The A350F now holds 115 firm orders against Boeing's 81 for the 777-8F, and that gap widened noticeably in the first half of 2026 alone. For cargo operators mapping fleet transitions into the 2030s, the question is not simply which jet is selling faster, but what the full picture of backlog, timing and programme maturity tells them.
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How the A350F Order Book Reached 115
The headline figure builds from a base that was already solid. Air Cargo News reports that at the end of March 2026, Airbus held 101 A350F orders from 14 customers. Two expansions announced around that time pushed the total higher. Air China Cargo confirmed a purchase of four additional A350Fs on top of an existing order of six, bringing its commitment to ten, according to Air Cargo News and AeroMorning. Cathay Cargo added two more to its own standing order of six, reaching eight in total, as Air Cargo News and AeroMorning both reported.
The biggest single contribution came on 16 March 2026, when Atlas Air ordered 20 A350Fs with options for a further 20, as confirmed by Air Cargo News, AeroMorning and Leeham News and Analysis. That order alone moved the dial by more than any other single transaction in the recent run and signals that major integrated cargo operators are making long-term commitments to the type well before it enters service.
Boeing's Position: 81 Orders and a Different Set of Variables
Boeing's 777-8F total crossed 80 after MSC Air Cargo added five aircraft in July 2026, AeroMorning reported. At 81 firm orders, the programme is not struggling, but it is trailing, and its timeline compounds the gap. AeroMorning reports that Boeing is targeting 777-8F entry into service in 2028, making it the later of the two products to reach operators.
The comparison is sharpened by what is happening to Boeing's existing freighter lines. Leeham News and Analysis reports that Boeing has sold 359 777F Classics with 47 still in backlog, but production ends at the close of next year because of emissions standards. On the 767 line, Leeham News and Analysis reports that Boeing sold 288 767-300ERFs with 18 remaining in backlog and production also concluding at the end of next year. To manage that wind-down, Leeham News and Analysis reports that Boeing has requested an FAA exemption to build 35 more 777F Classics beyond the production cutoff, seeking a decision by 1 May.
The exemption request matters because it signals that demand for widebody freighter capacity exists now, ahead of either next-generation type reaching meaningful delivery rates. Operators who cannot wait for a 777-8F or an A350F have limited new-build alternatives once Classic production closes.
The A350F Timeline and What First Flight Means
Programme milestones are the next test of Airbus's lead. Airbus told Air Cargo News that "the maiden flight is expected later in 2026, followed by the first delivery in the second half of 2027." AeroMorning reports that the first A350F, MSN700, was scheduled for its maiden flight from Toulouse on 29 September 2026 at around 10:30 CET.
A successful first flight would move the programme from a commercial proposition to a flying aircraft, which matters to operators who have been making multi-hundred-million-dollar commitments on the strength of projections rather than test results. Certification and delivery follow, but the gap between a first flight and entry into service is where programmes can slip. The 2027 first delivery target therefore remains the number to watch.
What This Means for Cargo Operators
The order gap reflects genuine operator preference at this point in the cycle, but cargo airlines are not all choosing between the same variables. The A350F and 777-8F are not identical products. They serve different payload and range profiles, and an operator's network will weight those factors differently.
What the numbers do confirm is that a significant portion of the industry is committing to the A350F early enough to secure early delivery positions, while Boeing's 777-8F attracts a smaller but still substantial customer base prepared to wait for a larger jet. The involvement of carriers such as Air China Cargo and Cathay Cargo, both of which have deepened existing orders rather than making first-time commitments, suggests confidence in the programme rather than speculative positioning.
For the broader cargo market, the closure of two Boeing freighter production lines by end of next year creates a transitional window in which demand for widebody freighters will outpace the supply of new airframes. That pressure does not resolve itself the moment either type enters service, given the time needed to ramp production.
The Bottom Line
On the order count alone, Airbus is ahead and its timeline is shorter. The A350F is scheduled to fly before the year is out and to reach its first operator in the second half of 2027, while the 777-8F is not expected in service until 2028, according to AeroMorning. Boeing's request to extend 777F Classic production is a practical response to a gap that both manufacturers' next-generation timelines create.
What to watch: MSN700's maiden flight and the certification progress that follows; whether Boeing's FAA exemption request is granted and on what terms; and whether further carriers follow Atlas Air in making large, options-heavy A350F commitments before the first delivery lands.
This article draws on reporting by Air Cargo News, Leeham News and Analysis and AeroMorning.
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