Starlux Airlines signs agreement with Airbus for new fleet expansion

Starlux Airlines | Facebook

By Sky Industry News

Jul 5, 2024

Los Angeles, CA, Taipei, Taiwan, and Singapore – Singapore Airshow – February 21, 2024 — Amid expansion plans, Taiwan-based luxury carrier STARLUX Airlines has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus for five all-new Airbus A350F freighters and three more A330neo widebody aircraft, with the option to acquire an additional five A350Fs. A signing ceremony at the Singapore Airshow formalized the purchase agreement with signatories STARLUX Chairman K.W. Chang, Airbus Commercial Aircraft CEO Christian Scherer, and Rolls-Royce Chief Customer Officer of Civil Aerospace Ewen McDonald. The event was witnessed by STARLUX CEO Glenn Chai and Airbus Commercial Aircraft EVP Sales Benoît de Saint-Exupéry.

At Airbus’ invitation, STARLUX is also showcasing its A330neo B-58303 at the show from February 20-25. "STARLUX Airlines has continuously nurtured the cargo market since its inception, capitalizing on the strategic advantages offered by Taiwan’s geographical location,” said Chai. “With this order, STARLUX becomes the first Taiwanese airline to operate the next-generation A350F widebody freighter. In an era of climate change, the A350F with Rolls-Royce Trent engine has unbeatable efficiency in terms of fuel burn, CO2 emissions, and economics."

Benoît de Saint-Exupéry commented: “We love working with STARLUX Airlines in building and strengthening its fleet. Operating both the latest generation Airbus single aisle and widebody aircraft brings the airline enormous benefits.”

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Rob Watson added: “We welcome this order for further Trent 7000 and Trent XWB-97 engines and thank STARLUX for its continued confidence in the power of our Trent engines.”

The A350F freighter is equipped with Trent XWB engines known for reducing fuel consumption by 25% and cutting engine noise by half. Besides improved fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness, it boasts an increased payload capacity of 3 tons compared to competing models.

According to Airbus, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the air cargo market is expected to be 3.2% over the next 20 years. The industry will invest more resources in air transportation and STARLUX is committed to providing more services to meet air cargo needs.

STARLUX currently operates a fleet of 21 aircraft including 13 A321neo, four A330neo, and four A350-900 aircraft. The current backlog includes four A330neo and 14 A350 aircraft. The newly signed three A330neos are slated for delivery starting in 2025 while five A350F freighters are scheduled for delivery from 2027.

At the Singapore Airshow—Asia’s largest airshow—STARLUX is showcasing its A330neo B-58303 wide-body aircraft as part of Airbus' static display.

In 2022, STARLUX welcomed its inaugural A330neo to its fleet which serves regional routes across Asia. Designed by BMW Designworks under a "Pure Tea" theme, it features a spacious interior accommodating 297 seats—28 in Business Class and 269 in Economy Class—with luxurious amenities such as fully flat beds in Business Class.

Founded on the philosophy that luxury should be available to everyone, Taiwan-based STARLUX serves a total of 23 routes from Taiwan to various destinations including Japan and North America.