Air France-KLM has already ordered 41 Airbus A350s, of which 22 have already been delivered. And the long haul seems to give it complete satisfaction since the French airline group announces in a press release that it plans to buy 50 more, and to put an option on 40 additional planes. The first devices of this order, estimated by The echoes at 10 billion euros, should be handed over to Air France from 2026, with deliveries then staggered until 2030.
“These aircraft will replace previous generation aircraft which will be gradually withdrawn from the Group’s fleet in the years to come: Airbus A330s as well as Boeing 777s”, specifies the group which is counting on the A350 to help it achieve its objective of reducing its CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030.
A “quieter and more economical” plane
“The Airbus A350 is a cutting-edge aircraft that has already proven itself at Air France, where it has quickly become the favorite of passengers and crew since it entered service in 2019,” explains Benjamin Smith, the general director of Air France-KLM. It perfectly meets the needs of the group’s network and displays exceptional performance: it is a quieter, more fuel-efficient and more profitable aircraft than previous generation aircraft.
If this new contract continues normally, Air France will become the world’s first operator of this aircraft assembled in Toulouse, with 99 aircraft, including 8 in the cargo version for freight.