Airbus gets a new freighter – and its giant door – into the air for the first time

Airbus has successfully flown a new freighter based on its A350 passenger jet. The first A350F yesterday rolled down the runway at Airbus HQ in Toulouse, France, bringing the aerospace giant closer to delivering a high-capacity freighter. Airbus already makes two freighters, based on its A330 and A321 planes. In the past, it also made custom freighters that featured a bulbous enclosure atop a fuselage adapted from an A330 or A300. Airbus named the planes “Beluga” because they looked a little like a whale. The BelugaST, based on the A300, mostly did duty carrying Airbus’ own cargo between factories. The company later operated a commercial cargo service using the planes but discontinued that in 2024. Airbus built five of the larger BelugaXL, which is based on the A330F. The last entered service in 2024 and Airbus intends to fly them for 30 years. The XL’s design allows it to carry large components of the A350. …