Airbus has completed the assembly of its first A350F freighter, a milestone that moves the manufacturer's newest cargo aircraft out of the factory and toward its flight-test campaign. The company signalled the transition in late June, with its head of Freighter Marketing confirming that the first airframe is now fully assembled.
The A350F is Airbus's first purpose-built widebody freighter derived from the A350 passenger family. Compared with the passenger A350-1000, the freighter uses a shortened fuselage, a reinforced main-deck floor built to carry heavier cargo, and a revised nose landing gear position. Its most visible feature is a large main-deck cargo door, positioned to make loading oversized pallets and containers easier.
With assembly finished, the program now enters ground and flight testing. Airbus expects the flight-test campaign to begin in the second half of 2026, with entry into service targeted for the second half of 2027. That schedule keeps the aircraft on track to reach cargo operators before the end of the decade.
The A350F is built to compete directly with Boeing's freighter line-up, including the long-running 777F and the forthcoming 777-8F. Airbus positions its freighter as a more fuel-efficient option, leaning on the A350's carbon-composite fuselage and modern engines to lower operating costs and emissions per tonne of cargo carried.
Demand for the type has come from a mix of dedicated cargo carriers and aircraft lessors. Atlas Air, one of the world's largest freighter operators, is among the customers that have committed to the A350F, underscoring interest from established players in the express and charter cargo markets.
The milestone matters because it marks Airbus's serious entry into the dedicated large-freighter segment, a market long dominated by Boeing. If the flight-test campaign proceeds smoothly, the A350F would give cargo airlines a genuine new-generation alternative for widebody freight capacity for the first time in years.
Sources: Simple Flying, Air Cargo News. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Marco Bianchi.
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