PARIS, Oct. 13 (Xinhua Silk Road) -- At a press conference held after the recent maiden flight of Airbus A350F freighter at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in Toulouse, southern France, officials of the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus said that the introduction of this aircraft type will strengthen the company's ties with the Chinese market and production side.
Speaking at the press conference, heads of departments including Airbus freighter marketing and widebody programs said the A350F freighter has a payload of up to 111 tonnes and a range of up to 4,700 nautical miles.
A major highlight of this aircraft type is that it is equipped with one of the industry's largest main deck cargo doors, "17 percent wider than its competitor aircraft," which allows oversized cargo to be loaded and unloaded more conveniently and safely.
In addition, the aircraft type is lighter in weight, with an operational weight empty "35 tonnes lighter than competitor aircraft" and a maximum take-off weight "46 tonnes lighter," and therefore its fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions are each up to "40 percent lower than competitor aircraft."
In terms of programme scheduling, the A350F freighter project was launched in 2021, completed its design phase in 2024, and then entered the industrialization and flight test phase.
After its maiden flight on September 29, the aircraft will enter a nine-month flight test period, and is then expected to obtain certification and begin deliveries to its first customers in the second half of 2027 .
According to introductions, the aircraft has currently received 115 orders from 14 disclosed customers, including Greater China customers such as Air China Cargo, Cathay Cargo and China Southern Airlines, as well as other international customers such as CMA CGM Group, Air France, Qatar Cargo, Turkish Cargo and Singapore Airlines.
Crawford Hamilton, head of freighter marketing at Airbus, told the reporter that the company's freighter business is closely connected with the Chinese market. He believed that China is not only a vital market for Airbus, but is also highly involved in the global air cargo industry chain.
Many Airbus passenger aircraft, after being retired from passenger service by Chinese airlines, are directly converted from passenger to freighter configuration locally, and can then either re-enter service with the original airline as freighters or be delivered to other carriers, said Hamilton.
In addition, because China has become a global manufacturing hub with full industry-chain manufacturing capabilities, its air cargo market potential has always been there, continuously attracting attention from international carriers in regions such as the United States, Europe and Latin America. This is a large market where Airbus sees ample business opportunities.
Julien Puyou, head of the widebody programmes at Airbus, said in an interview that the introduction of the A350F freighter will strengthen the company's ties with China. He explained that the A350F freighter and the A350 passenger aircraft are built on the same basis, and about 5 percent of the manufacturing work for the A350 program is completed in China, so China's participation will also contribute to the freighter program.
At the press conference, Airbus also cited International Air Transport Association data in pointing out that in the first half of 2026, global air cargo traffic increased by 4.7 percent year on year.
Looking ahead, Airbus forecasts that from 2025 to 2044, global air cargo traffic will grow by 3.3 percent year on year, and over the same period global demand for freighters will reach about 2,600 aircraft, including 935 new-built freighters and 1,670 conversions.
Among the above aircraft, by payload category, approximately 1,120 small freighters (10-40 tonnes), 855 medium freighters (40-80 tonnes), and 630 large freighters (over 80 tonnes) are expected. (Contributed by Li Wenxin, edited by Li Xueqing with Xinhua Silk Road, lixueqing@xinhua.org)
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