STARLUX Airlines of Taiwan has placed a firm order with Airbus for five more A350F freighters.

Airbus said in a statement that this doubles an initial order from the airline last year for five of the all-new cargo aircraft.

STARLUX Cargo will operate the A350F fleet on some of the world’s busiest freight routes. 

"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," said Glenn Chai, CEO of STARLUX.

"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," he added.

Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales Commercial Aircraft at Airbus, said the A350F will fit seamlessly into the carrier's latest generation all-Airbus fleet.

"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."

STARLUX Airlines currently operates a fleet of 26 Airbus aircraft including the A321neo, the A330neo and the A350-900. 

Currently under development, the A350F can carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes and fly up to 4,700 nautical miles / 8,700 kilometres.

Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft will reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 40% compared to previous-generation aircraft with a similar payload-range capability.

Airbus noted that the A350F features the industry's largest main deck cargo door, with fuselage length and capacity optimised around the industry’s standard pallets and containers.

Over 70% of the airframe is made of advanced materials, resulting in a 46-tonne lighter take-off weight than the competing derivative.

At the end of November 2024, the latest generation widebody A350 Family had won 1,345 orders from 61 customers worldwide, including 55 for the all-new A350F from 10 leading cargo carriers.