Airbus is set to delay the launch of its A350 freighter by up to a year as it continues to face supply chain challenges, reports Reuters. The European aircraft manufacturer is also encountering difficulties in ramping up production of its A350 passenger jets, primarily due to delays in fuselage component deliveries from Spirit AeroSystems.
The delay in the A350F program, which was originally slated to enter service in 2026, may be officially announced as early as Thursday when Airbus releases its annual financial results, the sources said. Airbus declined to comment on the revised schedule for the freighter.
Industry sources indicated that ongoing supply chain disruptions could limit Airbus’s ability to increase A350 production beyond the current rate of approximately six jets per month for the remainder of the year. However, the company is still expected to maintain its target of producing 12 A350 jets per month—including both passenger and freighter models—by 2028.
In response to inquiries about production constraints, an Airbus spokesperson referred to previous statements made in October, in which the company reaffirmed its 2028 production goals while acknowledging supply chain challenges anticipated in 2025. Spirit AeroSystems declined to comment.
Freighter aircraft remain in high demand as global cargo carriers seek to modernize their fleets amid ongoing trade tensions and delays in certifying passenger-to-freighter conversion programs.
The potential A350F delay highlights the broader supply chain disruptions that have persisted since the COVID-19 pandemic. Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier, is at the center of a complex restructuring effort involving both Airbus and its rival Boeing. Boeing agreed last year to repurchase its former subsidiary, contingent on Airbus assuming control of Spirit’s loss-making European operations, including a North Carolina plant responsible for producing A350 fuselage sections.
In October, Reuters reported that fuselage section deliveries from Spirit’s Kinston, North Carolina, facility were behind schedule, a concern that Airbus later acknowledged as a factor affecting its production ramp-up plans for 2025.
