(Bloomberg) — Air France-KLM selected Airbus SE’s A350 to renew its long-haul fleet, giving the European planemaker a major commercial win over arch-rival Boeing Co. as demand picks up for global travel. 

The Franco-Dutch group will place an order for 50 of the Airbus A350-900 and the larger A350-1000 model, alongside purchase rights for 40 additional aircraft. First deliveries will start in 2026 and run through to 2030. With the airline group’s existing A350s and those pending delivery, the purchase will make Air France-KLM the single-biggest operator of the jet.

The purchase is an “evolutionary order,” giving the group a choice on aircraft allocation within its portfolio of airlines based on market dynamics and local regulatory conditions, Air France-KLM said. While the deal is for Air France and KLM replacements, the company — which also owns budget carrier Transavia — wanted “full flexibility” to decide where the new planes go, it said.

“If certain jurisdictions where we have operations become non-viable or the return expected in the business case is no longer possible, this may force us to put them elsewhere,” Chief Executive Officer Ben Smith said in a briefing.

Air France-KLM also wants to participate in consolidation, and “there’s no reason why these airplanes couldn’t form part of an investment or some consolidation effort that we make,” said the CEO, who has expressed interest in Portuguese flag carrier TAP SA.

Air France-KLM’s board met on Monday to approve the purchase of Airbus’s most advanced airliner, which will help meet the sustainability targets, including a 30% decline in carbon emissions. Air France-KLM has a previous order for for 41 Airbus A350-900s for Air France, of which 22 have been delivered.

Air France-KLM had sought between 30 to 50 widebody jets from Airbus or Boeing to replace its Airbus A330 models that average 20 years, alongside a batch of two-decade old Boeing 777s, Bloomberg News reported on Sept. 14. 

Boeing announced a separate deal earlier on Monday with Air Canada, which agreed to buy 18 787-10 Dreamliner models. The aircraft will be used to replace older, less efficient wide-body aircraft currently in the Air Canada fleet, and will begin shipping on the fourth quarter of 2025.

Airlines across the world are snapping up widebody jets as long-haul travel rebounds, stretching out waiting lists for newer, more fuel-efficient jets. The Franco-Dutch carrier has already retired its fleet of Boeing 747s and Airbus A380 jumbos and has added more modern 787 Dreamliners and A350 aircraft. 

Earlier this month, Air France-KLM and Airbus announced plans for a maintenance joint venture for the Airbus A350 aircraft, giving Airbus some leverage in its talks with the Franco-Dutch group. Air France-KLM has historically kept a relatively split fleet between the two major manufacturers. 

A large part of Air France-KLM’s evaluation process included the new reality of having to circumnavigate Russian airspace following the invasion of Ukraine, Smith told reporters. That detour can add several hours to a flight and changed the requirements for the aircraft, he said.

(Updates with CEO comments in fourth and fifth paragraph.)