MIAT - Mongolian Airlines (OM, Ulaanbaatar) has confirmed that it expects to take its first of a now two-strong order of B787-9s in the second quarter of 2023.
The state-owned carrier secured the first B787-9 on lease from Air Lease Corporation in 2019, with the delivery initially expected in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic and the manufacturer's delays disrupted this plan, although MIAT has not, until now, confirmed the new delivery date. JU-1789 (msn 66877) has already been repainted in the airline's livery and was ferried from Charleston International to San Antonio Lackland for pre-delivery maintenance on January 23, 2023, still operating under the US manufacturer registration.
According to a US regulatory filing, MIAT said that adding the two B787-9s would allow it to launch services to Shanghai Pudong, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore Changi, and San Francisco. The airline's first US route is subject to regulatory approval and the certification of Mongolia as an FAA Category 1 country. MIAT filed for an exemption to operate to the US on February 16, 2023, updating its previous pre-COVID filing from 2019.
As soon as it receives the exemption, the airline plans to start serving the US via codeshare flights from Seoul Incheon, Istanbul Airport, Japan, and Hong Kong International. MIAT hopes to extend its network this way to Seattle Tacoma International, Denver International, Chicago O'Hare, Los Angeles International, New York, Washington Dulles, and San Francisco. The airline has existing codeshare agreements with Turkish Airlines, Korean Air, JAL - Japan Airlines, and Cathay Pacific.
The carrier did not give a new estimate as to when it would be able to launch direct flights to the US, although it said earlier that it would not happen before 2024 at the earliest.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows that MIAT's current fleet comprises one B737-8, three B737-800s, one B767-300ER, and one B757-200(PCF).
