Etihad Airways has signed a Letter of Intent with Airbus for seven Airbus A350F freighters to add to its existing fleet and also tapped the planemaker's Flight Hour Services (FHS) to support its entire A350 fleet.

"Etihad is delighted to extend our relationship with Airbus to include this remarkable aircraft as part of our freighter fleet for the future," said Tony Douglas, Group chief executive officer, Etihad Aviation Group.

The announcement was made during the Singapore Airshow 2022.

"As our cargo operations continue to overperform and we work towards a more sustainable future built upon the world's youngest and most fuel-efficient fleet, the addition of the A350F will play a key role in driving our long-term cargo strategy and achieving our 2035 target to reduce CO ₂ emissions by 50%," said Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer and head of international, adding that new generation large freighter will also be "unmatched in its market segment in terms of range, fuel consumption and CO₂ savings."

Airbus noted that A350F can serve all cargo markets with 109 tonne payload capability. The aircraft also features a large main deck cargo door, with its fuselage length and capacity optimised around the industry's standard pallets and containers.

It added that the A350F is designed to meet the evolving environmental requirements that are shaping the future of air freight. The aircraft will also be powered by fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines and fully meets ICAO's enhanced CO₂ emissions standards coming into effect in 2027.

Etihad currently operates a fleet of five A350-1000 passenger aircraft.