Airbus A350F gets another operator as Air China Cargo orders 6 aircraft
Air China Cargo has signed with Airbus for six of its upcoming A350 freighters. The purchase agreement, signed today, 14 November, makes Air China Cargo the first carrier from the Chinese mainland to invest in the aircraft.
“The introduction of the A350F to our existing mixed cargo fleet contributes to efficiency in operation and maintenance,” said Wang Hongyan, Vice President of Air China Cargo. “The A350F will enhance Air China Cargo’s capability to withstand risks in its long-term stable operation.”
Part of the Air China Group, Air China Cargo operates a mix of Boeing and Airbus products. It has six A330-200s, three Boeing 747-400s and 13 Boeing 777 freighters. Both the Boeing 747s and Airbus A330s are ageing, at 23 years and 18 years old on average, respectively.
The airline hasn’t said whether the A350F is for renewal or expansion, but it could feasibly be a bit of both.
Airbus A350F orders start to take off
The Air China Cargo purchase of the A350F comes just weeks after Korean Air became the latest customer for the type. Rather than a fresh order, the airline chose to convert some of its A350-1000 passenger aircraft orders into freighters instead.
According to Air Cargo News, Turkish Carrier MNG Airlines firmed up its A350F commitment in October, moving forward with the MoU it signed for two aircraft during the Paris Air Show.
While new customers are great news for the A350F programme, Airbus has also had some carriers pulling back from their order commitments.
Delays with the programme saw Air Lease Corp (ALC) removing its seven aircraft order entirely this summer. Weeks later, Air France-KLM reduced its commitment from eight to six aircraft.
According to Airbus, the current orderbook for the A350F stands at 74 aircraft for 12 customers.
