Airbus is still publicly targeting certification and first delivery of the A350F by the end of 2027, but the freighter’s delivery ramp is now expected to build meaningfully only in 2028. The latest reporting follows Airbus updates and executive remarks in July and August 2026, after ground vibration testing on the first A350F airframe in Toulouse and ahead of flight testing later this year.
The revised timing leaves the programme’s headline schedule intact while pointing to a slower early production profile than previously anticipated. That matters for cargo operators planning fleet renewal and for Airbus’s effort to challenge established large freighters in a market where delivery slots remain tightly managed.
The A350F had already slipped once, with Airbus moving entry into service from 2026 to 2027. More than 100 firm orders have been cited in some reports, with Cathay Cargo among the airlines linked to launch planning. The aircraft remains central to Airbus’s long-term freighter strategy, but the current schedule suggests the first aircraft may arrive before supply chains and customer inductions support a fuller ramp-up.