Singapore Airlines signed a LoI for seven A350F. Photo: Airbus
Singapore Airlines choose A350F as a new freighter
Airbus and Singapore Airlines revealed information about signing a Letter of Intent for acquiring seven Airbus A350F freighter jets with the possibility to buy five more aircraft as an option according to future company needs. Planes will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. Preliminarily, freighters will be delivered to the customer at the end of 2025, of course, if LoI will be transformed into a firm order. Thus, Singapore Airlines is going to become the first airline to operate this new generation freighter jet.
The A350F deal
Currently, South Asian airline's freighter fleet consists of seven aging Boeing 747-400F that serve over 90 destinations. Cargo is a core segment for Singapore Airlines and the company has an intention to renew its current fleet with a new A350F.
"This agreement with Airbus reinforces SIAs position as a leading global air cargo carrier while advancing our sustainability goals. It also ensures that we are prudent with our capital expenditure, and adjusts our passenger aircraft order book to give us the flexibility needed to navigate uncertainties in the recovery trajectory. The A350Fs will replace our seven 747-400F freighters, with the options providing the ability to adapt our requirements to future demand in the cargo market." - Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Airlines commented on a deal.
The A350F specs
According to Airbus, a new freighter is based on the passenger version A350 and uses its commercial benefits. A jet has a large main deck door and a fuselage length that is optimized for cargo operations. Creating a new plane manufacturer used up-to-date materials such as composites, titanium, and aluminum alloys that enabled to build more cost-efficient aircraft, while reducing maintenance requirements and fuel consumption in comparison to older generation freighters.
As for cargo characteristics, a new aircraft will have:
- 109 tonnes payload capability
- Max Take-Off Weight totals 319 tonnes
- flight range is 4, 700 nautical miles
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