Air France-KLM has announced a major order for 50 Airbus A350 long-haul aircraft, worth over $16 billion at list price. The order is part of Air France-KLM's strategy to reduce its carbon footprint and meet anticipated growth in global air traffic, while adapting to the Ukrainian conflict.
On Monday, September 25, 2023, Air France-KLM announced a major order for 50 Airbus A350 long-haul aircraft, with acquisition rights for a further 40 aircraft. The contract is worth over $16 billion at list price.
Replacing Boeing 777-200s and Airbus A330s
Deliveries are scheduled between 2026 and 2030, to replace the two airlines' older Boeing 777-200 and A330 aircraft.
"This will be an evolutionary order, offering the group the flexibility to allocate the aircraft to its different airlines according to market dynamics and the local regulatory framework," Air France-KLM states in a release.
The order includes both A350-900s and A350-1000s. A350 aircraft are more fuel-efficient, offering a 25% reduction in fuel consumption compared with previous-generation aircraft, and a 40% reduction in their noise footprint. Depending on the version, these aircraft can carry up to 410 passengers over 16,000 kilometers.
Decarbonizing and bypassing Russia
This order is in line with Air France-KLM's decarbonization objectives, with the ambition of reducing CO2 emissions by 30% per passenger/km by 2030 compared with 2019.
But the ban on Russian airspace due to the war in Ukraine influenced Air France-KLM's choice. During a conference call, Benjamin Smith confided "the Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 have an excellent range, but are smaller, the A350-900 is the same size as the 787-10, but has the same range as the 787-9", he explained, enabling longer routes and bypassing Russian airspace.
In a statement, Airbus expressed its gratitude to Air France-KLM for their "continued confidence in Airbus". The airline and the aircraft manufacturer recently declared their intention to create a joint venture for the maintenance of A350 parts.
Air France-KLM's announcement reflects the modernization of airline fleets to reduce their environmental footprint and meet the expected growth in global air traffic, while aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050.
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