Just a week after announcing the contract to build two C295s for the Royal Thai Air Force, Airbus has announced a new contract for a further two aircraft of the same model, which will be destined for the Royal Thai Navy. All of them will be assembled at the Airbus Defence and Space facility in Seville, and the first delivery of this new order is scheduled for late 2028.

The two aircraft ordered by the Royal Thai Navy will feature an enhanced transport configuration enabling them to carry out surveillance and search-and-rescue missions, as well as logistics operations. They will be equipped to detect, classify and identify targets at sea and on land with equal effectiveness both day and night thanks to their electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor suite.

The C295 has become the benchmark tactical transport aircraft for the Thai armed forces. The military has been operating three aircraft on cargo and troop transport missions since 2016. Seven countries in the Asia-Pacific region have ordered a total of 90 units of this model, which has an 85% market share and 335 orders from 39 countries across four continents.

Two A350Fs for Cathay
The Cathay Group, based in Hong Kong (China), has for its part placed a firm order for two Airbus A350F freighters, which will be operated by Cathay Cargo, its cargo division. The plants in Getafe (Madrid), Illescas (Toledo) and Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz) are involved in the production of this model, specifically the horizontal stabilisers and the main cargo door.

Cathay Group CEO Ronald Lam, believes that this strategic investment will provide “greater connectivity at our hub and more options for our customers”, whilst the Executive Vice-President of Sales for Airbus’s commercial aircraft division, Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, highlights this model’s contribution to the airline’s decarbonisation process and asserts that this aircraft “brings a new generation of capacity and efficiency to cargo transport”.

And four for Air China Cargo
In a week packed with orders, Air China Cargo has also signed an agreement to purchase four A350Fs, in addition to the six it ordered in November 2025. This represents a new workload for Airbus’s Spanish plants. For Wang Hongyan, vice-president of the Chinese airline, this is “a crucial strategic decision for the company, as it will enable us to further optimise our fleet and expand our transport capacity”.

The A350F has a range of up to 8,700 kilometres and a payload of up to 111 tonnes, which is why it is used by operators on long-haul international routes. Furthermore, it is 46 tonnes lighter than competing aircraft and is made of more than 70% advanced materials.

Its fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 20% compared to previous-generation aircraft with similar payload and range, and it will be able to operate on up to 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) upon entry into service, with the aim of reaching 100% capacity by 2030, in line with all Airbus aircraft.

^{Photo: Airbus}