The Air France-KLM Group has placed an order for 50 A350 aircraft, including both the A350-900 and A350-1000 variants. The European airline consortium announced the order in a press release on Monday.
As part of the order, the company has purchase rights for an additional 40 Airbus widebody aircraft. The purchase is part of a broader fleet renewal effort, which includes phasing out older A330 and 777 aircraft, the company said. Deliveries are expected to take place between 2026 and 2030.
Joining an order book of 41 A350-900 aircraft and eight of Airbus’ A350 freighter variant, Monday’s order will make Air France one of the world’s largest A350 operators. In total, Air France-KLM will have over 220 aircraft on order, including 100 A320neo family aircraft.
“This new order will be a major step in the renewal of the Group’s fleet. The Airbus A350 is a state-of-the-art aircraft with an excellent track record at Air France, where it has rapidly become a favorite among passengers and crew since its entry into service in 2019. It is the perfect fit for the network needs of the Group and boasts outstanding performances: it is a quieter, more fuel efficient and more cost-effective aircraft compared to previous generations,” the group’s CEO Benjamin Smith said in a press release.
Per data available on AirFleets.net, Air France has a total of 214 active aircraft in its fleet with its Dutch counterpart maintaining 110. Both carriers operate a variety of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, including older 777-200s and A330-200s.
