Air China Cargo, a subsidiary of Air China, has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus for six A350F freighters.
On November 14, 2025, Airbus confirmed that Air China Cargo had become first customer on the Chinese mainland to order the all-new A350F.
Headquartered in Beijing, Air China Cargo is China’s only freighter airline that carries the national flag.
“The introduction of the A350F to our existing mixed cargo fleet contributes to efficiency in operation and maintenance,” said Wang Hongyan, Vice President of Air China Cargo. “The A350F will enhance Air China Cargo’s capability to withstand risks in its long-term stable operation.”
Founded in 2003, Air China Cargo operates throughout China and serves 25 routes around the world, including Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.
Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business, said: “We are delighted to welcome Air China Cargo as the latest customer for the A350F. The A350F will bring new generation efficiency and performance as well as new levels of capacity and unprecedented loading flexibility. We look forward to ensuring a seamless integration into Air China Cargo’s operation.”
According to ch-aviation, Air China Cargo currently operates a mix of Boeing and Airbus freighters, including six A330-200P2Fs, three 747-400FSCDs, and 13 777-200Fs.
Once certified, the A350F is poised to carry up to 111 tons and cover a range of 8,700 km powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines.
Latest estimates from Airbus indicate that the A350F will enter service in 2027. Initially, the company had hoped that the aircraft would be ready for customers as early as 2025.
According to Airbus, at the end of October 2025 it had 1,445 orders for the A350 family aircraft from 63 customers worldwide, including 74 for the A350F from 12 customers.
Among the companies that have placed A350F orders are lessor AviLease, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Starlux.
