European aircraft manufacturer Airbus completed the first test flight of its new A350F cargo airplane from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France on Tuesday, 29 September 2026.
The widebody freighter flew for four hours over southwestern France, reaching an altitude of 7,600 metres before landing smoothly back at the Toulouse airfield. Designed to carry a payload of 111 tonnes over a range of 8,700 kilometres, the A350F is built to compete directly with American rival Boeing in the international air freight market.
Airbus, headquartered in Blagnac near Toulouse, is one of the world's leading commercial aircraft manufacturers. The maiden flight marks the official start of an intensive flight test campaign as Airbus aims to achieve airworthiness certification for the cargo jet within nine months.
The planemaker will deploy two test aircraft for the certification effort, which will accumulate a total of 400 flight hours in the air. Commercial entry into service for the A350F is expected in the second half of 2027.
Testing and Flight Operations
During the inaugural flight above southwestern France, the freighter was fitted with heavy test instrumentation to record flight data. Engineers and the flight crew evaluated the handling qualities of the aircraft and verified the operation of its primary systems.
Following the landing, Airbus test pilot Bernardo Saez-Benito Hernandez described the flight as a walk in the park. He stated that the crew encountered no surprises, completed everything scheduled for the flight, and found that the aircraft performed exactly as anticipated.
The event attracted a large crowd to the perimeter of the Toulouse-Blagnac runway. Spectators included aviation enthusiasts, around 30 journalists from across Europe, and approximately 12,000 employees from Airbus and its industrial program partners.
Cargo Capacity and Design Features
Spectators watched as the freighter flew in a custom livery designed to resemble a cardboard shipping package, complete with a delivery label and handling pictograms on the fuselage. Upon landing, the crew opened the XXL main cargo door on the tarmac to reveal the five crew members inside.
The main cargo door measures 4.50 metres wide and 4.30 metres high, making it the largest cargo door on the commercial market. The main deck features eight distinct temperature zones, adjustable between 4 and 26 degrees Celsius, to transport temperature-sensitive cargo including pharmaceuticals, live horses, fresh fruit, and aircraft engines.
Airbus reports that the A350F burns 20 percent less fuel than existing cargo aircraft produced by its main competitor. Lars Wagner, the head of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, said the A350F will truly revolutionize the air freight market by combining operational flexibility, fuel efficiency, and unprecedented range.
Air Freight Market Competition
Airbus developed the A350F, which is based on the A350-1000 passenger jet, to end Boeing's historic monopoly in the widebody cargo market. Boeing currently offers older freighter models such as the 767F and 777F, but production of those aircraft is scheduled to end next year.
Boeing's next-generation competitor, the 777-8F cargo version of the upcoming 777X airliner, is not expected to enter service until 2029 at the earliest. That timeline gives Airbus a lead of more than a year over its American rival in delivering new-generation freighters to market.
Order Book and Market Forecast
Airbus has already accumulated 115 orders for the A350F cargo jet. In comparison, Boeing has recorded 81 orders for its planned 777-8F freighter.
Airbus projects a promising outlook for air freight as major cargo carriers, including FedEx, Amazon, and UPS, move to update their long-haul fleets. Crawford Hamilton, marketing director for cargo aircraft at Airbus, said the manufacturer estimates airlines will need between 500 and 550 new widebody freighters in the class of the A350F over the next 20 years.
Airbus expects to capture between 40 percent and 60 percent of those prospective orders as carriers transition to more fuel-efficient freighter fleets.
