Airbus adds 18 jetliner orders at Singapore Airshow

STARLUX Airlines of Taiwan has placed a firm order for five all-new Airbus 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.

“STARLUX Airlines has continuously nurtured the cargo market since its inception, capitalizing 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.”

The A350F offers energy-saving and carbon reduction benefits, meeting customer carbon reduction requirements and STARLUX’s plan to achieve zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, the three new A330neos will provide greater flexibility for passenger operations.

Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales, Commercial Aircraft, said, “The A350F will enable STARLUX Airlines to compete effectively with the leading players in key cargo markets.”

STARLUX Airlines operates an all-Airbus passenger fleet that already includes the A350-900, A330neo, and A321neo. 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 km) powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. More than 70% of the A350F airframe is made of advanced materials.

The additional order for the A330neo boosts STARLUX Airlines’ A330neo fleet from four to seven, with the aircraft featuring 28 business class seats and 269 economy class seats.

Airbus widebody aircraft have nearly 900 in-service and 190 to be delivered with airlines in the Asia-Pacific region.

At the end of January 2024, the latest generation A350 family had won more than 1,200 orders from 57 customers worldwide, including 50 for the A350F from nine leading cargo airlines. In the mid-size category, the A330neo family has nearly 300 firm orders from 28 customers.

Breeze Airways orders 10 A220s
Providing nonstop service between underserved routes across the U.S., Breeze Airways has disclosed an order for 10 additional Airbus A220-300 aircraft, bringing the airline’s total firm order for the aircraft type to 90, making Breeze the third largest customer worldwide for the A220.

The aircraft can fly non-stop up to 3,600 nautical miles or 6,700 km. Offering 25% lower fuel burn and CO₂ emissions per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, the A220 combines state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials, and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation GTF engines. The A220 brings customers a 50% reduced noise footprint when compared to previous generation aircraft and around 40% lower NOx emissions than industry standards. The A220 can already operate with up to 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Airbus aims for all its aircraft to be capable of operating with up to 100% SAF by 2030.

Breeze took delivery of its first Airbus A220 in December 2021 and is operating 20 aircraft (as of end January 2024) throughout the United States. Breeze also announced it will be using an all-A220 fleet for its commercial operations by the end of 2024.

With more than 300 A220s delivered to 20 airlines operating on five continents including the recent addition of Oceania, the A220 offers operational flexibility for regional and long-distance routes. The fleet is currently flying on more than 1,350 routes and more than 400 destinations worldwide. As of the end of January 2024, around 30 customers have ordered more than 900 A220 aircraft.

The STARLUX Airlines and Breeze Airways orders have a combined approximate value of $2.6 billion at list prices.