The Trump administration’s transactional foreign policy was on full display as the 10th-anniversary C5+1 Summit was used to announce a 37-plane deal for Boeing. The agreements with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were presented by the Commerce Department as a prime example of linking diplomacy with U.S. manufacturing wins.
This approach, where high-profile diplomatic events are leveraged for commercial announcements, has become a hallmark of the administration. The C5+1 meeting in Washington provided the perfect stage to celebrate the sale of U.S.-made jets.
The deal itself is a major development for the region’s aviation sector. Air Astana of Kazakhstan is set to purchase 15 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Somon Air of Tajikistan will acquire a 14-plane mixed fleet of 787s and 737 MAXs. Uzbekistan Airways will add eight more 787s.
These new aircraft will fuel significant expansion. For Air Astana, the 15 new 787s are a monumental upgrade from its three current 767s, providing the capability to launch its first-ever direct services to North America.
This 37-plane order fits a well-established pattern of “Boeing diplomacy.” It adds to hundreds of orders Boeing has won this year, many announced as part of larger trade agreements, as the world awaits news on a potential 500-jet sale to China.