Airbus begins final assembly of the A350F ahead of 2026 flight tests

• Airbus has begun final assembly of its A350 Freighter, accelerating the development of the only wide-body freighter fully compliant with upcoming international emissions regulations.
• The A350F is not a modified passenger aircraft, but was developed from the ground up as a freighter.
• Based on the A350-1000 platform, it features a shortened fuselage, a reinforced main deck floor, a revised nose gear position and a 3-metre-high cargo door positioned for optimal loading.

“This is the only new freighter aircraft that is fully compliant with ICAO CO2 emission standards,” said Guillaume Vuillermoz, Vice President and Head of Widebody Program Development at Airbus. “This gives us a huge advantage, as non-compliant aircraft cannot be produced anymore.”

“The main difference is ground strength,” said Joel Rucker, A350F chief engineer. “We designed the main deck and floor beams to handle higher loads, which is a basic requirement for the full use of cargo ships.”

The aircraft is designed to carry a payload of 109 tons over 4,700 nautical miles, while maintaining full compatibility with existing cargo handling systems.

“The door was positioned to be compatible with loading operations in existing facilities,” Rucker added. “This was a key part of the customer input we received.”

The freighter will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent

Rather than starting from scratch, Airbus is leveraging the proven A350-1000 platform to simplify the freighter’s path to airworthiness.

“We spent a tremendous amount of energy on early risk mitigation,” said Laurent Bossier, chief flight test engineer. “We are not starting from scratch, we are building on a proven platform.”

The development includes a full-scale demonstration model of the cargo door to test mechanical function, control logic and operational reliability before flight testing begins. “It’s not just about the structure, it’s about how the system performs over time,” Bossier added.

The flight test campaign is expected to begin in Second half of 2026. Airbus will use equipped aircraft and data from the existing A350 family to speed up the certification steps.

“The flight control laws are the same,” Bossier explained. “This allows us to simplify the certification process.”

Fleet transformations and sustainability pressures

Although the International Civil Aviation Organization CO₂ standard has become mandatory for new aircraft from 2028Airbus sees a clear window for operators who need to move away from legacy fleets.

“There’s a cliff coming. The market has understood that,” said Crawford Hamilton, head of freight marketing. “Some products cannot be produced after 2028.”

While passenger-to-freight conversions remain viable in certain use cases, a purpose-built freighter offers clear structural and economic advantages for long-range or express missions, Hamilton noted.

“Converted cargo aircraft are not ideal for long-range missions,” he said. “It is heavier and less structurally efficient. The A350F is designed for this role.”

The A350F also provides operational benefits for mixed fleet operators Design common cockpit, systems and maintenance procedures Shared with the A350 passenger family.

Airbus anticipates a global need for 2,510 new cargo ships by 2043including 900 large wide bodies. Many of these aircraft will be replacements for older aircraft that are now approaching their regulatory and operational limits.

Vuillermoz confirmed this Final assembly is taking place in Toulousewith structural components already in production. “We have passed the detailed design, key components are in production, and final assembly has begun,” he said.

As emissions regulation tightens, fuel efficiency becomes more important, and pressure from shipping companies and investors increases, the window to launch new compliant widebody freighters is closing quickly.

“There is a transition coming – and many carriers need to act now if they want to avoid the compliance cliff,” Hamilton said.