The accounting change covers the group’s Airbus A350, Boeing 787 and Airbus A320neo-family aircraft, a move that provides an indication of how long the airline group expects to derive economic value from the next-generation jets.
While the revision does not constitute a fixed retirement date for the aircraft, it suggests that Air France-KLM considers the affected fleets capable of remaining economically useful for a significantly longer period.
The group operates a substantial number of the aircraft covered by the change, including 42 Airbus A350-900s, 23 Boeing 787-9s and 15 Boeing 787-10s. It also has orders for a further 55 A350s and six A350Fs.
The aircraft are operated across the group's airlines, including Air France, HOP!, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Transavia France, while the wider group also has minority interests in airlines including Air Calédonie, Kenya Airways, SAS Group and WestJet Group.
The size of the existing fleets, combined with aircraft still awaiting delivery and the new 25-year depreciation assumption, points to a long-term role for these jets within the group's operations.
However, the accounting decision should not be interpreted as a guarantee that every aircraft will remain in service for 25 years.
Accounting Life Is Not the Same as Operational Life
Aircraft depreciation is an accounting measure rather than a declaration of how long an aircraft must remain in service.
An airline can retire an aircraft before it becomes fully depreciated if maintenance costs increase significantly, fuel efficiency declines relative to newer models or a replacement aircraft becomes available. Conversely, an aircraft can continue flying after it has been fully depreciated if it remains operationally and economically useful.
As Fleet Wire notes, “Airlines regularly use accounting assumptions that differ from the actual date on which an aircraft leaves the fleet.”
This distinction is particularly important in an industry where aircraft deliveries can be delayed for years. When replacement aircraft are unavailable, airlines may be forced to keep older aircraft operating longer than originally planned in order to preserve capacity.
The prolonged delays surrounding Boeing's 777X, for example, have contributed to some airlines retaining older Boeing 747s, 777s and Airbus A380s. While such aircraft can continue operating, their fuel consumption and maintenance requirements can make them increasingly expensive to operate.
For Air France-KLM, the revised depreciation period therefore appears to be more significant as an indication of the strategic role of its newer aircraft than as a firm timetable for retirement.
Rather than serving simply as replacements for older widebody aircraft, the A350 and 787 are increasingly positioned as the backbone of the group's long-haul operations.
Air France Builds Around the A350
Air France has steadily expanded its Airbus A350 fleet in recent years, using the aircraft to replace older Airbus A330s and Boeing 777-200ERs.
One factor supporting the transition is the commonality between the A330 and A350. Pilots can transition between the two aircraft through an eight-day course without requiring the full simulator training associated with a completely different aircraft type.
Such commonality can reduce training requirements and associated costs, giving airlines an additional financial incentive to introduce newer aircraft while maintaining operational flexibility.
Air France's A350-900 is configured with 292 seats:
| Class | Seats | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Business class | 48 | 1-2-1 |
| Premium economy | 32 | 2-4-2 |
| Economy class | 212 | 3-3-3 |
| Total | 292 | — |
The aircraft therefore combines long-range capability with a cabin configuration designed for a mixture of premium and mass-market demand.
KLM's Dreamliner Strategy
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has followed a broadly similar long-term strategy with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner family.
The 787 first entered KLM's fleet in 2015, and both the 787-9 and larger 787-10 have subsequently become important components of the airline's intercontinental network.
KLM has also highlighted the aircraft's use of composite materials and its environmental characteristics. The airline states that the Dreamliner “is made of 50% composite, 20% aluminium, 15% titanium, 10% steel, and 5% other materials, generating less waste and chemicals than a similar aircraft.”
The increased reliance on modern aircraft is significant because their economic advantages are expected to accumulate over many years of operation.
Why New-Generation Aircraft Can Stay Economically Relevant
The latest generation of Airbus and Boeing aircraft incorporates advanced composite materials, more efficient engines, improved aerodynamics and increasingly sophisticated flight systems.
These technologies have reduced fuel consumption and operating costs compared with many older-generation widebody aircraft.
For an airline, that means keeping a modern aircraft in service for longer can potentially allow it to continue benefiting from those efficiencies rather than replacing the aircraft after only two decades.
The Airbus A350 is a prominent example.
Airbus says the aircraft delivers a 25% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions compared with previous-generation aircraft. Its range of up to 8,600 nautical miles, or approximately 15,750 kilometres, allows it to connect distant markets without requiring a fuel stop.
For an aircraft departing from London, that range is sufficient for routes to destinations including Los Angeles, Singapore and Perth.
The A350's performance is supported by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, while the aircraft's airframe incorporates a high proportion of advanced materials.
Airbus says the A350's airframe is made from approximately 70% advanced materials, including 53% carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) used across the fuselage, wings and tail.
CFRP combines carbon fibres with a polymer resin to produce a lightweight but strong material. The aircraft also incorporates titanium and aluminium-lithium alloys, the latter offering low weight and high resistance to fatigue.
