Taiwanese airline Starlux has placed an order with Airbus for five more A350F freighters, doubling an initial order placed last year for five freighters. The press release read as,
STARLUX Airlines, in partnership with Airbus, and Rolls-Royce, today announced the execution of an option for five A350F freighters, doubling its freighter fleet to 10 aircraft.
The carrier aims to strengthen both its passenger and cargo network through this strategic fleet expansion and route development.
Glenn Chai, CEO of STARLUX stated:
"The cargo market will become a key element of our business model and will benefit from the advantages offered by Taiwan's geographical location." To date, STARLUX Airlines has a fleet of 26 Airbus aircraft, including the A321neo, A330neo and A350-900.
“STARLUX Airlines has continuously nurtured the cargo market since its inception, capitalizing on the strategic advantages offered by Taiwan’s geographical location,” added STARLUX CEO Glenn Chai.
“This acquisition of five more A350F freighters not only prepares us for the rapidly growing demand in the cargo market but also reflects our optimism about the potential of the international cargo market. The A350F is the most fuel-efficient freighter in the industry, meeting customer requirements to reduce carbon emissions and is in line with STARLUX’s ESG plan to achieve zero emissions by 2050."
That doubles the initial order Starlux placed last year for five of the cargo aircraft, Airbus said.
“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,” Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus' EVP Sales Commercial Aircraft, said in a statement.
Rolls-Royce also announced that it signed an agreement with STARLUX Airlines for 10 Trent XWB-97 engines to power five Airbus A350F aircraft, firming up the options it made at the Singapore Airshow in February 2024.
Ewen McDonald, Chief Customer Officer, Rolls-Royce – Civil Aerospace, said:
It’s been a pleasure collaborating with STARLUX Airlines and we’re delighted that they have opted for an additional five Trent XWB-97 powered Airbus A350F. "
"We thank STARLUX Airlines for its continued confidence in the power of our Trent engines. The engine will benefit from the £1bn investment we’re making to the Trent engine family that improves their durability and efficiency across all operations."
"We are proud to continue supporting the expansion of STARLUX Airlines and look forward to supporting these new aircraft as they enter into service.”
Currently under development, the A350F can carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes and fly up to 4,700 nautical miles/8,700 kilometres.
Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft will see a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 40% compared to previous-generation aircraft with a similar payload capacity.
With the latest order from Starlux,the A350 extra widebody freighter programme has listed 63 orders from 10 aircraft operators.
In November 2021, US based leasing company Air Lease ordered seven A350Fs and shipping firm CMA CGM, which is also the launch customer of the variant, ordered four for CMA CGM Air Cargo, and the order was doubled by CMA CGM in April 2024.
This followed a December 2021 order for four A350Fs to be operated by Air France, with the order confirmed in April 2022.
In the month February of 2022, Singapore Airlines confirmed an order for seven A350Fs, while Silk Way West Airlines ordered two of the varians in June 2022. Etihad Cargo also placed an order for seven freighters same year, but increased it to ten units later.
Air France-KLM Group was not behind as it ordered four A350Fs in January 2023 for the operation by Martinair on behalf of KLM Cargo and currently has 29 A350-900s in service.
In December 2023, Airbus bagged an order from Turkish Airlines for five A350Fs, to add to its existing fleet of 19 A350-900 passenger planes.
Cathay Cargo has also placed an order for six A350Fs, with the right to order 20 more. The carrier currently has 29 A350-900s and 16 A350-1000s as passenger versions.
STARLUX currently operates a fleet of 26 aircraft, including 13 A321neos, five A330neos, and eight A350-900 aircraft. The 10 A350F freighters are scheduled for delivery starting 2027.
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