Airbus A350F Freighter Flight Targeted September

Airbus A350F Freighter Flight Targeted September

Airbus (EPA:AIR) has set a tentative schedule for the first flight of its A350F freighter during the third week of September, although the timeline could shift to early October, according to a Reuters report. The European aircraft manufacturer maintains its earlier forecast that the maiden flight will occur before the end of the current year and that the first delivery is planned for the second half of 2027.

The A350F program, launched in 2021 with an original target to enter service four years later, is now working against a tight certification schedule to complete flight testing and deliver the first aircraft to customers before the end of 2027. Airbus has secured orders for 107 units of the lightweight composite A350F cargo planes. In addition, the company offers the older, smaller A330F model, for which it has sold 38 units.

The A350F represents Airbus’s effort to compete in the cargo aircraft market, a segment where Boeing currently holds a dominant position.