Airlines Air France – KLM orders up to 167 Airbus aircraft
Air France – KLM has placed its largest aircraft order with manufacturer Airbus to modernize its fleet. The group intends to add up to 167 new passenger and cargo aircraft to its fleet.
After approval from the Board of Directors, Air France – KLM has agreed on ordering new Airbus aircraft. The group has initially signed a firm purchase agreement for 100 Airbus 320neo Family aircraft, intended to renew and expand the fleets of KLM and Transavia Netherlands and France.
This firm commitment is divided into the A320neo and the larger A321neo. First deliveries for the airlines are expected to commence in the second half of 2023. With the new A320neo Family aircraft, the group seeks to phase out the aging fleet of Boeing 737-800s.
In addition, Air France – KLM has confirmed that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for 60 further Airbus aircraft. These purchase options could be converted into firm agreements if needed.
On short to medium-haul routes for which the new aircraft are planned, KLM currently uses 46 737s which have an average ago of nearly 15 years. Transavia and Transavia France operate with 93 737s, which are around 10 years old on average. Air France – KLM Group intends to especially boost Transavia France´s capacity with new aircraft.
Next to ordering the up to 160 passenger aircraft, the group also signed a LoI for four Airbus A350 Freighter aircraft. The variant was launched by Airbus this year and received first orders from customers on the Dubai Air Show 2021.
Air France – KLM is already a large cargo operator and these new state-of-the-art A350Fs would add to the group´s capacity, as E-Commerce continues its growth. If converted, the order would be a full substitution to purchase rights for the A350 passenger variant the group holds.
On the deals, Benjamin Smith, CEO of the Air France-KLM Group, commented: "These evolutionary orders will position our Group airlines on the path to improved performance while accelerating our decarbonization trajectory. This is a major step forward for KLM, Transavia and Air France, which will operate the best aircraft available for their network needs.”
Both the A320neo Family and the A350 are more quiet and environmentally friendly than previous generation aircraft. The decision for these aircraft is in line with the group´s ambition to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
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