Shafaqna English– Industry sources revealed on Tuesday(18 Aug 2026) that Airbus has tentatively scheduled the debut flight of its beleaguered A350F freighter for late September, marking a critical milestone in the company’s efforts to carve out a larger share of the cargo aviation sector.
The European planemaker is keen to erode Boeing’s stronghold on air freight operations, which has been a lucrative stronghold for its American rival for decades.
Although the current schedule targets late September, industry observers note that the timeline remains fluid and could potentially be pushed back into the first days of October.
This tight and precarious window places the European manufacturer in a delicately balanced position regarding its certification roadmap, as the company strives to finalize all flight-testing protocols and hand over the first production units to launch customers by the close of the following year.
Source: Reuters