Airbus A350F completes first test flight, opening certification campaign

The Airbus A350F freighter flew for the first time, a maiden sortie of four hours and ten minutes that formally opens the type's certification programme.

The prototype, MSN 700, took off with specialised flight-test instrumentation on board. It reached a cruise altitude of 25,000 feet.

According to Airbus, the crew checked basic airworthiness, assessed the aircraft's fundamental flying qualities and confirmed that primary systems performed as design predictions had indicated.

The flight-test team was captain and test pilot Bernardo Saez-Benito, first officer and experimental test pilot Sylvain Guiraud, flight test engineer Ludovic Girard, and lead flight test engineers Laurent Bussiere and Jaime Angoloti.

Lars Wagner, chief executive of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, called the first flight an important milestone for the A350F and for customers. He described the aircraft as the newest development of the A350 platform, citing operational flexibility, fuel efficiency and range. Airbus said the freighter is intended for long-haul cargo operations.