Starlux Airlines has selected the all-new A350 XWB for its future long-haul fleet, following the signature of a memorandum of understanding for the purchase of 17 aircraft, comprising 12 A350-1000s and five A350-900s.
The agreement was announced at the Farnborough Airshow by Chang Kuo-wei, founder of Starlux Airlines and Eric Schulz, Airbus chief commercial officer.
The news follows a decision by the airline earlier this year also to select Airbus for its regional single aisle fleet, with a plan to finalise leases for ten A321neo aircraft from third party lessors by the end of the year.
Starlux Airlines is a new full-service airline based in Taipei and founded by Taiwanese aviation veteran Chang Kuo-wei, former chairman of Eva Air.
The carrier will develop a network spanning destinations across Asia and long-haul services to North America.
The carrier will launch regional operations in early 2020, followed by long haul services early in 2022.
The A350 XWB is an all new family of mid-size wide-body long-haul airliners shaping the future of air travel, featuring the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.
Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs.