STARLUX Airlines of Taiwan has placed a firm order for five all-new A350F freighters and three more A330neo widebody aircraft.

The agreement was signed at the Singapore Airshow by KW Chang, chairman of STARLUX Airlines and Christian Scherer, CEO of the Commercial Aircraft business of Airbus.

[Source: Airbus]

"STARLUX Airlines has continuously nurtured the cargo market since its inception, capitalising on the strategic advantages offered by Taiwan's geographical location," said STARLUX CEO Glenn Chai. 

"With this order, STARLUX will become the first Taiwanese airline to operate the next-generation A350F widebody freighter."

Chai noted that in an era of climate change, the A350F has unbeatable efficiency in terms of fuel burn, CO2 emissions, and economics, offering significant energy-saving and carbon reduction benefits.

"It not only meets customer requirements for carbon reduction but also aligns with STARLUX's ESG plan to achieve zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, the three new A330neos will strengthen our fleet advantage and provide greater flexibility for passenger operations," he added.

For his part, Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales, Commercial Aircraft, said Airbus is looking forward to working with STARLUX Airlines in building and strengthening its fleet.

"Operating both the latest generation Airbus single-aisle and widebody aircraft brings the airline enormous benefits," he added, noting that this also significantly reduces fuel consumption and carbon emission and offers unrivalled levels of technical commonality, benefits in maintenance and training.

"The A350F, the only new generation large freighter, will fit seamlessly into this all-Airbus fleet and enable STARLUX Airlines to compete effectively with the leading players in key cargo markets," de Saint-Exupéry, said.

STARLUX Airlines operates an all-Airbus passenger fleet that already includes the A350-900, A330neo and A321neo.

Cargo operations

STARLUX said in a statement that the A350F will be operated by STARLUX Cargo on some of the world's busiest cargo routes. 

Currently under development, the A350F can carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes and can fly up to 4,700 nautical miles / 8,700 kilometres at a significantly lower cost than any other freighter available today.

The A350F will enable STARLUX Cargo to serve all heavy cargo markets around the world.

Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent-XWB97 engines, the aircraft will bring a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 40% when compared with the older 747F and is at least 20% more efficient than its competitor.

The A350F features the largest main deck cargo door in the industry, 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.

The A350F is also the only freighter aircraft that will fully meet ICAO’s enhanced CO₂ emissions standards, coming into effect in 2027.

Meanwhile, the announcement said the additional order for the A330neo will see STARLUX Airlines continue to build one of the most modern and efficient passenger fleets, offering the highest levels of in-flight comfort.

Airbus widebody aircraft are especially popular with airlines in the Asia-Pacific, with nearly 900 in-service and 190 to be delivered.

At the end of January, the latest generation A350 Family had won over 1,200 orders from 57 customers worldwide, including 50 for the A350F from nine leading cargo airlines.