Airbus A350F flies for the 1st time
On 29 September 2026 Airbus conducted the first flight of the A350F, a major step for the programme. The aircraft, A350-1041F F-WXLD (700), took off from Toulouse-Blagnac at 10:30 local time for a four hour test-flight above France.
Airbus announced the A350F in July 2021, with formal board approval received a few months later. The aircraft is a mix between the A350-900 and the A350-1000. It has a slightly longer fuselage then the -900 and the wings and engines of the -1000. The A350F is 70,8 meters, four meters longer than the -900 and four meters shorter than the -1000. The length was chosen to have the right center of gravity.
The A350F has a payload of up to 111 tonnes. That is about two to nine tonnes less than a Boeing B747-400F. However, as the airframe is 32 tonnes lighter, it will burn 40% less fuel compared to the Jumbojet. It can fly it's cargo up to 8,700 km, a range that fits one of the world's busiest cargo routes; Hong Kong to Anchorage (AK).
After first flight, Airbus expects that the certification process will take up to nine months. A second test-aircraft is due to fly later this year and join the test programme. If they're able to meet the expectations, Airbus foresees certification in the third quarter of 2027, and delivery shortly thereafter.
Since the launch, Airbus has logged 115 firm orders for the A350F. The breakdown of those can be found in the table below.
| Airline | Number of aircraft on order | Ordered |
| Air China Cargo | 10 | November 2025 (6) and May 2026 (4) |
| Air France | 3 | April 2022 |
| Atlas Air | 20 | March 2026 |
| AviLease | 10 | June 2025 |
| Cathay Pacific Airways | 8 | December 2023 (6) and May 2026 (2) |
| CMA CGM Air Cargo | 8 | November 2021 (4) and April 2024 (4) |
| Etihad Airways | 10 | August 2022 |
| Korean Air | 7 | October 2025 |
| Martinair | 3 | January 2023 |
| MNG Airlines Cargo | 2 | June 2025 |
| Silk Way West Airlines | 4 | June 2022 |
| Singapore Airlines | 7 | February 2022 |
| STARLUX Airlines | 10 | February 2024 |
| Turkish Airlines | 5 | December 2023 |
| Undisclosed customers | 8 |
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