Atlas Air Worldwide Orders 20 Airbus A350F Freighters
- Joe Breitfeller
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Airbus has today announced that Atlas Air Worldwide has placed a landmark form order for 20 Airbus A350F Freighters, becoming Airbus’ largest customer for the type.
On Monday (March 16, 2026), Airbus announced that Atlas Air Worldwide, a global leader in airfreight logistics, has placed a landmark firm order for 20 Airbus A350F freighters. The order is the largest ever placed for the latest generation fuel efficient A350F and makes Atlas the biggest customer of the type. The new A350F Freighters will advance Atlas’ fleet expansion and long-term earnings growth strategy. As a leading outsourced aviation logistics company, Atlas is uniquely positioned to bring the A350F’s next-generation performance to global operators across a wide variety of business models and markets. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2029 and be completed in 2034.
In Monday’s announcement, Atlas Air Worldwide’s CEO, Michael Steen, said,
“We are proud to become the largest customer for the Airbus A350F, securing early delivery positions for this next-generation widebody freighter platform. This order reflects our commitment to maintaining the industry’s most modern and fuel-efficient widebody freighter fleet to best service existing and new customers worldwide. The A350F is a highly capable, reliable platform, with incremental payload and range benefits, and a strong sustainability profile. We are pleased to add Airbus and Rolls-Royce to our supplier base of leading aircraft and engine manufacturers, offering us optionality and supporting our global operations and continued growth.
“As retirements of older widebody freighters accelerate, the large widebody freighter market will remain constrained, with limited new capacity entering the market. This strategic investment reinforces our long-term confidence in global airfreight demand, and positions Atlas to meet that demand and support future growth.”
Also commenting on the landmark A350F order, Airbus Commercial Aircraft’s CEO, Lars Wagner, said,
“We are excited to welcome Atlas Air Worldwide, a global leader of the air cargo industry, to the Airbus family. Atlas Air’s selection of the latest generation A350F - the first in the US - represents a pivotal moment, cementing the A350F’s position as the preferred true all new-generation freighter for the world’s most demanding cargo operators. We very much look forward to seeing it flying in Atlas’ colours.”
The Airbus A350F features the largest main deck cargo door in the industry, with fuselage length and capacity optimised around the industry’s standard pallets and containers. Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, with over 70 percent of the airframe constructed of advanced materials, the aircraft has a 46 ton lighter take-off weight than the competing derivative. Additionally, the A350F is also the only freighter aircraft that will fully meet ICAO’s enhanced CO₂ emissions standards, coming into effect in 2027.
White Plains, New York-based Atlas Air Worldwide is a leading global provider of third-party aircraft and aviation operating services. Company subsidiaries include Atlas Air and Titan Aviation Holdings. Additionally, the company owns a majority stake in Polar Air Cargo Worldwide. Together, the Atlas Air family of companies operate the world’s largest Boeing 747 Freighter fleet. The company also offers their customers a wide selection of Boeing 747, 777, 767 and 737 aircraft for domestic, regional and international cargo and passenger operations. With approximately 5,000 employees, the Atlas Air Worldwide companies serve a diversified customer roster across the global supply chain in more than 300 destinations in 90 countries.
Source(s): Airbus / Atlas Air Worldwide
