Starlux Airlines Orders More Airbus A350-1000s, For Long Haul Growth

Taiwanese carrier Starlux Airlines has just placed an additional Airbus A350 order, with the goal of expanding long haul service in the coming years.

Starlux orders 10 more Airbus A350-1000s

Starlux has today announced a firm order for the purchase of an additional 10 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. For context, Starlux launched operations in 2020 and has an all-Airbus fleet, comprised of 28 jets, including A350-900s, A330-900neos, and A321neos.

So far, Starlux’s A350 fleet consists of 10 A350-900s. The airline had previously ordered eight A350-1000s, so now there are 18 A350-1000s on order, meaning the airline will eventually fly 28 A350s. The A350-1000 is one of the most in demand wide body jets, given its long range, high capacity, and great unit costs. It’s the larger of the two existing A350 variants.

Here’s how Starlux CEO Glenn Chai describes this order:

“Expanding our international fleet with additional A350-1000s is a significant step toward reinforcing our global presence and enhancing connectivity across key markets. This aircraft offers efficiency, range and comfort, making it the perfect fit for our strategy to optimise long-haul operations while delivering an exceptional passenger experience. As we continue to strengthen our international network, the A350-1000 will play an important role in driving growth, sustainability and operational flexibility.” 

Starlux A350-1000 delivery timeline & configuration

Now that Starlux has taken delivery of all of its A350-900s, when can we expect the 18 outstanding A350-1000s to be delivered?

Currently, the expectation is that Starlux will take delivery of its first A350-1000 in late 2025, five A350-1000s in 2026, and two A350-1000s in 2027. Then the latest batch of A350-1000s will be delivered starting in 2031, so there will be quite a gap.

With these additional planes, Starlux plans to expand service to the East Coast of the United States, as well as to Europe. Until the airline takes delivery of A350-1000s, it’s pretty maxed out on long haul routes.

Starlux is expected to configure its A350-1000s with a total of 350 seats, including four first class seats, 40 business class seats, 36 premium economy seats, and 270 economy seats. As a point of comparison, A350-900s feature 306 seats, including four first class seats, 26 business class seats, 36 premium economy seats, and 240 economy seats.

So as you can see, the A350-1000s feature an extra 14 business class seats and 30 economy seats compared to the smaller variant.

It’s amazing how Taiwan manages to have three full service, global carriers, with them seemingly coexisting quite successfully. This largely reflects that Taipei is a major connecting hub to other points in Asia, so with connecting traffic, the airlines have no problems filling seats. The fact that airlines from mainland China haven’t restored capacity to pre-pandemic levels also helps.

Bottom line

Starlux plans to grow its long haul fleet, with a firm order for 10 additional A350-1000s. The airline already has 10 A350-900s in its fleet, and will soon start taking delivery of A350-1000s. The airline previously had eight A350-1000s on order, and that has now been boosted to 18 A350-1000s. I’m looking forward to seeing the airline continue to grow… and maybe join the oneworld alliance?

What do you make of Starlux’s incremental A350-1000 order?