Airbus is preparing to fly the A350F for the first time as early as the third week of September, according to industry sources cited by Reuters, bringing the delayed freighter closer to the start of its certification campaign.
The date remains tentative and could move into early October. Airbus has not confirmed the more precise schedule, maintaining its previous guidance that the first flight will take place before the end of 2026.
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The timing will leave relatively little margin for the flight-test program. Airbus still expects to deliver the first A350F during the second half of 2027, while certification campaigns for new commercial aircraft typically require between 12 and 15 months.
The A350F was launched in 2021 and was originally expected to enter service in 2025. Its schedule has since slipped several times, with development and production problems pushing the first delivery into 2027.
Reuters reported in May that Airbus was experiencing delays involving the large main-deck cargo door manufactured in Spain. More recently, Leeham News reported that deliveries could slip further into 2028. Airbus has not adopted that timetable and continues to target the second half of next year.
Rare Airbus challenge to Boeing in large freighters
The A350F is particularly important for Airbus because large dedicated freighters remain one of the few commercial aircraft segments where Boeing has maintained a dominant position.
Airbus has previously struggled to establish a comparable presence. Only 38 A330-200Fs were sold, while Boeing accumulated hundreds of orders for freighter versions of the 747 and 777.
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August 18, 2026
The A350F uses the A350 family as its basis but incorporates substantial structural changes for the cargo role. It has a shorter fuselage than the A350-1000, a reinforced floor and the large main-deck cargo door, while retaining the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines used by the -1000.
Airbus lists a maximum payload of 111 tonnes and a range of about 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km) at maximum payload.
The manufacturer has accumulated 107 orders for the type, giving it a considerably larger backlog than its previous A330F. Customers include major cargo operators and lessors, with Air France-KLM, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines among the buyers.
Its principal competitor will be Boeing's 777-8F, itself delayed from its original schedule. Both aircraft are being developed as replacements for 747 freighters and 777Fs as airlines prepare for stricter emissions requirements and the retirement of older cargo aircraft.
