MIAT Mongolian Airlines Welcomes First Boeing 787-9: Expansion Plans and New Destinations

On August 11, MIAT Mongolian Airlines received its first Boeing 787-9. The aircraft, registered with code EI-MGL and named «Khabul Khaan,» signifies a noteworthy milestone for Mongolia’s airline, replacing its sole Boeing 767-300ER. A second Boeing 787-9 is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2024.

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Originally, MIAT planned to receive two Boeing 787 Dreamliners in Spring 2021 under a contract with Air Lease Corporation. However, production delays triggered by the COVID-19 health crisis and design issues with Dreamliners led to the cancellation of this order.

Nevertheless, MIAT agreed with AerCap to acquire two Boeing 787-9s from Suparna Airlines, part of Hainan Group, which were returned to the lessor.

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The EI-MGL, previously known as B-20F, was originally delivered to Suparna in July 2019. Upon its arrival at the New UlaanBaatar International Airport (UBN) from Haikou (HAK), China, it received a new paint job. The day after its presentation, on August 12, it made its inaugural commercial flight to Seoul/Incheon (ICN).

MIAT’s Boeing 787-9s Configuration and Destination Planning, Including U.S. Flight Studies

The Boeing 787-9s of MIAT will feature 292 seats, divided into three classes: 30 in Business Class, 36 in Premium Economy, and 226 in Economy. The airline’s pilots were trained at Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ centers.

On the routes, the Boeing 787s will primarily be deployed to key destinations like Seoul/Incheon (ICN), South Korea; Istanbul (IST), Turkey; and Frankfurt Am Main (FRA), Germany.

Since 2019, MIAT plans to launch services to the United States. Only in 2022 did negotiations between both countries begin for an open skies agreement, which was finalized in mid-2023.

However, this ambitious plan is contingent on Mongolia obtaining Category 1 status granted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States. Achieving this status is vital for establishing direct flights between Mongolia and the United States, though it might lead to delays, postponing this achievement until 2025.

While MIAT is working to overcome these regulatory challenges, the airline has the necessary time to solidify its position in the region and establish a robust hub in UlaanBaatar. The airline has plans to add destinations to India, Uzbekistan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In addition to the 787, the national airline owns a fleet including three Boeing 737-800, one Boeing 737-8, one Boeing 767-300 (ER), and one CRJ 200, operating to ten international destinations (Beijing, Busan, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Muan, Osaka, Seoul, and Tokyo) and eight domestic destinations.

These strategic additions will further strengthen the hub in UlaanBaatar, aiding Mongolia’s economic diversification and supporting the government’s «Welcome to Mongolia» initiative.

According to data published by the New UlaanBaatar International Airport, between January and July 2023, 930,899 travelers were received. Of these, 698,982 were international passengers and 231,917 were domestic passengers across 19 airlines.