Taiwan’s STARLUX Airlines has placed a firm order with Airbus for five additional A350F freighters. This doubles the airline’s initial order placed last year for five all-new freighters. The A350F fleet will be operated by STARLUX Cargo on some of the world’s busiest freight routes.
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“The freight market is set to become a core component of our business model and will benefit from the advantages offered by Taiwan’s geographic location,” said Glenn Chai, CEO of STARLUX. “The A350F is the perfect choice for STARLUX, offering similar payload range capability as previous generation freighters, but with very significant reductions in fuel consumption and carbon emissions.”
“We thank STARLUX Airlines for its continued confidence in Airbus and its products,” said Benoit de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President Commercial Aircraft Sales at Airbus. “The A350F will fit seamlessly into the company’s latest generation Airbus aircraft which offers unparalleled levels of technical and operational commonality. This second order from the fast-growing airline is further confirmation of the all-new A350F as a game-changing aircraft in The future in heavy transport markets.
STARLUX Airlines so far operates a fleet of 26 Airbus aircraft including the A321neo, A330neo and A350-900.
The A350F, which is currently under development, can carry a payload of up to 111 tons and can fly up to 4,700 nautical miles/8,700 kilometers. Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft will achieve a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 40% compared to previous generation aircraft of similar payload capacity.
The A350F features the industry’s largest main cargo door, with fuselage length and optimal capacity around industry-standard pallets and containers. More than 70% of the airframe is made of advanced materials, resulting in a 46-ton lower take-off weight than competing derivatives. The A350F is also the only freighter that will fully meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) enhanced CO2 emissions standards, which will come into force in 2027.
At the end of November 2024, the latest generation of the wide-body A350 family won 1,345 orders from 61 customers around the world, including 55 orders for the all-new A350F from 10 leading freighter carriers.
STARLUX’s order for five additional A350F freighters appeared for the first time at Air Cargo Week.
