Airbus has announced the completion of its A350F freighter (MSN 700)’s first test flight.
The first of two, the aircraft has been fitted with special flight test instrumentation, and flew for 4 hours and 10 minutes whilst reaching an altitude of 25,000 feet.
The aircraft was flown by a dedicated Airbus Flight Test crew, which carried out tests focused on verifying basic airworthiness, fundamental flying qualities, and ensuring basic systems perform as predicted.
Lars Wagner, CEO Commercial Aircraft at Airbus, said:This maiden flight is a major milestone for the A350F and for our customers worldwide. As the latest development of our highly successful A350 platform, the A350F is a true game-changer for the air cargo market, combining unmatched operational flexibility, fuel efficiency, and range.
I am immensely proud of the extraordinary dedication and hard work of all the teams who have made this achievement possible.
With initial tests completed, further trials will take place over the next nine months, whilst the second A350F prototype (MSN 701) is now at an advanced stage of final assembly and will enter the paint shop in the next few weeks.
Designed to be the world’s most advanced cargo aircraft, the A350F aims to meet the evolving demands of the global air freight market, and features a range capability of up to 8,700 kilometres with a payload of up to 110 tonnes – allowing operators to deploy the aircraft on international long-haul routes.
The aircraft is made of over 70% advanced materials, and as a result features a 46-tonne-less maximum take-off weight (MTOW) when compared to competitor aircraft. It is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, and is expected to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 40% when compared to competitor aircraft with a similar payload-range capability.
Tests were carried out by Captain & Test Pilot Bernardo Saez-Benito, First Officer and Experimental Test Pilot Sylvain Guiraud, together with Test Flight Engineer Ludovic Girard, and as of the end of August 2026, the A350F had already recorded 115 orders from 14 disclosed customers, and had captured up to 59% market share in the large freighter category.
