Fitting the rear cargo door has enabled successful fuel and cabin pressurisation tests. Both aircraft are now scheduled to enter an extensive programme of ground and flight testing. You can read more about some of the new aircraft’s features here.

Proven lineage

While testing of various components has been underway digitally for many years, the A350F has a key advantage over other completely new models – it is based on the existing A350-1000 aircraft type. The aircraft shares a high level of commonality with the passenger variant, helping streamline development, certification and operations.

Certification will follow more traditional flight testing, which will cover the handling qualities and performance, and the commonality with an existing aircraft type means there should be few surprises.

The new cargo assembly

Prior to final assembly, the new cargo elements have been manufactured and tested in facilities across the globe from the US to Germany, and some are taking a real beating on various test rigs to prove their design. As with all new aircraft, there have also been opportunities to develop features that build on generations of past freighters.

In Bremen, a full-scale mock-up of the main deck and fuselage with all the key cargo systems, including the door opening and loading system, has been assembled and named Cargo Zero.

“Cargo Zero is basically a recreation of the cargo loading system, and it also has the internal [fuselage] contour,” says Airbus Head of Freighter Marketing Crawford Hamilton. “So we’ve tested heavy loads and the loading geometry, and of course, what we’re confirming is that we made the right decision in going for the big door.”

Results have shown that the A350F’s supersize door capacity can enable loading of a Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engine in one piece in just a few minutes, and certified engine stands can be latched directly to the main deck floor rather than using strapping. Earlier this year, representatives from Cathay Cargo and Cathay Engineering visited Cargo Zero to observe the facility as part of their own preparations and to ensure everything was meeting expectations.

The wider entry into service (EIS) programme for Cathay is already underway. “The aircraft definition and option selection was completed this year on time, on spec and on budget,” says Philippe Christol, Head of Aircraft Programmes for the Engineering team. The work typically starts 12-18 months out, and the visit to Bremen was evidence that the stream for cargo-specific handling and ground operations was successfully underway.

Cathay Cargo keenly awaits 2028. “Ultimately, these additional aircraft will ensure we maintain the right balance of capacity, connectivity and scale to support our business and customers over the long term,” says Director Cargo Dominic Perret. The excitement builds.