Air China Cargo Orders Four Additional Airbus A350F Freighters

Airbus has today announced that Air China Cargo has placed an order for four additional Airbus A350F Freighters.  This incremental order expands the carrier’s orderbook for the type to 10 aircraft, building on a November 2025 order for six A350Fs.

Air China Cargo Airbus A350F Freighter Rendering - Courtesy Airbus

On Tuesday (May 26, 2026), Airbus announced that Air China Cargo has signed a purchase agreement for four additional A350F freighters, taking their total order for the type to 10 aircraft. Air China Cargo previously ordered six A350F freighters in November 2025.  Air China Cargo began introducing Airbus freighters at the end of 2023, and currently operates a fleet of eight Airbus A330-200P2Fs.  The A350F freighter will join Air China Cargo’s fleet and will complement the A330-200P2F freighters, maximizing their advantages on long-haul and medium-to-long-haul routes. 

In Tuesday’s announcement, Air China Cargo’s President, Wang Hongyan, said,

“This additional order, following our initial A350F order last year, is a crucial strategic decision for the company to further optimise our fleet structure and expand transport capacity.  It will allow us to better match and meet the demands of the international air cargo market, laying a solid foundation for the company's long-term stable development.”

Also commenting on the incremental A350F order, Airbus’ EVP Sales – Commercial Aircraft, Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, said,

“We are very pleased with Air China Cargo’s decision to increase its order for the A350F freighter.  It reflects Air China Cargo’s full confidence in Airbus’ products and reaffirms the A350F’s leading position as the next-generation freighter.”

The Airbus A350F Freighter has been designed to meet the evolving demands of the global air freight market.  With a range of up to 4,698 nautical miles (8,700 km) and a payload capacity of up 111 tons, the aircraft facilitates international long-haul operations.   Made from over 70 percent advanced materials, the A350F is 46 tons lighter than competitor aircraft.  Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft offers a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 20 percent when compared to previous generation aircraft with a similar payload-range capability.

The Airbus A350F is the only freighter fully meeting ICAO’s 2027 CO₂ emission standards.  The aircraft will be able to operate with 50 percent SAF at entry-to-service, with the aim for up to 100 percent capability by 2030, as with all Airbus aircraft.  At April 30, 2026, Airbus had received 101 A350F orders from 14 customers worldwide.

Source: Airbus