
The Air France-KLM Group plans to order more Airbus A350s as part of its fleet renewal plans. They will book 50 firm orders with an additional 40 as options.
The order will be split between A350-900s and the larger A350-1000, with deliveries slated between 2026 and 2030. The aircraft have not been firmly allocated to any of the group’s brands yet, and will join the respective fleets depending on the needs of the group.
This new order will come in addition to an existing Air France-KLM order for 41 Airbus A350-900s for Air France, of which 22 have been delivered to date.

Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith said:
“This new order will be a major step in the renewal of the Group’s fleet. 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% CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer by 2030.”
Out with the old
The airline group plans to use this order (among others) to phase out its older Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 widebodies. Air France’s 777s have an average age of 17 years old, while their A330s are pushing an average of 20+ years old. KLM’s 777s and A330s are a bit younger, both averaging around 14 years each.
With stricter emissions laws being passed across parts of Europe, it’s no surprise that their older jets are up on the chopping block

[Featured Photo: Air France-KLM]