second aircraft of this type in November of that year. In May 2018, a third Dreamliner joined the fleet, two more aircraft in 2019, and in May 2021, the sixth Boeing 787-8 arrived in Tashkent.

The Boeing 787's high level of proficiency has earned international recognition already in its first years of operation. Uzbekistan Airways has demonstrated excellent safety and flight reliability on this aircraft type, earning recognition from Boeing.

A specialized Composite Repair Center has been established at Uzbekistan Airways Technics, with capabilities enabling it to perform repairs on modern aircraft, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airline's engineering and technical staff consistently expanded the scope of their independent work, accumulating expertise in aircraft maintenance, its systems, components, and engines.

One of their most recent significant achievements was May 8, 2026, when Uzbekistan Airways Technics specialists, after completing repairs, successfully conducted complex engine on-wing testing (on-wing testing) for the first time directly on a Boeing 787.

This was preceded by specialized training and international certification of specialists, as well as mastery of Engine Split procedures, as well as the mating and unmating of GEnx-1B engine components.

Today, this date once again coincides with an important historical milestone – the 35th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Over this decade, the national airline has changed and developed alongside the country, from the introduction of the first Dreamliner to the establishment of its own professional and technical base for its operation and a new, large-scale phase of long-haul fleet development.

Over the decade of Dreamliner operations, the airline has gone from preparing its own infrastructure to handle the new aircraft type to independently performing increasingly complex maintenance. At the same time, its own Boeing 787 flight school was being developed. Uzbekistan Airways established a Boeing 787 squadron, trained captains and first officers, and the accumulated experience allowed it to develop its own flight instructors. Today, they pass on their knowledge to a new generation of pilots, ensuring the continuity and development of the professional school.

The installation of a full-function Boeing 787-9 simulator at the Uzbekistan Airways Training Center—the first simulator of this type in Central Asia—will mark a new stage in the development of its flight crew training system. Its acquisition is part of the contract between Uzbekistan Airways and Boeing for the delivery of 22 Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

The simulator, manufactured by Canadian company CAE Inc., a global leader in flight simulator systems, will meet the highest certification category, Level D. It provides the most accurate reproduction of the cockpit, aircraft systems, and flight characteristics, allowing for a full pilot training cycle.

The introduction of the Boeing 787-9 FFS will allow Uzbekistan Airways to conduct flight crew training at its own training facility, increasing the independence of the training process and reducing the need to send pilots to foreign training centers. This is especially important given the upcoming expansion of the Dreamliner fleet and the need to prepare pilots well in advance for the operation of the new aircraft.

Today, Uzbekistan Airways has developed a fully-fledged professional ecosystem around the Dreamliner aircraft – a technical base, engineering expertise, a flight detachment, instructors, and a modern personnel training system.

The high level of proficiency with the Boeing 787 has already received international recognition in the first years of operation. Based on the first six months of commercial operation of this aircraft type—from December 2016 to May 2017—Uzbekistan Airways was recognized by Boeing as the world's best Boeing 787 operator, demonstrating 100% safety and flight punctuality.

One of the most significant moments in the Dreamliner fleet's first decade was July 27, 2017, when, for the first time in the airline's history, a flight from Tashkent to New York was operated nonstop. Today, direct flights to the US operate five times a week, offering passengers new options on long-haul routes.

Over the past ten years, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has become an integral part of the Uzbekistan Airways fleet and one of the key aircraft on intercontinental routes, connecting Uzbekistan with major cities around the world.

But the story of the Dreamliner at Uzbekistan Airways is, first and foremost, the story of its people.

Behind every aircraft and every flight are pilots and flight attendants, engineers and technicians, ground, production, and other service specialists. A special place in this story belongs to those who, ten years ago, were the first to undergo training, participated in the acceptance and delivery of new aircraft, mastered their operational features, and laid the professional foundation for working with the new generation of aviation technology.

Today, Uzbekistan Airways expresses special gratitude to the specialists who pioneered the development of the Boeing 787 and to all the employees who have ensured its safe and reliable operation for the past ten years.

"It is symbolic that the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner arrived in Uzbekistan on the eve of the 25th anniversary of our country's independence, and we are celebrating its 10th anniversary alongside the 35th anniversary of the republic's independence. Over these years, we have not only mastered a new aircraft type—we have created our own professional school, trained pilots and engineers, and developed our technical and training facilities. "All of these achievements are the result of the hard work of a large team at Uzbekistan Airways. Today, our accumulated experience allows us to confidently move on to the next, significantly larger stage of long-haul fleet development," noted Shukhrat Khudaykulov, Chairman of the Board of Uzbekistan Airways.

**A New Chapter in the Dreamliner Story**

Uzbekistan Airways is celebrating its 10th anniversary of Boeing 787 service on the threshold of a new, ambitious milestone. In 2025, the airline signed its largest-ever contract for the delivery of 22 wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The first deliveries are expected in 2031.

The expansion of the Dreamliner fleet will increase capacity on popular routes, improve schedule stability, expand the geography of long-haul flights, and open new intercontinental routes connecting Central Asia with North America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.

The new aircraft will be an important part of Uzbekistan Airways' long-term strategy to develop its international route network and strengthen Tashkent's role as one of Central Asia's leading aviation and transit hubs. Preparations for their arrival begin today, with the development of technical competencies, pilot training, and the creation of a modern training facility.

Ten years later, the accumulated experience is becoming the foundation for new, significantly more ambitious goals.