Airbus Beluga Unveils Its Unique Airline: Experience Aviation Like Never Before in 2024!

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Airbus Beluga Takes the Skies by Storm as World’s Strangest Plane Launches Its Own Thrilling Airline!

Airbus Beluga

The Airbus Beluga, one of the most unique and visually striking aircraft in the world, now boasts its own dedicated airline. This distinctive, oversized cargo plane, beloved by aviation enthusiasts globally, has been in service for nearly two decades, primarily ferrying aircraft components among Airbus’ European manufacturing facilities. Now, a new chapter begins as a modernized version of the Beluga replaces the original fleet, which has transitioned to power a standalone freight airline named Airbus Beluga Transport.

“There are very few alternatives for transporting oversized items,” says Benoît Lemonnier, head of Airbus Beluga Transport. “Typically, payloads must be partially dismantled to fit into conventional aircraft. However, with the Beluga, we can often accommodate these items without modification.”

The Origin

The first Beluga, initially known as the Airbus Super Transporter, took to the skies in 1994 and entered service a year later. Its nickname, inspired by its resemblance to the white Arctic whale, became so popular that Airbus officially renamed it the Beluga ST, with “ST” standing for Super Transporter. This fleet grew to include five planes, with the last one delivered in late 2000.

“The Beluga was specifically designed to transport large sections of Airbus aircraft from factories in France, Germany, the UK, Spain, and Turkey to final assembly lines in Toulouse and Hamburg,” explains Lemonnier. “This unique design is essentially an A300-600 with its upper fuselage replaced by a larger, specially-designed structure, complete with a massive cargo door and tailored flight equipment.”

Before the Beluga, Airbus utilized a fleet of Super Guppies—modified 1950s Boeing Stratocruiser passenger planes, previously used by NASA for transporting spacecraft parts. Now, history repeats itself as the original Beluga fleet is being succeeded by the larger and more advanced Beluga XL.

Meet the Air Giant: Now The World’s Oddest Plane Airbus Beluga Has Its Own Airline

Enter the Beluga XL

The Beluga XL, longer and more capacious than its predecessor, can transport both wings of the Airbus A350, whereas the ST could only carry one. The A350 is Airbus’ latest long-haul aircraft, competing with Boeing’s 787 and 777 models.
“The XL is built on the more modern A330 platform,” adds Lemonnier. “Since 2018, six XLs have been constructed, with the latest one soon joining the internal Airbus fleet. This allows the Beluga STs to be repurposed for new ventures.”

Continued Service for the Beluga ST

Despite approaching two decades in service, the original Beluga STs still have a significant amount of operational life remaining. “Depending on their usage, these aircraft could remain in service for another 20 years,” says Lemonnier. One of these planes will continue to transport Airbus parts, while the remaining four will join the new cargo airline.

This isn’t the first time Belugas have been used outside of Airbus. Between 2000 and 2010, the planes were occasionally chartered for transporting helicopters and satellites. More recently, in 2022, the company conducted a series of test missions in preparation for launching the airline. “Now, as a fully standalone entity, we have greater flexibility to accommodate customer needs, such as adjusting schedules and waiting for payloads—capabilities that were limited within the internal Airbus network,” Lemonnier explains.

Unique Capabilities

The Beluga ST’s cargo hold is 50% higher and 10% wider than standard cargo planes like the Boeing 747-8F, making it ideal for transporting bulky items such as satellites, helicopters, aircraft engines, flight simulators, sailing boats, and military vehicles.

Flying the Beluga does present some unique challenges. “Due to its large, bulbous head, the aircraft can behave sensitively in windy conditions, necessitating specific pilot training,” Lemonnier notes. “However, aside from that, it operates much like an A300-600, as the cockpit remains largely unchanged.”

One constraint is its range of 3,000 kilometers (1,600 nautical miles), meaning transatlantic flights from Europe to the United States require up to two refueling stops, typically in the Azores and Canada. Additionally, its maximum cargo weight is 40 metric tons—substantially less than competitors like the Antonov AN-124, which can carry three times as much, and the now-destroyed AN-225, which had a capacity of 250 tons.

As the Beluga ST transitions to new roles, its legacy of transporting colossal payloads continues, showcasing the ingenuity and adaptability of Airbus’ engineering marvel.

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