The Airbus A350F, scheduled to begin commercial service in 2025, has begun production.
The first components for the Airbus A350F, which the company describes as “the world’s most efficient large cargo aircraft,” have been constructed. Airbus Atlantic in Nantes produced the components, which will soon be sent to Montoir-de-Bretagne, the company’s second location, when assembly will start.
The middle wing box of the aircraft will be made out of the components that Airbus has produced so far. Also, the fittings that will join the center wing box to the outer wing boxes and the exterior foot frames that will connect the center wing box to the lateral fuselage shells have been created.
The center wing box will eventually be 6.5 m long, 5.5 m broad, and 3.9 m tall. Naturally, Airbus has experience manufacturing center wing boxes; the components are comparable to those on the passenger Airbus A350 but have strengthened floor beams to accommodate the biggest loads and containers.
To enable simultaneous manufacturing of the parts required for both the Airbus A350 passenger and freighter aircraft, Airbus Atlantic reconfigured its production line at its Nantes factory.
requirements that guide the industry
The Airbus A350F will have a 40% lower fuel burn than the Boeing 747F when it goes into service in 2025, offering unrivaled efficiency to the cargo industry. The Trent XWB engines on the aircraft, which are now the most effective large aircraft engines in existence, contribute to this in some measure.
The ship will also be the only big freighter that complies with ICAO’s carbon emissions requirements, which are set to take effect by 2027. In terms of total capacity, the Airbus A350F is comparable to the MD-11F and 10% more powerful than its nearest competitor, the Boeing 777F, with a range of 5,400 miles and a maximum payload of 109 tons. While the crew, technicians, and the majority of the spare components are interchangeable between the two aircraft, having fleet commonality with the passenger Airbus A350 is also a significant benefit.
All of these characteristics, according to Airbus, provide customers with a superior value of at least $50 million throughout the course of an aircraft’s lifetime.
establishing itself in a crowded market
The cargo business had a spike during the epidemic, and even though it has since peaked, demand is still very high. The Boeing 777F, the Airbus A350F’s closest rival, is pitted against one another. But, the market has never been as crowded as it is now since more and more former passenger aircraft are also being converted to freighters.
About 35 orders for the Airbus A350F have been placed with the company thus far, including orders from Air France Cargo (4 orders), Singapore Airlines Cargo (7 orders), and Etihad Cargo (17 orders). Singapore Airlines Cargo will be the aircraft’s initial customer, according to information provided by Airbus.
