Air Cargo

Airbus A350F Completes Maiden Flight in Toulouse

Airbus' first A350 freighter prototype completed its inaugural flight on September 29, departing Toulouse, France. The MSN700 aircraft, registered F-WXLD, launched at 10:31 local time accompanied by a chase aircraft, carrying a crew of two pilots and three test engineers. The flight had a planned four-hour duration. The airframe undergoes a nine-month certification campaign ahead of expected approvals from EASA and FAA under Amendment 27 standards by the middle of next year. A second test aircraft is entering final assembly with its first flight expected later this year. The A350F features a shortened fuselage relative to the passenger A350-1000 and includes a main deck cargo door measuring 175 inches wide positioned behind the wing to enable simultaneous loading of three cargo compartments. Airbus has secured 115 orders from at least 14 customers.