Overview
- The A350F made its maiden flight from Toulouse on Tuesday, using test aircraft MSN700 (registration F‑WXLD) on a multi‑hour sortie that tested taxiing, handling, aerodynamics and autopilot with two pilots and three flight‑test engineers on board.
- Airbus has opened a certification campaign expected to total about 400 flight hours across two test planes as it moves toward regulatory approval and an entry‑into‑service target in 2027.
- The freighter is a purpose‑built variant that merges an A350‑900 forward fuselage with an A350‑1000 rear and wings, is powered by Rolls‑Royce Trent XWB‑97 engines, and is rated to carry about 111 tonnes with a range near 4,700 nautical miles.
- Airbus streamed the first flight live and highlighted the programme’s regional production links, including A350 wing manufacture at its Broughton plant in North Wales and sustained outreach to cargo customers and regulators.
- The A350F is intended to modernize long‑haul air cargo by replacing older freighters and passenger‑to‑freighter conversions with a more fuel‑efficient platform, a shift that could reshape capacity on major international trade routes and intensify competition with Boeing’s large freighters.