Aerospace News – Early November 2025
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Korean Air has become a new customer for the world’s only all-new large freighter following the conversion of seven of its existing Airbus A350-1000 passenger aircraft orders to the A350F.
Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft will bring a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 40% when compared with previous generation aircraft with a similar payload-range capability.
At the end of September 2025, the latest generation widebody A350 Family had won 1,445 orders from 63 customers worldwide, including 65 for the all-new A350F from 10 cargo carriers and one lessor.
Aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, has reported ‘ solid’ consolidated financial results for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.
Gross commercial aircraft orders totalled 610 (9m 2024: 667 aircraft) with net orders of 514 aircraft after cancellations (9m 2024: 648 aircraft).
The order backlog amounted to 8,665 commercial aircraft at the end of September 2025.
Airbus Helicopters registered net orders totalling 306 units (9m 2024: 308 units), which were well spread across the product range. Order intake by value at Airbus Defence and Space totalled €6.8bn (9m 2024: €11bn).
Aerospace group Rolls-Royce today reported continued strong performance across its businesses in a trading update to 31 October 2025, saying its results remain in line with expectations and reinforcing confidence in its full-year guidance.
Chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic said the group’s ongoing transformation programme was “delivering profitable growth and further strengthening our balance sheet”, despite ongoing supply chain challenges.
Rolls-Royce, which employs around 3,400 people in Bristol making engines for key defence programmes, continues to target underlying operating profit of between £3.1bn and £3.2bn and free cashflow of between £3bn and £3.1bn for 2025.
