Air France-KLM Group to Place Order for 50 Airbus A350 Wide-body Aircraft

The Air France – KLM Group on Tuesday announced that it plans to place an order for 50 Airbus A350 family aircraft to accelerate the renewal of its long-haul fleet.

The Group order will cover 50 Airbus A350-900 and A350-1000 aircraft – with purchase rights for 40 additional aircraft – with first deliveries expected in 2026 through to 2030. This will be an evolutionary order, providing the Group with flexibility to allocate aircraft within its portfolio of airlines, according to market dynamics and local regulatory conditions.

“The Airbus A350 is a state-of-the-art aircraft with an excellent track record at Air France, where it has rapidly become a favorite among passengers and crew since its entry into service in 2019,” Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith said.

According to Smith, the Airbus A350 will be instrumental in helping the Group reach its ambitious sustainability targets, including -30% CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer by 2030.

These aircraft will replace previous-generation aircraft, namely Airbus A330 and older Boeing 777 aircraft.

“It is the perfect fit for the network needs of the Group and boasts outstanding performances: it is a quieter, more fuel efficient and more cost-effective aircraft compared to previous generations,” Smith said.

This new order will come in addition to an existing Air France-KLM order for 41 Airbus A350-900s for Air France, of which 22 have been delivered to date.

Air France-KLM will also be among the launch customers of the Airbus A350 Full Freighter version of the aircraft, having ordered 8 aircraft to renew and expand its cargo fleet.

With these combined orders, covering up to 99 aircraft, Air France-KLM would become the world’s largest A350 family aircraft operator.

By 2028, the share of new generation aircraft in the Air France-KLM fleet will reach 64%, compared to 5% in 2019.

As of September 25, 2023, Air France-KLM operated a fleet of 533 aircraft to over 300 destinations worldwide. Once this order is placed, the Group will have over 220 aircraft on order, including 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, with first deliveries expected by the end of 2023.

This order remains subject to standard company approvals.