Taipei-headquartered Starlux Airlines has placed a firm order for five A350F freighters with Airbus. The new deal doubles last year’s initial order of five all-new cargo jets from the airline. The carrier operates an all-Airbus fleet comprising 26 jets. The list of passenger aircraft includes A321neo, A330neo and the A350-900.
The Airbus A350F is currently under development. Per the manufacturer, the freighter has a 111-tonne payload capacity and can fly nonstop for up to 4,700 nautical miles (8,700km). The aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, efficient enough to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 40 per cent compared to the previous generation aircraft. Compared with a direct rival, the Airbus A350F boasts a 46-tonne lighter take-off weight, thanks entirely to advanced materials used in more than 70 per cent of the airframe’s construction.
Here’s what Glenn Chai, the CEO at Starlux Airlines, said about this new deal with Airbus:
“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.”
