Air France-KLM has placed an order for 50 Airbus A350-900 and A350-1000 aircraft, with purchase rights for 40 more, the company announced Monday. The deal will accelerate the renewal of its long-haul fleet. The first deliveries are expected in 2026 through to 2030.
The planes will replace previous-generation aircraft, mainly Airbus A330 and older Boeing 777 aircraft, according to Air France-KLM. This order is in addition to an existing Air France-KLM order for 41 Airbus A350-900s for Air France, of which 22 have been delivered to date.
Air France-KLM estimates that by 2028 its fleet share of new-generation aircraft—which produce less carbon emissions and noise than earlier aircraft—will reach 64 percent, compared with 5 percent in 2019.