• Airbus has kicked off final assembly of its A350 Freighter, accelerating development of what will be the only widebody cargo aircraft fully compliant with upcoming international emissions regulations.
• With entry into service targeted for 2026, the A350F is arriving at a critical point –  just before new CO₂ rules restrict production of non-compliant freighters.

“This is the only new-build freighter fully compliant with ICAO CO₂ emissions standards,” said Guillaume Vuillermoz, Vice President, Head of Widebody Programme Development at Airbus. “That gives us a significant advantage, as aircraft that are not compliant cannot be produced anymore.”

The A350F is not a passenger aircraft retrofit – it has been developed from the ground up as a freighter. Based on the A350-1000 platform, it features a shortened fuselage, reinforced main deck floor, revised nose gear position, and a 3-metre-high cargo door positioned for optimal loading.

“The main difference is the floor strength,” said Joel Rocker, A350F Chief Engineer. “We’ve designed the main deck and floor beams to handle higher loads, and that’s a key requirement for full freighter use.”

The aircraft is designed to carry a 109-tonne payload over 4,700 nautical miles, while maintaining full compatibility with existing freighter handling systems.

“The door is positioned to be compatible with nose-in loading processes at existing facilities,” Rocker added. “This was a key part of the customer input we received.”

The freighter will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, and Airbus is aiming to deliver a 30 to 40 percent CO₂ reduction per tonne compared to legacy quad-engine freighters.

Rather than starting from scratch, Airbus is leveraging its certified A350-1000 platform to streamline the freighter’s path to airworthiness.

“We’ve put a huge amount of energy into early risk mitigation,” said Laurent Bussière, Lead Flight Test Engineer. “We’re not starting from scratch — we’re building on a certified platform.”

The development includes a full-scale cargo door demonstrator to test mechanical function, control logic, and operational reliability before flight testing begins. “It’s not just about structure — it’s about how the system performs over time,” Bussière added.

The flight test campaign is expected to begin in the second half of 2026. Airbus will use instrumented aircraft and data from the existing A350 family to accelerate certification steps.

“The flight control laws are the same,” Bussière explained. “That allows us to streamline certification.”

Fleet transitions and sustainability pressure

With the ICAO CO₂ standard becoming mandatory for new-build aircraft from 2028, Airbus sees a clear window opening for operators needing to transition away from older fleets.

“There is a cliff coming. The market has understood that,” said Crawford Hamilton, Head of Freighter Marketing. “Some products cannot be produced anymore after 2028.”

Hamilton noted that while passenger-to-freighter conversions remain viable for certain use cases, a purpose-built freighter offers clear structural and economic advantages for long-haul or express missions.

“Converted freighters are not optimised for long-range missions,” he said. “They’re heavier and structurally less efficient. The A350F was designed for this role.”

The A350F also offers operational benefits for mixed-fleet operators, with common cockpit design, systems, and maintenance procedures shared with the A350 passenger family.

Airbus forecasts a global requirement for 2,510 new freighters by 2043, including 900 large widebodies. Many of these will be replacements for ageing aircraft now approaching regulatory and operational limits.

Vuillermoz confirmed that final assembly is underway in Toulouse, with structural components already in production. “We’ve passed detailed design, the main components are in production, and final assembly has started,” he said.

With emissions regulation tightening, fuel efficiency rising in importance, and pressure mounting from shippers and investors, the launch window for new, compliant widebody freighters is closing fast.

“There’s a transition coming — and many carriers need to move now if they want to avoid the compliance cliff,” said Hamilton.