Airbus confirmed rumors of a new delay in the A350F program. In its 2024 earnings report, the planemaker stated that the freighter aircraft will only enter service in the 2nd half of 2027.
Until then, Airbus planned to debut the A350F in 2026, after an initial postponement of the original plan (2025).
As previously reported, supply chain issues triggered the postponement.
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The company itself cited supplier Spirit Aerosystems, which produces aerostructures for the A350 family in the US and also for the A220 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Facing financial problems, Spirit will be acquired by Boeing, from which it had been separated in the past. Airbus, in turn, should take over the facilities where parts for its aircraft are produced.
The A350F was launched in November 2021 taking advantage of changes instituted by the ICAO in pollutant emissions that will come into effect in 2027 and that will prohibit the production of jets such as the Boeing 767F and 777F.
More efficient and capable, the A350F will be able to carry 111 tons over distances of up to 4,700 nm (8,700 km). It will compete with the Boeing 777-8F, but its schedule is well behind schedule.
The cargo aircraft currently has 63 firm orders.
