Airbus has set a provisional date of 29 September for the first flight of its A350 freighter, keeping the programme on the third-quarter schedule the airframer has signalled for months.

The initial test aircraft, MSN700, will depart from Toulouse, weather permitting. The twinjet emerged recently in a distinctive parcel-themed livery and has been working through a ground-test campaign that includes rejected take-off runs.

MSN700 is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the same powerplant that serves the passenger A350-1000. Its first sortie will focus on opening the flight envelope for the freighter variant and assessing its aerodynamic and handling characteristics. Test crews have already completed simulator sessions in preparation for the flight, according to Airbus.

A second test airframe, MSN701, will follow. Airbus will assign that aircraft to detailed systems testing and customer demonstrations — the phase where prospective operators and lessors get their first close look at the type's maturity.

The schedule stakes are clear. Airbus plans to secure A350F certification and entry into service before the end of next year, a timeline that leaves limited margin between first flight and delivery. Whether the programme holds to that window will depend on how cleanly the envelope-opening campaign progresses on MSN700 and how quickly MSN7001 can transition to systems work.

On paper, the aircraft offers cargo operators a payload capability of 111t and a range of up to 4,700nm (8,700km). Those figures position the A350F against Boeing's 777 freighter family in the widebody cargo segment, where airline demand for fuel-efficient twin-engine lift has grown since the type was launched.

For now, the 29 September date remains provisional and subject to conditions at Toulouse. What is flying is a single test aircraft in ground-test configuration; what is promised is certification and service entry within roughly 15 months. The gap between those two states defines the A350F's next year.