The principal A350-900 specifications include:
| Specification | A350-900 |
|---|---|
| Maximum seating | 440 |
| Typical three-class seating | 332–352 |
| Range | 8,600 nautical miles (15,750 km) |
| Cruising speed | Mach 0.85 |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 623,000 lb (283,000 kg) |
| Maximum fuel capacity | 44,000 gallons (166,500 litres) |
| Wingspan | 212 ft 5 in (64.75 m) |
The combination of range, fuel efficiency and modern materials helps explain why aircraft such as the A350 and 787 are increasingly being viewed as long-term assets rather than relatively short-lived fleet investments.
Longer Depreciation Does Not Mean Trouble-Free Operations
The revised depreciation period should not, however, be interpreted as evidence that the aircraft have operated without problems.
KLM's Boeing 787 fleet, for example, experienced a significant operational disruption in May 2025 when seven Dreamliners were grounded over maintenance concerns relating to a refuelling system.
The airline said that maintenance procedures concerning the system had not been followed.
“Although there is no safety risk, the seven aircraft will remain grounded and undergo expedited maintenance,” KLM said in a statement published by NL Times.
The airline added that repairs would begin “as quickly as possible.”
The grounding affected services from KLM's Amsterdam Schiphol hub to destinations including Mexico City, Chicago O'Hare and Portland, resulting in cancellations and delays for passengers.
At the time, KLM's Dreamliner fleet consisted of:
| 787 variant | Number in KLM fleet |
|---|---|
| 787-9 | 13 |
| 787-10 | 11 |
| Total | 24 |
The affected fuel system used parts that were also installed on KLM's Boeing 777 aircraft. However, the maintenance procedures differed between the aircraft types.
The commonality of the system meant that the issue could be addressed using knowledge and components already familiar to the airline, although the incident demonstrated that modern aircraft remain subject to maintenance requirements and operational disruptions.
How the A350 Became Central to Air France's Fleet
Air France-KLM's current approach to the A350 can be traced back more than a decade.
In June 2013, the group placed its first A350 order, covering 21 aircraft for Air France and seven for KLM.
The strategy changed in 2020, when the group decided that Air France would concentrate on the A350 while KLM would operate the Boeing 787 rather than both airlines maintaining fleets of the two aircraft types.
The move was intended to simplify fleet structures and increase commonality, potentially reducing training, maintenance and other operational costs.
Air France received its first A350 on September 27, 2019.
The aircraft, registered F-HTYA, was named “Toulouse”, after the French city that is home to Airbus' principal A350 assembly line.
Subsequent Air France A350 aircraft have also been named after locations across France.
The airline's earliest A350s remain relatively young under the new 25-year depreciation assumption:
| Registration | Delivery date | Aircraft name | Age* |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-HTYA | Sep. 2019 | Toulouse | 7.1 years |
| F-HTYB | Oct. 2019 | Lyon | 7.0 years |
| F-HTYC | Nov. 2019 | Saint Denis de La Reunion | 6.9 years |
| F-HTYD | Feb. 2020 | Nice | 6.7 years |
| F-HTYE | May 2020 | Bordeaux | 6.5 years |
| F-HTYF | Jun. 2020 | Marseille | 6.3 years |
| F-HTYG | Mar. 2021 | Reims | 5.6 years |
| F-HTYH | Apr. 2021 | Dijon | 5.6 years |
| F-HTYI | Apr. 2021 | Saint-Malo | 5.5 years |
| F-HTYJ | Jul. 2021 | Cannes | 5.3 years |
*Based on the ages supplied in the source material.
The relatively young age of the fleet means the change from a 20-year to a 25-year depreciation period potentially has implications for Air France-KLM's financial reporting for many years.
More A350s on the Way
Air France-KLM subsequently expanded its A350 commitment after the aircraft gained a significant role within Air France's fleet.
The group placed an order for 50 additional A350s, with options for another 40 aircraft. At the time, the completed order would have positioned Air France-KLM as the world's largest A350 operator.
The aircraft has since been deployed on some of Air France's longest routes.
One example is the carrier's service from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Papeete in French Polynesia via Los Angeles.
The one-stop service has a block time of approximately 22 hours and 20 minutes. It also incorporates Air France's fifth-freedom operation between Los Angeles and Tahiti, allowing the airline to carry passengers between those two points.
The service operates between five times a week and daily, depending on the schedule, and uses the Airbus A350-900.
A Long-Term Fleet Strategy
Taken together, Air France-KLM's depreciation revision, existing aircraft numbers and outstanding orders point to an increasing reliance on new-generation aircraft for its future network.
The 25-year accounting period does not mean every A350, 787 or A320neo will necessarily remain in service for that length of time. Aircraft can be retired earlier for commercial, technical or operational reasons, while others can remain active beyond their accounting life.
What the decision does provide is a clearer indication of the period over which Air France-KLM expects these aircraft to generate economic value.
With dozens of A350s and 787s already in service and many more A350s on order, the group's fleet strategy increasingly appears centred on modern, fuel-efficient aircraft capable of supporting its long-haul operations well into the future.
The €24 million reduction in first-half depreciation costs is the immediate financial effect of the accounting change. The more consequential question, however, is how effectively Air France-KLM can use these newer aircraft over the longer period now reflected in its books.