Aviation News – 23 July 2025
Airbus has successfully completed the first horizontal stabiliser (HTP) for its new A350F freighter aircraft at its Spanish facilities, marking a major step forward in the programme. The HTP was partially produced at Airbus’s plant in Cádiz, with final assembly and outfitting carried out at the Getafe site.
The completed stabiliser is scheduled for shipment to Airbus’s Final Assembly Line in Toulouse, where it will be integrated into the fuselage of the first A350F test aircraft. Airbus is currently building two test aircraft, with flight campaigns planned for 2026 and 2027.
Manufactured on the same line as the passenger A350 model, the A350F HTP benefits from streamlined processes and shared efficiencies. Airbus Spain is also responsible for producing key components such as the rear fuselage (section 19), lower wing covers, and the aircraft’s composite main deck cargo door—the widest in the industry at 4.3 metres.
Ricardo Rojas, President of Airbus Commercial Aircraft in Spain, emphasized Spain’s critical role in the programme: “The A350F is a purpose-built cargo aircraft, delivering higher efficiency and flexibility to the freight market.”
Designed to set a new benchmark in cargo aviation, the A350F offers up to 20% lower fuel burn and emissions, and a payload capacity of 111 tonnes over 8,700 km.