Airbus A350F Freighter Completes Ground Vibration Tests in Toulouse

Airbus announced that the first A350F cargo aircraft has successfully finished ground vibration testing (GVT) at its final‑assembly line in Toulouse. The three‑day test in June 2026 involved shaking the airframe with external shakers and by moving the aircraft’s own control surfaces, while a network of sensors captured the structural response. Airbus highlighted an innovative data‑fusion approach that combined the aircraft’s flight‑test instrumentation with autonomous sensors installed for the test, allowing engineers to validate aeroelastic models and fine‑tune dynamic‑load calculations.

Earlier test‑rig demonstrations of the main‑deck cargo door actuation and cargo‑loading system were carried out at Airbus facilities in Bremen, Germany. The A350F is the dedicated freighter version of the A350‑1000, offering up to 111 tonnes of payload across 30 pallet positions and featuring the largest main‑deck cargo door in its class. With about 90 % parts commonality with the passenger variant, the programme was launched in 2021. Although entry into service has been pushed to 2027, the first flight is expected before the end of 2026.