China Cargo Airlines places additional order for 4 more Airbus A350F freighters, having initially ordered 6 in November last year.
On Tuesday, May 26, European aircraft manufacturer Airbus announced that Air China Cargo has placed an additional order for 4 large A350F freighters on top of its previous order, increasing the total to 10 aircraft.
According to AFP, Chinese companies had previously disclosed this order as early as late October 2025 via a notice on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, initially including 6 aircraft with an option to increase the order to up to 10.
The operational launch date for the new Airbus A350F freighter has not yet been announced. Compared to previous-generation aircraft with similar range and payload capacity, this model is expected to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 20%, making it particularly energy-efficient—especially when compared to its main competitor, Boeing’s freighter models.
Additionally, the transaction value remains undisclosed. However, based on information released by China Cargo Airlines in November last year, the list price for this aircraft was approximately $465 million per unit at that time.
Previously, this cargo airline operated exclusively with Boeing aircraft. Since late 2023, it has begun introducing Airbus aircraft to diversify its fleet. Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, executive at Airbus Commercial Aircraft, stated in a release that this order “reflects China Cargo Airlines’ full confidence in Airbus products.”
As of the end of April this year, Airbus has secured a total of 101 A350F orders from 14 airlines. The aircraft can carry up to 111 tons of cargo and has a range of about 8,700 kilometers.
Source: rfi
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866306422144136/
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