Airbus to stream A350F freighter's maiden flight on September 29

Airbus will stream the first flight of its A350F freighter on X. The company said Friday the broadcast is scheduled for September 29 at 4:20 a.m. EDT, though that timing could shift with weather and other operational requirements.

The test programme is behind schedule. Airbus cites supply chain and staffing problems and difficulties building the main-deck cargo door, the largest in its class. Entry into service has slipped from 2025 to the second half of 2027 under the manufacturer's latest projection. Airbus confirmed it was developing the freighter in July 2021.

The A350F comes from the passenger A350-1000, but Laurent Bussiere, lead flight test engineer for the programme, said this month the design sits between the A350-1000 and the A350-900. He described a fuselage arrangement equivalent to an A350-900 forward section joined to an A350-1000 rear section with A350-1000 wings, giving the aircraft dimensions of its own. That combination produces a new aerodynamic model affecting flight controls, he said, while revised landing gear geometry changes how the aircraft handles on the ground. Liebherr-Aerospace began delivering specialised nose landing gear to Airbus in April.

Certification aims to accumulate 400 flight hours across nine months using two aircraft fitted with different test instrumentation. The aircraft due to fly next week, MSN700, will examine aerodynamic performance, handling qualities and autopilot systems. Its first flight profile will be flown manually, without flight envelope and stability protections, by a five-person crew of two pilots and three engineers.