STARLUX Orders More Airbus A350Fs

STARLUX is strengthening its commitment to the Airbus A350 family through the firm order for additional Freighter aircraft.

The luxury Taiwanese carrier will receive five additional Airbus A350F Freighters, purchased under a firm order, to help develop its STARLUX Cargo division.

This top-up purchase of the A350F comes as STARLUX believes in deploying the upcoming freighter aircraft across some of the busiest freight routes worldwide.

To achieve this, STARLUX will leverage the capabilities of a newly launched aircraft type from the European planemaker and Airbus’ first dedicated attempt to compete with Boeing and erode market share in this sector.

The A350F will be able to carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes and also can fly 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km), allowing it to reach many markets worldwide.

Compared to previous generation freighters, which will be removed from service in due course, the A350F also has a 40% reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

The A350F is, therefore, broadly considered part of the new generation of dedicated freighter planes that will arrive on the scene in the coming years. Furthermore, the jet is mainly pitched at fending off interest and, thus, sales of Boeing’s upcoming 777-8F.

For many years, the A350F and 777-8F will primarily battle it out for orders from companies seeking to elevate their cargo flying across their business.

STARLUX, while not currently operating with freighter planes, believes this will play a pivotal role in the makeup of its business for decades to come as it emphasises diversification of fundamental revenue streams.

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. 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.

 STARLUX CEO Glenn Chai

The Taiwanese carrier is already an all-Airbus operator and has a close relationship with this company through its carefully curated and extensive passenger fleet, which is home to A321neos, A330neos and the passenger variant of the A350 series in the -900 model.

STARLUX’s commitment is ultimately added to what Airbus reported as 55 orders for its all-new A350F in November 2024. This is part of a broader commitment for over 1,300 orders for the program.

Since entering the industry, the A350 has acted as a solution for airlines seeking to renew their fleets or grow and move in a more positive direction with the type of planes they operate, putting efficiency as a paramount focus.