Airbus Confirms A350F Delay To 2027

Airbus has confirmed that its upcoming game-changing A350 Freighter will be delayed to the second half of 2027 at the earliest.

Following reporting exclusively led by Reuters, there was speculation surrounding the A350F delay, which has now been confirmed as accurate. The European manufacturer outlined its 2025 forecast and provided updates on several other aircraft programs.

Airbus previously outlined 2026 as the expected first delivery of the A350F and, moreover, even targeted a first flight sometime in the backend of 2025.

However, this has been deemed impossible as Airbus faces supply chain constraints and other challenges in moving ahead with the production and certification of this game-changing freighter.

The A350F has already amassed over 50 orders, the planemaker confirming this figure is now at 63, and many more customers are currently weighing up their options and whether the A350-1000F, as it has been designated, will be the desired choice.

Airlines like Emirates are debating whether the A350-1000F or the upcoming competitor aircraft in the 777-8F at Boeing will be the better option. Still, such a deal from this company would be a massive commitment for either planemaker’s new freighter program.

Fresh delays to the A350F aren’t to be a shock. Unfortunately, certifying and producing aircraft are not what they once were, and while it’s always been common for delays to arrive for new endeavours, those delays have increased tenfold.

Despite this, Airbus would feel relatively comfortable that it still has a better launch timeframe than its competition, Boeing and its 777-8F, which is relying on the launch and certification of the 777-9 passenger, which has thus far been delayed six years and remains uncertified.

A Delay At Airbus Was Expected

In mid-2024, Air France-KLM, a customer of the upcoming A350 Freighter, confirmed that their first delivery of 2026 would be delayed until early 2027; this is now to be pushed back further.

At this point, the company confirmed a delay due to the unreliable nature of supply chains and internal concerns that Airbus’ delivery timeframes would not be met, considering challenges with the A350 passenger program.

As a result, Airbus confirming today that its A350F will be delayed until the second half of 2025 isn’t a shock and reaffirms what several freighter customers have been feeling since the mid-way point of 2024.

Why The A350F Is Important

The Airbus A350 Freighter represents an essential moment for the European planemaker for several reasons, none more so than its bid to compete with Boeing.

Boeing has long been considered the industry leader in the freighter market. Despite Airbus offering its freighter variants, their success has not ultimately risen to the heights of Boeing.

As the dawn of new long-haul commercial aircraft, such as the A350, 777X, and even 787, manufacturers have prioritised converting these successful commercial aircraft into freighter planes.

For Airbus, the A350F is expected to be their latest pitch to tackle Boeing’s long-term success and will go up against the 777-8F for decades. Therefore, ensuring a smooth start to the program will be essential in getting ahead of Boeing, which is tackling its woes with the 777X.