The airline signed a Letter of Intent in December 2021 for the aircraft, and has now converted it into a firm order, with purchase rights for an additional four jets, according to the company.
Dubbed ‘Mriya’, which means ‘The Dream’ in Ukrainian, the jet was reportedly under repair and routine maintenance at the Antonov Company site in Gostomel Airport when it was destroyed.
The aircraft, dubbed the ‘Alice’, are due to debut in three years' time and can carry up to 1,200 kilograms of cargo.
Airbus has confirmed that it will officially develop and produce a long-awaited freighter version of its A350, as it attempts to steal back some share of the Boeing-dominated cargo market. The European planemaker announced its intentions to produce the freighter amid the release of its second-quarter results, which saw Airbus bring in revenue of €24.6 billion.
Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker has flagged his urgent interest in wide-body freighters and says he is ready to place orders by the end of the quarter.
European planemaker Airbus has confirmed that it is actively looking into the possibility of developing a freighter variant of its wide-bodied A350 aircraft, as it attempts to break into the Boeing-dominated cargo market. Following months of speculation, Airbus chief commercial officer Christian Scherer confirmed that Airbus is in active discussions with customers who have expressed interest
