Airbus on Tuesday successfully completed the first test flight of its new A350 widebody freighter, marking a major milestone towards the anticipated first commercial delivery of the aircraft in late 2027.
Airbus has tallied 103 orders from 14 customers for the next-generation widebody freighter, which will be the airframer’s first production aircraft effectively able to challenge Boeing’s dominance in the cargo market.
The test flight, which was live streamed by the company, took off from Airbus’ production site in Toulouse, France, reached an altitude of 25,000 feet and lasted four hours and 10 minutes. The aircraft was fitted with special flight test instrumentation and operated by a five-man crew, including three test engineers.
During the inaugural flight, the crew carried out tests focused on verifying the basic airworthiness, fundamental flying qualities, and ensuring basic systems perform as predicted. Flight testing will continue for nine months, after which Airbus will work to secure aircraft type certification for commercial use from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Some analysts are skeptical of the Airbus’ timeline and expect the first revenue service to begin in 2028.
A second A350F prototype is at an advanced stage of final assembly and will enter the paint shop in the next few weeks, Airbus said. The manufacturer began designing the plane last decade.
The A350F is based on the highly successful A350-1000 passenger aircraft. Engineers shortened the front section and put the cargo door behind the wing to optimize performance and loading. The main door location will allow airlines to load simultaneously from the main deck and two lower cargo holds without risk of damaging the plane. On the inside, there is a strong metallic floor compared to a metal-composite floor in a passenger plane.
Key features of the freighter include a payload of 111 metric tons, the largest cargo door in the industry at 175 inches wide, a digitally controlled cargo loading system for maneuvering pallets into place on the main deck, and separate air ventilation systems for the crew and cargo hold. Extensive use of composite materials makes the A350 freighter lighter than similar aircraft. Airbus said it will considerably reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to older freighter aircraft still in use.
An analysis by trade publication Leeham News shows that the A350F and Boeing’s upcoming 777-8 freighter are within 3% of each other in fuel burn and cash operating costs. Both freighters provide a 20% efficiency improvement over previous-generation cargo jets. The A350 has an advantage because it will reach the market first.
The commonality of the plane with the A350 passenger plane will make it easy for airlines already flying the platform to train pilots on the freighter.
Why It Matters: Airlines and cargo owners are looking for more capacity because the available supply of widebody freighters is dwindling as aging aircraft are retired, new production faces supply chain challenges and international trade continues to grow.
Airbus based many design features on input from cargo airlines.
“We can say it has been built by Airbus, but really it has been designed by the market. The market was sending us a very strong signal. Operators were coming to us to say they wanted choice. They didn’t want just one option in terms of what they could buy for a large freighter,” said Sarah McLaren, head of widebody and freighter marketing, during the live broadcast.
Another impetus for developing a large freighter came from International Civil Aviation Organization standards requiring manufacturers to end production of legacy aircraft that don’t meet 2028 fuel efficiency and carbon emissions standards. However, the Federal Aviation Administration this month granted Boeing an exemption to sell up to 35 777 cargo jets beyond the Jan. 1, 2028, ICAO deadline.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.
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