A350F leads 2023 production freighter orders

Airbus surpassed Boeing in its total number of production freighter orders in 2023 — the first time in at least ten years the European planemaker has led the annual race to secure customers for new factory freighters. Despite Airbus’ victory, accounting for fifteen of the twenty-three freighters ordered, the total number of net orders for production widebody freighters in 2023 declined with industry demand and became the second-lowest in the past five years, after 2020. The number of orders last year was in stark contrast to 2022, when there were orders for 122 freighters, and represented a year-over-year decrease of ninety-nine aircraft, while new freighter deliveries were slightly under the five-year average with forty-five in 2023. As shown in the table below, the 777F was the clear leader in deliveries at twenty-six units, and the 767-300F was eight units behind the large widebody twin, with eighteen delivered for the year. One significant delivery in 2023 was the final 747-8F (67150), which took place on Feb. 1. The aircraft became the last new quad-engine freighter to enter service, officially closing Boeing’s production line for The Queen of the Skies . Unit 67150 joined Atlas Air’s 747-8F fleet, which includes fourteen of the 107 units Boeing has made. Slowing orders Against the backdrop of a weaker market, the low number of orders in 2023 was expected and caused the rolling five-year total to drop to 276 from 336. The rolling five-year average decreased to 55.2 from 67.2. The year started off slowly, with orders for just nine production freighters in the first half. An order from an unidentified customer for four A350Fs in March pushed Airbus’ new large widebody past the number of A330-200Fs it had produced at the end of that medium-widebody program. Boeing logged orders from unidentified customers for one 777F in April and four in June rounding out the first half of 2023. The second half of 2023 saw orders for sixteen production freighters, eleven of which came in December. Three known customers placed orders for widebody freighters in 2023, fourteen fewer than in 2022. Unidentified customers ordered twelve. Airbus wins with A350F Airbus received double-digit orders for its new A350F for the third consecutive year in 2023. The manufacturer marked two major wins in December by announcing two deals with large combination carriers: Cathay Pacific and Turkish Airlines. Hong Kong-based Cathay ordered six A350Fs and added options for up to twenty more. The carrier is a 747F-only operator with fourteen -8Fs and six older -400Fs. Meanwhile, Turkish had hinted at a large deal with Airbus. The industry anticipated an announcement at the Dubai Airshow in November, but the deal wasn’t announced until mid-December. The airline said it would buy five A350Fs along with rights for five more as part of an order for up to about 350 aircraft. Airbus’ total backlog for the A350F program was fifty as of Dec. 31. Boeing freighter orders in single digits Boeing received net orders for eight 777Fs in 2023, twenty-seven fewer than in 2022. The planemaker’s 777-8F program showed the biggest YoY decline, posting no orders last year compared with fifty-seven in 2022. Atlas Air firmed up an order with Boeing for two more 777Fs after taking delivery of three units (67993, 67994 and 67995) in 2023 from a previous order for four. The twin-engine widebody freighters began operating for Switzerland-based ocean carrier MSC on an ACMI basis. Atlas was able to acquire the slots for the two new 777Fs freighters in October after Air Canada canceled its order with Boeing in September. The deal does not count as a net new 777F order and is not included in the five-year tally. Boeing delivered twenty-six 777Fs in 2023, the most it has delivered to date in a single year for the twin-engine widebody program. Of those units, ten were for Asia-Pacific customers, seven each for Europe and North America, and one each for Africa and the Middle East. While no orders were placed for medium-widebody production freighters in 2023, deliveries remained stable, with eighteen 767-300Fs leaving the Boeing factory. Air Tanzania joined the ranks of 767F operators in June, when the African carrier took delivery of its first production freighter and placed the aircraft into service the following month. The only 767-300Fs remaining on the Boeing backlog are for FedEx and UPS. Uncertainty ahead As the ICAO-mandated 2027 deadline approaches, at which point Boeing will no longer be able to produce the 767-300F and 777F in their current forms, it is unclear how many production slots Boeing still has for those types — and consequently, how many more orders it will get in the year ahead. The trajectory of the industry, driven by supply and demand, retirement of older aircraft, and environmental concerns, will continue to influence the orders and deliveries for Boeing and Airbus production freighters. Cargo Facts EMEA 2024, the essential event for stakeholders in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will take place Feb. 5-7 in Amsterdam. Learn more and register now.

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