Etihad Airways has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for seven Airbus A350F freighters to add to its existing fleet of five A350-1000 passenger aircraft.

The announcement was made during the 2022 Singapore Airshow. Etihad has also selected Airbus Flight Hours Services (FHS) to support its entire A350 fleet.

“Etihad is delighted to extend our relationship with Airbus to include this remarkable aircraft in our freighter fleet for the future,” said Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive, Etihad Aviation Group. “As our cargo operations continue to outperform and we work towards a more sustainable future built on the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleet in the world, the addition of the A350F will play a key role in driving our long-term freight strategy and achieving our 2035 target of reducing CO₂ emissions by 50%.”

Christian Scherer, Commercial Director and Head of International at Airbus, said: “We are delighted to sign this agreement with our long-standing partner Etihad, shortly before this most demanding airline will also introduce A350 passenger service. . Thank you Etihad for endorsing the revolutionary nature of the new A350F. The world’s only next-generation large freighter will be unmatched in its market segment in terms of range, fuel consumption and CO₂ savings.

With a payload capacity of 109 tons, the A350F can serve all freight markets. The aircraft features a large cargo door on the main deck, with optimized fuselage length and capacity around industry standard pallets and containers.

The A350F is designed to meet the ever-changing environmental demands shaping the future of air cargo. The aircraft will be powered by fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines.

More than 70% of the A350F’s airframe is made of advanced materials, resulting in a 30-tonne lighter take-off weight and at least 20% lower fuel burn and emissions than of its closest current competitor, Airbus said. The A350F fully complies with ICAO’s enhanced CO₂ emissions standards which will come into force in 2027.

The case comes as Singapore Airlines (SIA) has finalized a purchase agreement with Airbus for seven A350F freighters.

Other recent A350F orders have come from CMA-CGM and Air France-KLM.

Qatar Airways, another airline based in the Middle East, recently became the launch customer for the new Boeing 777-8 freighter, ordering 34 of the planes with options for 16 more in a deal valued at more than $20 billion based on list prices.

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