The new-generation Airbus A350F freighter is set to make its maiden flight on Tuesday, September 29, the manufacturer has confirmed. The aircraft is expected to take off from Toulouse, France, at 10:20 CET. The manufacturer will live stream the event, a big milestone in the development of the aircraft.
The timetable is still subject to operational factors, in particular weather conditions, so the flight could still be delayed or re-positioned.
The first flight will have a crew of five – two pilots, one test flight engineer (TFE) and two flight test engineers (FTE). It will also mark the start of a nine-month certification campaign, which will involve two dedicated test aircraft, MSN700 and MSN701.
On Friday 25 September, Airbus reached a major pre-flight milestone with the successful completion of a high-speed rejected take-off (RTO) test. During the exercise the prototype was accelerated to near decision speed and the crew deliberately aborted the take-off, closing the throttles and applying maximum braking to demonstrate that the aircraft could be brought to a safe stop in demanding conditions.
The A350F’s first flight follows months of assembly work, ground testing and simulator preparation. The freighter is based on the A350-1000 but the fuselage configuration is bespoke, with the front of the A350-900 combined with the rear fuselage and wings of the A350-1000 to create a new aerodynamic model.
“About 10% of the aircraft’s features have not been checked so the first flight will be done in the basic ‘Direct Law’ flight-control mode, not ‘Normal Law’.” Flight crews have already been training for the mission in a 13-session “Virtual First Flight” simulator program, followed by dedicated sessions in September.
MSN700 will be used for aerodynamic performance and flight-control law clearance, and MSN701 will later fly in Normal Law and perform systems validation and fire and smoke testing.
With more than 70% advanced materials, the A350F has the largest cargo door in the industry and is designed to achieve up to 40% lower fuel burn. Airbus markets the plane as the first freighter designed to meet the latest ICAO CO₂ standards.
The A350F, which entered service in 2021, has a range of some 8,700 km and can carry up to 111 tons. It is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97s, and its 4.3metre-wide main-deck cargo door is designed to speed up and simplify ground handling, particularly for large and outsized freight. The system is designed for the specific purpose of simplifying cargo handling operations.
Airbus’s August 2026 orders and deliveries report shows the A350F has 115 firm orders from at least 14 customers. That total includes an eight-aircraft order booked Aug. 31 which increased the backlog from 107 aircraft at the end of July.
The program began the year with 81 firm orders, an increase of approximately 42% in the order book since the start of the year. A big boost came in March with the announcement of Atlas Air’s order for 20 aircraft, making the US cargo carrier the biggest A350F customer. Air China Cargo and Cathay Pacific have also signed up to the program.
The A350F will compete toe-to-toe with the larger Boeing 777-8F, another next-generation freighter which is still in development.
Boeing 777-8F had 81 orders as of July 2026. Among its more recent customers is MSC Air Cargo, which ordered five aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow.
