STARLUX continues to expand its fleet – this time in its cargo arm adding further aircraft to its fleet.
The Tawainese airline has placed a firm order with Airbus for five more A350F freighters. This doubles an initial order from the airline last year for five of the all-new cargo aircraft. The A350F fleet will be operated by STARLUX Cargo.
STARLUX Airlines currently operates a fleet of 26 all-Airbus aircraft including the A321neo, the A330neo and the A350-900.
The Airbus A350F is currently under development by Airbus, as a development of the Airbus A350 programme. It is designed to carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes and can fly up to 4,700 nautical miles / 8,700 kilometres, with the fuselage length and capacity optimised around the industry’s standard pallets and containers – with the all-important cargo deck.
In Quotes
STARLUX CEO Glenn Chai said
“The cargo market is set to become a key element in our business model and will benefit from the advantages offered by Taiwan’s geographical location,”
“The A350F is the perfect choice for STARLUX, offering a similar payload-range capability as previous generation freighters, but with very significant reductions in fuel consumption and carbon emissions.”
Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales Commercial Aircraft at Airbus added:
“We thank STARLUX Airlines for its ongoing confidence in Airbus and its products,”
“The A350F will fit seamlessly into the carrier’s latest generation all-Airbus fleet which offers unrivalled levels of technical and operational commonality. This second order from this fast-growing airline is another endorsement of the all-new A350F as the future game-changer in heavy lift markets.”
A Growing Segment
With cargo airlines looking to reduce CO2 and fuel usage, looking at new-generation aircraft can help with their environmental footprint – as well as costs of operating aircraft (especially compared to older four-engined aircraft).
It seems Airbus is doing well with its A350F programme, with 55 aircraft on order so far, as it seeks to build out the Airbus cargo options for its customers, as it competes with both other airframers, as well as those who are creating passenger to freight conversions.
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