Air France-KLM continues to renew its fleet and places firm order for 4 Airbus A350F full freighter aircraft for Martinair (part of the KLM Group), and 3 A350-900 passenger aircraft for Air France

Air France-KLM’s fleet renewal continues in an ongoing effort to improve the Group’s economic and environmental performance.

In this context, the Group announced today that the Air France-KLM Board of Directors has approved:  

• a firm order for 4 Airbus A350F full freighter aircraft, to be operated by Martinair on behalf of KLM Cargo.  

These Airbus A350Fs will replace the fleet of 4 Boeing 747Fs currently operated by KLM Cargo and Martinair. They will be based at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.  

In December 2021, Air France-KLM had placed an order for 4 Airbus A350F full freighter aircraft for Air France. Deliveries to Martinair and Air France are expected as of the second half of 2026, meaning both airlines will be among the launch operators of the A350F full freighter.

Benefiting from the latest technological innovations and powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the Airbus A350F delivers significantly improved environmental performance with an over 40% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the Boeing 747F. Its noise footprint is also 50% lower.

• A firm order for 3 additional Airbus A350-900 passenger aircraft for Air France, bringing the total number of A350-900 expected by Air France to 41.

 These Airbus A350s will replace previous-generation aircraft and be based at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.  

They will feature a three-class configuration (Business, Premium Economy, Economy).  

Deliveries are expected in 2024.

Fleet renewal is the key driver to cutting CO2 emissions, with immediate effect. Alongside the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and eco-piloting, it is one of the pillars of the Group's decarbonization trajectory, which aims for a 30% reduction of CO2 emissions per passenger/km by 2030 compared to 2019. These targets have recently been approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

 "Investing in the renewal of our fleet means investing in the future of our Group,” said Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM. “I am delighted to announce that KLM and Air France’s cargo divisions will soon operate the quietest and most advanced full freighter aircraft available on the market, the Airbus A350F. This investment is evidence of our confidence in the sustainable growth of the cargo market in the coming years, as well as our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint. I am also very happy to announce that Air France will continue to accelerate the renewal of its fleet with the addition of 3 A350 passenger aircraft. Since its entry into service at Air France, the A350-900 has proved to be a reliable and efficient aircraft, as well as a game changer in terms of reduction of CO2 and noise emissions. We will continue our efforts to renew our fleet as quickly as possible to provide our customers with the best customer experience possible and to meet our ambitious decarbonization targets. ”  

As of December 31, 2022, Air France-KLM operated a fleet of 506 aircraft, including 6 full freighters.