Somon Air, the national air carrier of Tajikistan, is introducing inflight entertainment (IFE) for the first time since its founding in 2008. The airline has selected Moment as its IFE supplier, and the France-based company will equip the airline’s eight new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with its Flymingo Box portable IFE server. Moment’s wireless IFE hardware and digital platforms do not require an STC or connection to an inflight connectivity system.
Somon Air, headquartered in Dushanbe, is the only airline in Tajikistan, Central Asia, that holds IATA membership, IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) certification, and EASA authorisation to fly to, from and within the European Union. The airline operates scheduled and charter flights.
Somon Air currently operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet, none of which have offered inflight entertainment. The airline is renewing its commercial fleet with eight new 737 MAX 8 aircraft, as part of a wider fleet modernisation programme announced with Boeing in November 2025. The first of these aircraft was delivered in August 2026, and the Moment platforms are scheduled to enter service on the 737 MAX 8 fleet in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Moment notes that the agreement comes at a time when Central Asia is recording the fastest airline capacity growth of any region in the world. Seat capacity across the region has risen by nearly 500% over the past two decades, at an average annual growth rate of 7.7%, according to OAG.
Somon Air is Moment’s second airline customer in the Central Asia region, following a deal with SCAT Airlines in Kazakhstan, and its third across the wider Caucasus and Central Asia region, after AZAL (Azerbaijan Airlines), with which Moment’s entertainment platform has been on board since 2019.
Somon Air’s network has historically focused on flights to Russia, as a service to connect Tajik communities, alongside services to the Gulf, the Middle East, South Asia and a growing number of European destinations. Somon Air also operates domestic flights within Tajikistan.
No aircraft modifications required
Somon Air has opted for Moment to equip its 737 MAX 8 fleet with its Flymingo Box, a portable IFE server that runs on its own battery rather than the aircraft’s power system. The Flymingo Box does not require a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) or structural change, as the unit is fitted directly onto the aircraft without an additional certification step.
This simplicity means that Somon Air can bring IFE onto its new 737 MAX 8 aircraft without adding to its delivery and entry-into-service programme.
Each Flymingo Box runs for up to 14 hours between charges and supports up to 100 streaming connected devices, so passengers stream IFE content directly to their own devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptops.
A modular entertainment platform
Somon Air has also chosen Moment’s Mood IFE content platform, which enables airlines to select individual entertainment modules rather than a fixed bundle.
Somon Air has selected an entertainment module that includes videos, games and podcasts; the travel information module, which includes a moving map; and the Ads module, which gives Somon Air’s own teams an advertising server to manage onboard campaigns in full autonomy.
As the IFE content service provider, Moment will supply Somon Air with an international entertainment catalogue that includes films, series, games and podcasts, available in Tajik, Russian and English languages.
The same modules will also run on Somon Air’s Boeing 787, giving official delegations travelling with the President of Tajikistan access to the same IFE platform.
“Our fleet renewal is about more than new aircraft, it changes what we can offer passengers from the first flight,” said Abdulkosim Valiev, CEO of Somon Air. “Introducing entertainment at the same time as the 737 MAX 8 enters service means we start this new chapter with a modern cabin experience.”
“Central Asia’s airline capacity has grown by nearly 500% in 20 years, the fastest rate of any region in the world,” added Tanguy Morel, CEO and co-founder of Moment. “Somon Air is introducing entertainment at the same time as it renews its fleet with the 737 MAX 8, so the onboard experience is built in from day one rather than added later. It’s the same pattern we’ve seen with AZAL and SCAT Airlines, and it’s becoming the norm across the region.”
