Airbus to install industry’s largest door on first A350F ahead of flight tests

Airbus is preparing to install the industry’s largest main deck cargo door on the first A350F ahead of the start of the test flight program.

On April 23, 2026, Airbus said that its team at the facility in Illescas, Spain, had completed the manufacturing and assembly and the door had now arrived at the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse.

Measuring a 4.3 meters wide entry when open, the Airbus A350F will be able to transport industry leading loads with a design engineered to make loading and unloading operations more efficient.

Once the cargo door is installed in the first A350F, Airbus plans to begin flight testing in the next few weeks and continue through 2027.

Once serial production starts, the main deck cargo door will be delivered from Illescas to Hamburg for integration into the aft fuselage and for the installation of the actuation systems.

AirbusFrom there, that section of the fuselage will be transported to the FAL in Toulouse following the Airbus production process.

Ricardo Rojas, President of Airbus’ Commercial Aircraft business in Spain, said: “This milestone demonstrates Spain’s key role in the production of our commercial aircraft, including the A350F programme. Delivering the first main deck cargo door is the result of years of preparation and extensive teamwork, showcasing the deep expertise and technical maturity that Illescas plant has refined over decades in composite materials.”

Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the A350F will be capable of flying up to 8,700 kilometers with a payload of up to 111 tons.

In March 2026, Atlas Air placed the largest A350F order to date with a contract signed for 20 aircraft. At the end of March 2026, the A350F had registered 101 orders from 14 customers.

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