A350F fuselage final assembly set to begin

Final assembly of the first A350F fuselage will begin shortly now that all the major sections are at the Airbus final assembly line in Toulouse. The rear fuselage section, called section 16/19, arrived in Toulouse (TLS) from Hamburg (HAM) in early September, following the front and center sections — sections 15/21 and 11/14 — in August, Airbus told Cargo Facts . [caption id="attachment_57291548" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Section 16/19 includes the A350F's cargo door. (Courtesy/Airbus)[/caption] Section 16/19 includes the new freighter’s cargo door. Airbus will begin assembling the fuselage of the first A350F test aircraft (700) in the coming days, the European planemaker said. The joining of the fuselage sections will take place in station 50 at the TLS site , Airbus said. Meanwhile, the wings and horizontal stabilizer for unit 700 have also arrived at the final assembly line. Airbus will use unit 700 along with another unit for flight tests in 2026 before CMA CGM takes first delivery in the second half of 2027 . Sixty-five A350Fs for ten customers were on the backlog for the program as of Aug. 31: Ten each for AviLease , Starlux Airlines and Etihad Airways , although three of Etihad’s still show as unidentified; Eight for CMA CGM ; Seven for Singapore Airlines ; Six for Cathay Pacific ; Five for Turkish Airlines ; Four for Air France , although parent Air France-KLM said it had canceled one ; Three for Martinair ; and Two for Silk Way West Airlines . Register here for Cargo Facts ’ upcoming free webinar, “Air cargo route networks: Strategies for improved results and greater efficiencies,” on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 11 a.m. ET. Cargo Facts Symposium, the quintessential event for stakeholders and key leaders in the global freighter and air cargo industries, will take place Oct. 22-24 at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville . Learn more and register today to attend this key industry event.

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