Converts A350-1000 Passenger Jet Order To Cargo Carrier

Korean Air announced it converted seven orders for Airbus A350 passenger jets into orders for the A350F to become the latest customer for the freight hauler, the world’s only all-new cargo aircraft.

The A350F sports the largest main deck cargo door in the industry and its fuselage length and capacity are optimized to accommodate standard shipping containers and pallets. The aircraft is 46 tons lighter on takeoff weight than its main competitor due to more than 70 percent of its airframe being constructed of advanced materials.

The A350F is also the only cargo aircraft that will fully meet ICAO’s CO₂ emissions standards that take effect in 2027.

Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President for Sales of Commercial Aircraft for Airbus said, “Korean Air is one of the world’s largest cargo operators. The decision to add the A350F to its fleet is therefore a very significant endorsement of the aircraft’s unique capabilities. The A350F will bring Korean Air the most efficient solution in the large freighter segment.”

Korean Air has placed orders for a total of 33 A350 aircraft that now consists of 20 A350-1000s, seven A350Fs, and six A350-900s. So far, two of the A350-900s have been delivered. The airline has outstanding orders for 39 A321neo single-aisle aircraft.

The A350F is presently under development. It will be capable of carrying up to 111 tons at a range of 4,700 nm / 8,700 km. It is powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines that run on less fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 40% compared to previous generation aircraft in the same payload range.

As of the end of September 2025, Airbus had received 1,445 orders for the A350 widebody family of aircraft from 63 global customers. Those include 65 for the all-new A350F from 10 cargo operators and one lessor.

FMI:  www.airbus.com/