The ruling family of Turkmenistan has once again drawn global attention – and outrage – for its extravagant misuse of state assets. Investigations by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), along with its partners at Turkmen.News and Gundogar, have revealed that a Boeing 737 aircraft belonging to Turkmenistan Airlines, the nation’s state-owned flag carrier, has been converted into a luxurious private jet exclusively for the use of the Berdimuhamedov family.

According to flight records and corporate disclosures, the aircraft, which once transported ordinary passengers between Ashgabat and destinations such as Istanbul and Minsk, was secretly flown to the United States on December 6, 2023. Officially, the trip was described as a maintenance-related journey. In reality, it was the start of a lavish transformation that would turn a standard commercial aircraft into a “palace in the sky”.

After nearly a year, the Boeing returned to Turkmenistan in late 2024 – no longer a passenger jet, but a glittering luxury aircraft complete with gold-plated fittings, an onboard shower, and interiors featuring traditional Turkmen ornamentation. What was once a 118-seat economy-class plane had been reborn as an exclusive airborne residence for the country’s ruling elite.

How a national airline became a family asset

Turkmenistan Airlines, officially under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, operates a modest fleet of Boeing and Bombardier aircraft serving limited international routes. Once a symbol of national pride, the airline has increasingly become a tool for the Berdimuhamedov family’s personal indulgence.

Under the autocratic leadership of former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and his son Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who succeeded him in 2022, the distinction between state property and personal wealth has effectively vanished.

While the airline struggles to maintain international service standards and faces sanctions over safety compliance issues, the ruling family reportedly diverts millions of dollars from public funds to finance the acquisition and refurbishment of private jets, disguised as “state aviation projects”.

An aviation expert in the region, speaking anonymously for security reasons, told Weekly Blitz:

“Turkmenistan Airlines has long ceased to operate as a genuine........

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