Atlas Air Could Fly 60 Airbus A350Fs

Airbus has won big with its A350F before it was even certified, as Atlas Air has expanded its commitment to the programme.

Reports from Aviation Week and Atlas Air Worldwide’s chief strategy and transformation officer, Martin Drew, say Atlas Air recently signed additional purchase rights.

The transaction would bring the potential A350F acquisition total to 60 aircraft, with 20 purchase rights added to the existing commitment. When Atlas Air ordered the A350F, it became the largest customer with 20 firm units and 20 options; now those 20 options have jumped to 40.

Crucially, though, this latest commitment doesn’t increase the A350F firm order commitment; instead, it gives the freight provider an easy opportunity to scale its fleet in the future without being forced to renegotiate.

60 Airbus A350Fs for Atlas Air?

For Atlas Air and Airbus, the opportunity to increase commitment to the A350F is crucial, but it includes purchase and option rights rather than firm orders. Atlas Air hasn’t purchased 60 A350Fs outright; it has only committed to 20.

The additional rights signed, and the scope to eventually fly 60 aircraft, are significant. Atlas Air is no small fish in the freight market and will need to expand its fleet further in the coming decade; the purchase rights therefore offer the simplest path to do so later.

Atlas Air first announced its A350F order in March 2026. The deal expects deliveries to begin in 2029 and continue through 2034, with the view that the jets will support global service expansion and availability while lowering costs.

Atlas Air is pursuing a mix of growth and fleet renewal by adding 20 more options to the contract, according to its chief strategy and transformation officer in recent comments. For now, most A350Fs will support expansion, but eventually they will need to be replaced.

This deal matters for Airbus and its A350F

When Atlas Air became the largest customer of the A350F, it was a landmark transaction not just for the freight provider but for Airbus, and for signing its first U.S. customer for a type that’s ultimately looking to disrupt the market share Boeing has built for decades without contest.

Atlas Air’s fleet, which comprises Boeing 747s, 777s and 767s for its freight operations, has been suitable for some time, but a switch to the A350F was significant in that its trust in the new product was enough to make such a sizable purchase, and now it is increasing its possible future acquisition plans.

Now, with the original order potentially reaching three times its initial size and Atlas Air becoming the eventual leader of operations with the jet in the U.S., this is a huge vote of confidence in the manufacturer’s product.

The significance is not just capability-based but also competitive, with Airbus looking to disrupt the established Boeing fleet and go head-to-head with the 777-8F in the new era of dedicated freighters.

For Airbus, the March agreement was symbolic of the jet it was producing and the reception from major cargo operators willing to introduce a different airframe, which risks compatibility. With a maximum payload of 111 tonnes and a range of about 8,700 kilometers, this freighter, launching in 2027, will become, for many, the go-to option for efficient freight flying in the future.

While Atlas Air won’t take delivery of the A350F until the end of the decade, it’ll still be watching the type’s ongoing certification process. MSN700 completed its first flight on 29 September 2026 and began the airborne phase of the certification programme.

Airbus expects a near-400-hour flight-test campaign, using two jets, to obtain European Union Aviation Safety Agency type certification. If all goes according to plan, certification would arrive in 2027 and then pave the way for a late-2027 commercial entry into service.