Airbus has officially scheduled the maiden flight of its new A350F freighter for September 29, 2026, at 11:20 Moscow time. The schedule remains subject to change based on technical assessments or weather conditions. The flight was originally slated for September 24 but was postponed by five days.
The development program is currently running approximately two years behind the initial schedule. Airbus originally planned to begin commercial operations in 2025. The company now expects to deliver the first aircraft to a customer by the end of 2027, with full-scale production and deliveries projected to ramp up in 2028.
The manufacturer has prepared two test aircraft for the flight program. The A350F is based on the A350 passenger family and is designed to carry a maximum payload of 111 tons. With a cargo load of 109 tons, the aircraft is expected to have a range of approximately 8700 km.
Despite the delays, Airbus has secured 107 firm orders for the A350F, significantly exceeding the 38 orders received for the previous A330-200F model. The A350F is positioned to compete directly with the Boeing 777-8 Freighter in the global cargo aviation market.
