Airbus advances A350F testing as certification targets set for 2027

Airbus said the A350F programme is advancing as planned, with several key testing activities already underway. The company has begun testing the cargo door actuation system, the cargo loading system, oxygen systems, and the air-distribution and smoke-detection systems. Development of the two flight-test aircraft, MSN700 and MSN701, is also progressing.

During its A350F Virtual Media Briefing, Airbus confirmed that the first flight-test campaign is planned for Q3 2026. The aircraft will undergo a nine-month flight-testing programme totalling roughly 400 flight hours.

Airbus noted that certification for the A350F is based on the A350-1000 certification granted in November 2017. The Rolls-Royce Trent 97k engine variant selected for the A350F remains valid under this framework.

The freighter will be certified to the latest European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Amendment 27 requirements, with Airbus targeting simultaneous approvals from both EASA and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The manufacturer said the certification process is on track, with completion targeted for the second quarter of 2027, followed by entry into service in the second half of the year. Airbus also noted that lessons learned from the A321XLR certification, completed in July 2024, have been incorporated into the A350F certification programme.

Providing a market update, Airbus said the A350F currently holds a 58% share of firm orders in the large widebody freighter segment, with 82 commitments from 13 customers. In comparison, Boeing’s 777-8F has 59 firm orders from six customers.

On regional prospects, Crawford Hamilton, Head of Freighter Marketing at Airbus, said the company is primarily targeting existing freighter operators rather than expanding into new or untapped regions at this stage.

Responding to a question on whether recent MD-11F groundings create additional opportunities for Airbus A350F, Hamilton noted that there is no immediate impact, given that A350F test flights begin in 2026 and entry into service is expected in 2027.

The first A350F (MSN700) has recently completed key assembly milestones and rolled out of the main assembly station, with all major structures, including the fuselage, wings, tail and landing gear, now fully integrated.

Air China Cargo has signed a purchase agreement for six A350F aircraft, becoming the first mainland Chinese operator to order Airbus’s new-generation freighter. Silk Way West Airlines has also placed an order for two additional A350Fs, while at the Dubai Airshow 2025, Etihad Airways expanded its Airbus widebody fleet with an order for three more A350 freighters, taking its total A350F commitment to 10 aircraft.