Etihad Airways has firmed up its order for Seven Airbus A350F aircraft (the freighter variant of the Airbus A350).
The move follows the commitment announced at the Singapore Airshow. The freighters will upgrade Etihad’s freight capacity. These will be added to its existing order of A350-1000s, five of which have been delivered.
In total, Etihad will have 27 orders for the family.
According to Airbus, the A350F provides a high level of commonality with the A350 passenger versions, whilst providing a 109-tonne payload capability. The aircraft features a large main deck cargo door, with its fuselage length and capacity optimised around the industry’s standard pallets and containers.
To support the aircraft, Etihad has also firmed up a long-term agreement for Airbus’ Flight Hour Services (FHS) to support its entire A350 fleet, to maintain aircraft performance and optimise reliability. Etihad has also opted for Airbus’ Skywise Health Monitoring, allowing the airline to access real-time management of aircraft events and troubleshooting, saving time and decreasing the cost of unscheduled maintenance.
In Quotes
Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said:
“In building one of the world’s youngest and most sustainable fleets, we are delighted to extend our long-term partnership with Airbus to add the A350 Freighter to our fleet. This additional cargo capacity will support the unprecedented growth we are experiencing in the Etihad Cargo division. Airbus has developed a remarkable fuel-efficient aircraft that, in tandem with the A350-1000 in our passenger fleet, supports our commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International.
“Airbus is delighted to extend its long standing partnership with Etihad Airways, who recently introduced the A350 passenger services and is continuing to build on the Family with the game-changing freighter version, the A350F,”
“This new generation large freighter brings unprecedented and unmatched benefits in terms of range, fuel efficiency and CO₂ savings, that support customers by enhancing operational efficiencies at the same time as reducing environmental impact.”
Growing commitments
The Airbus A350F has been slowly picking up traction since its announcement last year. So far, the A350F has won 31 firm orders from six customers along with commitments from other customers
With some of the freighter fleet up for replacement over the next few years, both Airbus and Boeing are showing off options for airlines and lessors to take advantage of. Along with the sustainability agendas too, the consideration for new-build with fuel-efficient engines will be high on the list for them to consider.
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