Taiwan’s STARLUX Airlines has placed a firm order with Airbus for an additional five A350F freighter aircraft, doubling the initial order it made last year.
The A350F fleet will be operated by STARLUX Cargo on some of the world’s busiest freight routes, according to Airbus.
STARLUX CEO Glenn Chai said: “The cargo market is set to become a key element in our business model and will benefit from the advantages offered by Taiwan’s geographical location.
“The A350F is the perfect choice for STARLUX, offering a similar payload-range capability as previous generation freighters, but with very significant reductions in fuel consumption and carbon emissions.”
Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, executive vice president for commercial aircraft sales at Airbus, said: “We thank STARLUX Airlines for its ongoing confidence in Airbus and its products.
“The A350F will fit seamlessly into the carrier’s latest generation all-Airbus fleet which offers unrivalled levels of technical and operational commonality.
“This second order from this fast-growing airline is another endorsement of the all-new A350F as the future game-changer in heavy lift markets.”
STARLUX currently operates a fleet of 26 Airbus aircraft including the A321neo, A330neo and A350-900.
The A350F can carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes and fly up to 4,700 nautical miles (8,700km).
Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft will bring a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 40 per cent when compared to previous generation aircraft with a similar payload-range capability, Airbus said.
The A350F features the largest main deck cargo door in the industry, with fuselage length and capacity optimised around the industry’s standard pallets and containers.
More than 70 per cent of the airframe is made of advanced materials, resulting in a 46-tonne lighter take-off weight than the competing derivative.
Airbus added that the A350F is also the “only freighter aircraft that will fully meet ICAO’s enhanced CO₂ emissions standards”, which are coming into effect in 2027.
At the end of November 2024, the latest generation widebody A350 family had won 1,345 orders from 61 customers worldwide – including 55 for the all-new A350F from 10 leading cargo carriers.