STARLUX Airlines has placed a firm order for five additional Airbus A350F Freighters, doubling their initial order for five of the all-new cargo aircraft last year. The A350F Freighters will be operated by STARLUX Cargo on some of the world’s busiest routes.
On Thursday (January 9, 2025), Airbus announced that Taiwan-based STARLUX Airlines has placed a firm incremental order for five additional Airbus A350F Freighters, doubling their initial order for five placed last year. The 10 A350Fs will be operated by STARLUX Cargo on some of the world’s busiest freight routes. Currently, STARLUX Airlines operates a fleet of 26 Airbus aircraft, including A321neos, A330neos and A350-900s.
In Thursday’s announcement, STARLUX Airlines’ 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.”
Also commenting on the additional A350F order, Airbus Commercial Aircraft’s EVP – Sales, Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, added,
“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.”
Airbus’ new A350F is currently under development, and will be able to carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes a distance of 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km). Powered by the latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft will deliver a fuel consumption and emissions reduction of up to 40 percent compared to previous generation aircraft with a similar payload and range capability. The A350F features the largest main deck cargo door in the industry, and the fuselage length and capacity has been optimized to accommodate industry-standard pallets and containers.
Because over 70 percent of the airframe is made of advanced materials, the aircraft offers a 46 tonne lighter takeoff weight than the competing derivative. Additionally, the A350F will be the only freighter fully meeting ICAO’s enhanced CO2 emissions standards, which will come into effect in 2027.
At the end of November 2024, the latest-generation widebody Airbus A350 Family had won 1,345 orders from 61 customers worldwide, including 55 orders for the all-new A350F Freighter from 10 leading cargo airlines.
Source: Airbus