US-based cargo carrier Kalitta Air is reportedly the undisclosed mystery customer behind an order for eight Airbus A350F freighters. The order was placed earlier in 2026 but the buyer was not been identified in Airbus’s order updates.
However, Kalitta Air has not yet confirmed the purchase. An airline spokesperson stated that they are evaluating the Airbus A350F platform as part of their long-term fleet planning but maintain they are still in the evaluation phase with no aircraft order to announce at this time.
If finalized, the potential acquisition of the A350F would be a major shift for Kalitta Air, which currently operates an exclusively Boeing fleet consisting of 747 and 777 freighters. Industry observers suggest that diversifying its fleet with the A350F, which recently completed its first flight in August 2026, could allow the carrier to optimize performance, enhance its long-haul payload capacity, and mitigate supply chain bottlenecks.
Kalitta Air currently operates an active fleet of 37 heavy cargo aircraft, with two additional aircraft inactive and 11 planned across its modern freighter types. The backbone of the carrier’s operations remains the Boeing 747-400F, with 22 aircraft listed as active and two listed as inactive, bringing the total current fleet to 24 airframes with an average age of 28.0 years.
For its twin-engine widebody operations, the airline actively flies eight Boeing 777F (777-200F) freighters, with three more planned for a future fleet of 11 and an average age of 10.5 years. Kalitta also operates seven converted Boeing 777-300(ER/SF) freighters, which carry an average age of 20.4 years.
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