Air France-KLM Group has announced it plans to order up to 90 more Airbus A350 aircraft to meet its future long-haul fleet neets.
The order comprises 50 A350-900 and -1000 aircraft, with options for a further 40. Deliveries are expected between 2026 and 2030.
At present Air France is the only operator of the A350 in the fleets of the joint airline group, however with these new orders the widebody airliner will begin flying for KLM as well.
At present Air France has 22 Airbus A350-900s in its fleet, with a further 18 on order. It will also become the launch customer for the A350 Full Freighter variant.
The new aircraft will enable the airline to retire its older Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 aircraft. It consumes 25% less fuel than an equivalent-sized, previous-generation aircraft, thanks to the use of lighter materials: 53% composites and 14% titanium. Its noise footprint is also reduced by 40%.
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