The large freighter market has been dominated by Boeing with the 747 only recently going out of production and the 777 proving popular.
At the end of 2027, new ICAO CO2 emissions standards come into effect, which means current production freighters will cease production.
For Airbus, this was the perfect time to introduce a freighter version of the A350.
The A350F was announced in the quarter two results of 2021 but preparations date back much further with Crawford Hamilton saying he made a presentation in 2006 when the Trent XWB engine was launched with a freighter on it.
The priority was to get the passenger version into service, make sure it was reliable and lessons were learned before making the freighter version.
The A350-900 entered service in 2014 and the A350-1000, which the freighter is based on, entered service in 2019.
Hamilton said, “Because we have got that difference in the dates, going into service in 2026, we learn all the service lessons of the aircraft which ensures that we will have a mature aircraft from day one, which is one of our big targets.”
When Airbus started designing the A350, a freighter version was part of the plan with the exact definition changing as the market changed over the years.
The market has responded well to the A350F, with 55 sales once Starlux confirms its order for five units, from 10 customers.
This means Airbus has gone from no market share for large freighters to 50% of orders, with Hamilton saying having orders from several customers proving good to solidify an aircraft’s presence in the market.
Airbus has received orders from combination carriers including Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines, who already use A350s in their passenger operations, and freighter airlines including Silk Way West Airlines and CMA CGM, which gives the A350F credibility in the market.
Common parts is a major advantage of the A350F, which shares 100% commonality for engine spares and tooling and 99% airframe tools and spares with the A350, which makes maintenance and servicing more efficient as it is based on the A350-1000.
The A350 has the same basic flight deck design as the A330, along as the same handling and procedures, training across all Airbuses with fly-by-wire systems is quicker with pilots able to transfer from an A330 to an A350 in eight days.
A common type rating between the A330 and A350 means if you have both type ratings, you can fly both aircraft, reducing training times.
Hamilton said, “The commonality is in the Airbus DNA, we have over 95 airlines operating this training scheme worldwide and that means we can bring this into the freight business and it will change things. There is a shortage of pilots worldwide, this can help address that.”
Sustainability is the biggest benefit for customers, said Hamilton, both in the business and environmental sectors.
The A350F uses 40% less fuel than a Boeing 747-400F and 20% less fuel than a B777F, which brings lower emissions and fuel costs.
“That means you will have a competitive advantage over people operating older aircraft. Our aircraft is lighter because it’s made out of carbon, which is strong and light. We believe for long-haul aircraft like the A350, carbon is the way to go,” said Hamilton.
The A350 is made of 70% advanced materials, mainly carbon fibre and titanium.
It is fitted with the most fuel-efficient aircraft engine in the world, the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB, and advanced aerodynamics with wings which morph like wings in nature, all of which makes the A350 much more fuel efficient.
The advanced materials have the strength of older materials but are much lighter, which means the A350F has the same payload as a B747-400F while being 32 tonnes lighter.
Something that makes the B747 iconic is nose opening, which is useful for long pieces of cargo.
Hamilton says many B747 operators do not use it for most operations, adding that when Airbus launched the A350F, the door was 146 inches of open area, the same as a B777F.
The door was expanded so the A350F has the biggest door in the industry with a width of 170 inches and a height of 124 inches.
“That goes quite a way to mitigating the nose door because we have the largest package size, and for things like engines such as an A330neo or a 787, you can take the engine full-size fully assembled, swing it in the door in one go,” explained Hamilton, giving an example of the A350F’s capability.
Testing, testing, testing…
Hamilton says the design is finished and the first components, the ribs of the wing box were manufactured last March.
Airbus is getting ready to manufacture some of the sub-assemblies and the rear panel has been manufactured and it is getting into testing of smoke detection and environmental controls.
The test equipment for the cargo loading system is being sourced and there will be four test rigs.
“We have designed something, we have done the prototype testing, now we are going to take the real article and test and test. We will have two ground rigs for the cargo loading system and we will have two development aircraft that will fly and be able to operate, we also need to test the door. We have got so much testing to do,” said Hamilton.
In about a year, the final assembly will begin, which Hamilton describes as like a large model kit, followed by the first flight towards the end of the year and entry into service in 2026.
Fleet of the future
Basing the freighter on the larger A350-1000 provides the structural strength for a 100+ tonne freighter and provide the characteristics for the volume and density to place the A350F in the large freighter market rather than the MD-11F replacement market.
The A350F has a range of 4,700 nautical miles, a payload of up to 111 tonnes and a volume of 715m3, the same as a B747-400F.
Due to the new emissions regulations, Boeing also had to launch a new freighter, with the 777-8F due to enter service in 2027, which also has a healthy order book.
Hamilton said Airbus’ customers said they wanted choice and competition in the market.
The ICAO CO2 regulations means Boeing will end production of the B777F so this is the time for change.
“Around 120 large freighters are over 30 years old so they are ripe for retirement so you have got the replacement market and for the first time we have the right platform in the large freighter market. Put all of that together, it is probably never going to get any better for us,” said Hamilton.
This article was published in the June/July 2024 issue of Air Logistics International, click here to read the digital edition and click here to subscribe.