As many Asian airlines do, Air China also operates quite a significant cargo operation. And to be prepared for any future scenario, the airline has expanded its Airbus A350F order. However, we could also read this order expansion as an alarm bell going off for Boeing.
In this post:
- Air China Cargo increases its A350F order – The Details
- Boeing Still Seen As Unreliable for New Generation Freighters?
- Air China Cargo pivoting away from converted aircraft
- Getting Ahead of New Stricter CO2 Regulations
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Air China Cargo increases its A350F order – The Details
Not that long ago, in November 2025, Air China had placed an order for six Airbus A350F. That is the cargo freighter variant of the Airbus A350. The aircraft were intended to join the airline’s cargo division, also known as Air China Cargo.
| Order Phase | Number of Aircraft | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Original Order (Nov 2025) | 6 | Firm Order |
| Additional Agreement (May 2026) | 4 | Exercised Options (Now Firm) |
| Total A350F Fleet | 10 | Total Firm Orders |
That original order also included an option for four additional Airbus A350F. And that’s where these additional aircraft come from.
The reality isn’t as Airbus frames it for PR reasons when it states that these are four new orders, instead, it is that Air China Cargo was activated for purchase options included in the original deal.
With this latest addition, the total Airbus A350F expected to join the Air China Cargo fleet goes up to 10.
Boeing Still Seen As Unreliable for Freighters?
Now, a question that does pop into mind, looking at this Air China Cargo order, is: “is Boeing still seen as unreliable for new generation cargo aircraft supply?”.
A question that one might ask all the more, considering that Trump recently visited the country and did boast the possibility of aircraft orders from the country.
Despite the Airbus A350F still having to be certified and still being on the final assembly line, it does seem like airlines do trust the timeline laid out by Airbus more than the timeline laid out by Boeing on the 777X program.
In theory, the the 777-8F should be a better option for hauling cargo long haul, as it offers a higher tonnage capacity and volume capacity.
The A350F too has suffered delays but nowhere near the scale of the issues that have held back the Boeing 777X program.
And if you’re looking to get your hands on one of these new generation freighter aircraft soon, the A350F will be flying much sooner than the 777-8F.
The first A350F is expected to fly for certification in Q3 of 2026 and have deliveries in H2 2027. On the other hand, the Boeing 777-8F’s maiden flight is still somewhere in between 2027 and 2028, with its first deliveries, if everything runs smoothly, in 2029.
That is a significant disadvantage and a vote of no confidence for many airlines in the 777-8F.
| Metric | Airbus A350F | Boeing 777-8F | The Advantage |
| Max Revenue Payload | 111 tonnes | 112.3 tonnes | Boeing (+1.3t) |
| Max Structural Payload | ~114 tonnes | 118 tonnes | Boeing (+4t) |
| Cargo Volume | 695 m³ | 766 m³ | Boeing (+71 m³) |
| Max Takeoff Weight (MTOW) | 319 tonnes | 365.1 tonnes | Airbus (30t lighter empty airframe) |
| Range (at max payload) | 4,700 nmi | 4,410 nmi | Airbus (+290 nmi) |
Air China Cargo pivoting away from converted aircraft to new generation native freighters
The expansion of the A350F order by Air China Cargo also signals an important pivot in the airline’s fleet strategy.
It’s not that long ago, late 2023, when the airline started taking into its fleet converted A330-200P2F aircraft.
However, now it is expanding its order for new generation native freighters such as the A350F, signaling that it is already moving away from that modus operandi.
That is also an additional signal that the A330-200P2F was only seen as a temporary solution to capacity and demand problems. Air China Cargo sees the new generation A350F as the real solution for long-term growth and operational efficiency, despite the higher price tag.
Getting Ahead of New Stricter CO2 Regulations
Taking on additional four A350Fs, bringing the total number to ten, is also a defensive move by Air China Cargo. The airline is getting ahead of incoming stricter CO2 regulations which ICAO will be implementing in 2027.
That’ll mean not incurring regulatory penalties on high-yield routes, which are of significant importance to the airline, such as those to Europe and North America.
It is also a way of getting ahead of its competitors, where many cargo operators will still be using older generation planes, Air China Cargo will have its new generation ones flying already in 2027.