First A350 freighter aft section rolls out in Hamburg
By Parijat Sourabh
Airbus is building two A350 freighter units for flight testing, planned for 2026 and 2027.
The first fully equipped aft section of the Airbus A350 freighter has rolled out of the company’s Hamburg hangar. The section will now be transported to Toulouse for final assembly. In a LinkedIn post, Desbordes Aurelia, Vice President CDT A350 & A330 Equipping at Airbus, announced this development. Notably, Airbus is building two A350 freighter units for flight testing, planned for 2026 and 2027. In her post, Aurelia also highlighted that the first aircraft carries the manufacturer serial number (MSN) 700. The first A350F flight-test aircraft (MSN 700) will be used primarily to open the flight envelope and test the aircraft’s fundamental performance characteristics unrelated to its cargo role, while the second A350F will be used to test cargo capabilities and functions.
According to Aviation Flights, the aircraft MSN 700 has the test registration F-WXFR. Aurelia wrote on LinkedIn: “This success is the result of our tireless dedication, team spirit, and flexibility. This project came with challenges that we could only overcome together. I am incredibly proud of every single person who contributed to this special moment. You all proved what is possible with transparency, hard work, and true passion. A huge congratulations to the entire team! This achievement is the best proof of our strong collaboration between production and support departments and beyond.” Airbus recently reached a milestone in its A350 freighter programme, as the nose and forward fuselage of the prototype A350F arrived at the final assembly line in Toulouse. August 2025 orders and deliveries data from Airbus show that the manufacturer has received 65 A350F orders worldwide so far. The aircraft is expected to enter service in the second half of 2027, with CMA CGM as its launch customer.
