Airbus A350F Freighter Completes Maiden Flight

Airbus completed the maiden flight of its A350F freighter from Toulouse at 10:30 am CET on Sept. 29, 2026. Aircraft MSN700, registered F-WXLD, began an expected four-hour flight after high-speed rejected-takeoff runs in Toulouse the prior week. Airbus plans about 400 flight-test hours using MSN700 and MSN701 over a roughly nine-month certification campaign, with first customer deliveries targeted for the second half of 2027. The freighter is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, uses advanced materials on more than 70% of the airframe, and is designed for up to 111 tonnes of payload and a range of up to 4,700 nautical miles. Lead flight test engineer Laurent Bussiere said the design sits between the A350-900 and A350-1000, combining the -900 forward fuselage length with the -1000 rear and wings. Sarah McLaren said ahead of takeoff that the freighter was designed by the market. Airbus has cited both 20% and 40% fuel and CO2 cuts versus prior-generation freighters. Certification testing is now underway toward service entry in 2027, with the type positioned against Boeing’s 777 freighter family.