Airframer follows pattern of cautious initial specifications before the maximum takeoff weight increases once more operational data becomes available
Airbus is hopeful that it will be able to expand the payload capacity of its in-development A350 freighter in the future, while it also expects test flights due to begin next year to take around nine months to complete.
In a progress update, A350F chief engineer Joël Rocker said that the company hopes that once the aircraft is in operation and more operational data is available, it will be able to increase the payload tonnage the aircraft is able to offer.
He pointed out that the airframer has in the past increased the payload capacity of aircraft once they are operational.
The A350-900 had its maximum take-off weight increased by three tonnes to 283 tonnes in 2022, Rocker said.
Meanwhile, Airbus increased the maximum take-off weight for the A350-1000 by three tonnes to a total of 322 tonnes in 2023.
Airbus tends to “start cautiously” with its payload capacity, he said.
"It is in the [Airbus] DNA to grow the design weight when we get confidence, when the aircraft is certified and when it is in operation and we have feedback,” Rocker said.
When plans for the aircraft were first announced, Airbus stated a payload capacity of 109 tonnes but later added a 111 tonne variant.
Test programme update
Meanwhile, the company also provided an update on its plans for test flights.
Airbus will use two aircraft (MSN 700 and MSN 701) to carry out test flights, which should start in the third quarter of next year and take around nine months to complete.
MSN 700 will complete around 300 test flight hours covering anemometry, cruise performance, flutter, handling qualities, autopilot, ram air turbine and autoland.
MSN 701 will carry out 110 test flight hours covering air conditioning, smoke tests, low-visibility take-off, autopilot and autoland. This aircraft will also be used for customer visits.
Certification is expected in the second quarter of 2027 and entry into service is expected in the second half of the year.
Certification will be helped by the fact that the aircraft is based on the A350-1000, which was granted certification in 2017. European EASA and US FAA certification will be targeted concurrently, Airbus said.
New customers
Airbus head of freighter marketing Crawford Hamilton said that Airbus had now secured 82 firm orders - the latest being from Silk Way West - for the aircraft across a range of companies - combination carriers, all-cargo carriers, newer airlines, more established airlines and leasing companies.
On potential future orders, Hamilton said that Airbus was looking at current operators of large freighters, while airlines with A350 passenger aircraft were also of interest.
