The Airbus A350F, the dedicated freighter version of the A350 family, took off from Toulouse on Tuesday morning for its maiden flight, five years after Airbus launched the program.
The first flight-test aircraft, MSN700, registered F-WXLD, departed Toulouse-Blagnac at around 10:30 a.m. local time. Airbus broadcast the event live and said the flight started a 400-hour test campaign for the new freighter.
MSN700 will operate as a flying laboratory during the program, collecting thousands of parameters in real time. The tests will cover areas including aerodynamics, structural loads and flight-control systems as Airbus works to validate the models used during development.
The flight comes five days after MSN700 performed high-speed rejected takeoff tests on September 24 during the final stages of ground testing.
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Airbus launched the program in 2021, initially targeting entry into service in 2025, but development delays have pushed first deliveries into the second half of 2027.
Two aircraft for 400-hour test campaign
The certification campaign will involve two flight-test aircraft and is expected to run for around nine months.
MSN700 will concentrate on aerodynamic performance, handling qualities and autopilot testing. A second aircraft, MSN701, will focus more heavily on systems and is expected to perform air-conditioning, fire and smoke tests as well as hot- and cold-weather trials.
The maiden flight is being conducted in Direct Law rather than the Normal Law normally used by the A350. Airbus said ahead of the flight that about 10% of the freighter’s aerodynamic characteristics still had to be verified in the air before its flight-control laws could be fully cleared.
Although derived from the passenger A350, the freighter has a distinct configuration. Airbus combined a forward fuselage similar in length to that of the A350-900 with the wing and rear section derived from the larger A350-1000. At 70.8 meters long, the A350F sits between the two passenger variants.
111 tonnes of cargo
The A350F is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines and is designed to carry up to 111 tonnes of payload over 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km).
One of the most visible changes from the passenger aircraft is its main-deck cargo door. With a clear opening 4.3 meters wide, Airbus says it is the largest main-deck cargo door in the industry and allows loading of oversized cargo as well as standard pallets and containers.
Airbus developed the aircraft with input from cargo operators and has positioned it as a replacement for older large freighters, including the Boeing 747-400F and 777F.
115 orders before first flight
The A350F had accumulated 115 firm orders through August, compared with 81 at the end of 2025.
Atlas Air became its largest customer in March with an order for 20 aircraft. Air China Cargo increased its commitment to 10 aircraft in May, while Cathay Pacific added two jets during the same month to take its order to eight. An unidentified customer accounted for another eight A350Fs booked in August.
The aircraft will compete directly with Boeing’s 777-8F, which is also under development. The A350F’s current backlog is already three times the 38 orders accumulated by Airbus’ previous purpose-built freighter, the A330-200F.
Airbus plans to certify the A350F in 2027 and begin customer deliveries during the second half of the year.
