Air France-KLM intends to order up to ninety Airbus A350s |

Air France-KLM has made up its mind: the airline group intends to order fifty Airbus A350 plus forty options for the French and Dutch airlines. The aircraft are mainly for the replacement of older-generation widebodies. How many aircraft each carrier will get depends on “future market dynamics and regulatory conditions.” That clearly indicates that the fleet size will depend on the available capacity for KLM at Amsterdam Schiphol. Air France-KLM will order both the A350-900 and the larger A350-1000. The former has been in use with Air France since September 2019. Since then, 22 have been delivered out of 41 on order. Air France also has four A350F full freighters on order, with another four ordered by KLM’s sister cargo airline Martinair. The additional A350-900s will likely replace the fifteen A330-200s, which are, on average, 21 years old, and the eighteen Boeing 777-200s over 23 years old. The A350-1000 is an obvious replacement for the 777-300ER, of which Air France operates 43 with an average age of fifteen years. Surprise The selection of the A350 for KLM comes somewhat as a surprise. The Dutch carrier previously had seven A350-900s on order, but they were swapped for Boeing 787-9s that were in the order book for Air France. Since then, KLM has thirteen 787-9s and ten 787-10s, with another five unfilled orders. In May, Air France-KLM Group CEO Ben Smith said that ordering more 787-10s would have been the obvious choice for KLM. Dutch newspaper reports said a few weeks ago that KLM favored more 787s over the A350. But the Dreamliners are more expensive than the A350s, Boeing has a growing backlog (see Air Canada’s latest order), and the type comes short on range. A favorable deal with Airbus must have been a major factor in selecting the A350. KLM expects to introduce the A350-900 on intercontinental routes in 2026, where the type will replace the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330. The fifteen 777-200ERs are nearing nineteen years, while the six A330-200s are almost eighteen and five -300s years eleven. KLM had planned to phase out the A330s within the next two years but recently decided to keep them until 2028. The A350-1000 will likely replace some of the older 777-300ERs. The Triple Seven fleet comprises sixteen aircraft, half over ten years old, but two delivered new as recently as 2021. KLM is said to have favored the Boeing 787-10, but the airline group has decided that the Dutch airline will also operate the A350. (Air France-KLM) Smith said that he has also been looking at the Boeing 777-9, but the selection of the A350-1000s indicates that he is satisfied with a slightly smaller top widebody aircraft. Excellent track record "This new order will be a major step in the renewal of the Group’s fleet,” Ben Smith says in a media statement. “The Airbus A350 is a state-of-the-art aircraft with an excellent track record at Air France, where it has rapidly become a favorite among passengers and crew since its entry into service in 2019.” “It is the perfect fit for the network needs of the Group and boasts outstanding performances: it is a quieter, more fuel efficient and more cost-effective aircraft compared to previous generations. It will be instrumental in helping the Group reach our ambitious sustainability targets, including -30 percent CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer by 2030.” KLM CEO Marjan Rintel says: “Today marks a very special day for KLM. We have taken a big step towards our future with the proposed decision of purchasing new aircraft. We can make our fleet significantly cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient with the A350s. This is important because we are all faced with the major task of becoming more sustainable. Furthermore, we can offer our passengers much more service and comfort on intercontinental destinations.” The Schiphol factor As stated by the airline group, market dynamics and regulatory conditions will decide how many A350s each airline will get. If the new Dutch government proceeds with plans to reduce capacity at Amsterdam Schiphol or introduce a new tax for transit passengers, as has been muted by some political parties, this could affect the fleet requirements of KLM. The order needs approval from Air France and KLM working councils before it will be finalized. Once completed, it also boosts engine maker Rolls-Royce, the exclusive supplier of the Trent XWB-84 to the A350-900 and XWB-97 to the A350-1000. That an A350 order was in the air was evident early in September, when Air France-KLM announced that it would like to establish a joint venture with Airbus, specifically for maintenance, repair, and overhaul of the A350. This JV will get a huge boost once all aircraft on firm order have been delivered, bringing the fleet to 99 A350s. This makes Air France-KLM the biggest operator of the widebody.

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