Air France-KLM Group to place order for 50 Airbus A350 aircraft

To the point Air France and KLM announce a major future aircraft order for 50 Airbus A350-900s and A350-1000s, with the option of adding 40 additionnal aircraft at a later date.

In addition to this order, the Air France-KLM Group will also hold the purchase rights to acquire a further 40 aircraft, all with the aim of improving the economic and environmental performance of its long-haul fleet.

Deliveries of these aircraft will start in 2026 and run through to 2030. This order is in addition to a previous order for 41 Airbus A350-900s, which now counts 22 aircraft already delivered.

“This new order will be a major step in the renewal of the Group’s fleet. The Airbus A350 is a state-of-the-art aircraft with an excellent track record at Air France, where it has rapidly become a favorite among passengers and crew since its entry into service in 2019. It is the perfect fit for the network needs of the Group and boasts outstanding performances: it is a quieter, more fuel efficient and more cost-effective aircraft compared to previous generations. It will be instrumental in helping the Group reach our ambitious sustainability targets, including -30% CO₂ emissions per passenger kilometer by 2030.”
- Benjamin Smith, Directeur Général du Groupe Air France-KLM

The new aircraft will replace older-generation Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s, which will be retired from the fleet. This order also includes 8 Airbus A350F Cargo version aircraft.

Once these orders are completed, Air France-KLM will have 99 Airbus A350 aircraft, making the Group the leading operator of this type of aircraft.

We don’t yet know how these new aircraft will be distributed between Air France and KLM, but this gives you plenty of time to collect Flying Blue miles so you can book award seats (and at a lower price in miles, thanks to Promo Awards).

Here’s what the Airbus A350 Family offers in terms of improvements over previous aircraft of equivalent size:

25% less fuel consumption
40% reduction in noise footprint
Use of lighter materials: 53% composite and 14% titanium

Find out more about Air France’s new Business configuration on board the A350:

As of September 25, the Air France-KLM Group had 553 aircraft in service to 300 destinations worldwide. Including this order, the number of aircraft on order rises to 220; the next to be delivered will be 100 Airbus A320neo aircraft by the end of 2023.

This announcement is definitely welcome from an environmental point of view, since these new-generation appliances are much more economical in terms of emissions. By renewing its fleet, the Air France-KLM Group aims to reduce CO₂ emissions by 30% per passenger/km by 2030 (compared with 2019).

Air Canada made a similar announcement today, purchasing 18 Boeing 7870-10 aircraft.