Air Lease Corporation Cancels Airbus A350F Order

Air Lease Corporation, a global aircraft lessor, has initiated a move to remove Airbus A350F orders from its backlog.

The revelation follows the planemaker’s confirmation of its June orders and deliveries, and thus its half-year performance for 2025, which reflected the change.

During the month, the manufacturer delivered 63 aircraft to 35 customers, bringing its 2025 deliveries to date to 306 across 65 customers, down from the performance in 2024.

As part of the revision, all seven Airbus A350Fs that Air Lease, a U.S.-backed lessor, had ordered have been axed.

The adjustment represents a twist in the lessor’s previously agreed-upon deal, which had previously shown great confidence in the product, given that ALC was a core part of the launch for this newly introduced dedicated freighter.

The new deal announced at the 2021 edition of the Dubai Airshow, which included the purchase of seven A350 Freighters, is part of a broader agreement that also included 111 new Airbus aircraft.

The multi-billion-dollar contract included 55 A321neo jets, a commitment to 20 A321XLRs, and four A330neos.

At the time, ALC stated that the order underscored their confidence that the future of air transport was bright, despite the adversities faced during the global pandemic.

Moreover, the commitment followed many other aircraft orders that had been placed with the planemaker. ALC, founded in 2010, had already purchased approximately 500 Airbus aircraft at that point to enhance its customers’ flying experience.

The Rise Of The A350F

For Airbus, despite this recent order cancellation, the rise of the A350F has been more than apparent, with the upcoming jet being a hit with many global freight companies.

Airbus would acknowledge it has been in the shadow of Boeing for too long in the freighter market, with its counterpart controlling a large portion of the market share without any disruption.

However, Airbus now aims to be a force for change and shift the dialogue surrounding the sector by introducing its A350F, which will rival the upcoming Boeing 777-8F.

The A350F will carry up to 111 tonnes and comes with a range of 8,700 km. Additionally, the aircraft, equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97s, will offer a 40% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.