China Airlines today announced the order of ten Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, ten Boeing 777-9 aircraft and four 777-8F freighters, with the new fleet expected to be delivered from 2029 onwards.
The carrier is expected to spend 11.856 billion yuan, equivalent to about NT$387 billion, and the new fleet will be put into long-haul passenger and cargo routes in North America and Europe in the future.
China Airlines said that since November 2023, it has carried out an overall assessment in response to the needs of passenger and cargo fleet capacity connection and network development, and since February this year, it has recruited a team of international authoritative and aviation professional consultants to conduct in-depth research on the safety, technology and efficiency of various aircraft, and completed multiple rounds of negotiation and price negotiation with manufacturers, and completed the introduction plan of new aircraft based on the final quotation and benefit analysis.
China Airlines said that its board of directors today approved the introduction of 20 flagship wide-body aircraft, including 10 A350-1000s with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines and 10 777-9 aircraft with Gerea GE9X engines.
China Airlines pointed out that the transaction value of each 777-9 passenger aircraft does not exceed US$530 million, each A350-1000 passenger aircraft does not exceed US$448 million, and the transaction value of each 777-8F freighter does not exceed US$519 million, and the total transaction value does not exceed US$11.856 billion.
The new fleet will continue to be available in three classes, including Premium Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class, and will also offer more Premium Business Class seats.
In addition, the A350-1000 is equipped with advanced electronic curtain equipment to provide better shading effect; The 777-9 features a higher ceiling dome design, an optimised cabin air system and dynamic LED mood lighting.
In terms of freighter fleet, China Airlines pointed out that the new purchase of four 777-8F freighters will be operated together with the main 777F fleet in service.
The new generation of 777-8F freighters has the same cargo space specifications, which has the advantage of greater flexibility in operation and scheduling, which is conducive to the efficiency of cargo personnel and effectively reduces the risk of cargo collisions.
The fuel efficiency of the new aircraft is estimated to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by about 25% compared to the previous generation aircraft, making it an environmentally friendly flight.
In October this year, company's chairman said that China Airlines is not facing any political pressure on its decision about whether to buy Boeing or Airbus aircraft for a refreshment of its long-haul fleet.
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