Airbus A350 Freighter Set for First Flight as Morocco Takes on More Production
The first Airbus A350F is due to make its maiden flight in Toulouse on Tuesday morning. The aircraft is beginning a 400-hour test campaign, while Morocco already supplies Airbus programs and is set to take on new production for the A350.
The MSN700 prototype is targeting takeoff at around 10:30 a.m. this Tuesday, September 29. Airbus will broadcast preparations live from 9:30 a.m. on its official website.
The aircraft will immediately serve as a flying laboratory. During this first flight, teams will monitor thousands of parameters, including aerodynamics, structural loads and the various sensors. The full test campaign is expected to total around 400 hours.
The A350F is derived from the A350-1000, but its structure has been extensively adapted for freight transport. It will be able to carry up to 111 tonnes and has a 4.3-meter-wide main cargo door, which Airbus describes as the largest in the industry.
The wings of the first aircraft were manufactured in the United Kingdom, its cargo door in Spain and several fuselage sections in Germany. Final assembly, systems integration and flight preparations took place in Toulouse.
A350 production to be transferred to Tangier
Morocco is already part of Airbus’s industrial ecosystem. The manufacturer says its subsidiary Airbus Atlantic and its Moroccan suppliers produce machined, composite, electrical and assembled components for all its programs.
Airbus Atlantic’s Moroccan sites specialize in assembling metal subassemblies, sections and bent pipes, as well as manufacturing composite parts, Airbus says.
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This role is set to grow further by the end of 2027. Daher is preparing to transfer the assembly of composite and metal sub-section panels for the Airbus A320, A330 and A350 from Tarbes to its industrial site in Tangier. The group also plans to entrust Moroccan subcontractors with manufacturing around a thousand part references.
