Turkish Airlines has signed a purchase agreement for five all-new Airbus A350 widebody freighters, the companies announced on Friday, closing the order gap with Boeing in the next-generation, large freighter segment.
The news comes a week after Cathay Pacific ordered six A350 cargo jets.
Airbus has received 50 orders for the A350 freighter from nine customers following its launch at the Dubai Airshow two years ago. Boeing has 55 orders from five customers for the next-generation 777-8 freighter, 34 of which are from Qatar Airways. Boeing hasn’t received an order for the large cargo jet since October 2022.
Cargo airlines have been much slower this year to invest in new aircraft because of the severe downturn that has gripped the air cargo industry for the better part of two years.
The A350s were part of an order for 220 Airbus aircraft, including 150 A321 and 65 A350 passenger jets. Turkish Airlines operates a large mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, but the A350 is a new aircraft type for the carrier.
Turkish Airlines is a combination carrier that moves cargo with passenger aircraft and dedicated freighters. It is the seventh-largest cargo airline by traffic carried, according to figures from the International Air Transport Association. The freighter fleet consists of eight Boeing 777-200s, 10 A330-200s and six leased aircraft, including two Boeing 747-400s.
Turkish officials have openly talked this year about plans for major cargo expansion. In 2021, the company opened a mega-cargo terminal at Istanbul Airport.
Airbus did not give a delivery timeline for Turkish Airlines’ A350 freighters. It has previously said the aircraft, which is currently under development, will reach the first customer in 2026. Boeing is targeting 2027 for first delivery of the 777-8.
The A350F features the largest main deck cargo door. More than 70% of the airframe is made of advanced materials. Airbus claims the lighter airframe and efficient Rolls Royce engines produce a 20% advantage in fuel burn and CO2 emissions over the legacy Boeing 777.
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