Singapore Airlines (SIA) will replace its existing fleet of Boeing B747-400F freighters with seven new A350Fs from Airbus. The airline has entered into a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Airbus for the A350Fs, whose deliveries will commence in Q4CY25. With a payload of 109 tonne, it features a high commonality with A350 passenger aircraft and meets ICAO’s enhanced CO₂ emissions standards in 2027.
With 56 A350s currently in service across its network for passenger operations, Singapore Airlines is the world’s largest operator of this type.
Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International, said, “The A350F is the world’s all-new large freighter and will be unmatched in its market segment in terms of operational efficiency, lower fuel consumption and CO₂ savings.”
Airbus’ Board of Directors approved a freighter derivative of the A350 earlier this year to meet the growing demand for large freighters. The latest order is Airbus’ third commitment for the new A350F received over the past month.
The fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent-XWB97 engines will power Singapore Airlines’ new freighter aircraft. The airline has also committed to a 15-year TotalCare maintenance agreement. The new Trent XWB offers a 15% efficiency improvement over the first generation of Trent engines.