Airbus Launches Its Own Airline for the Iconic Beluga Cargo Planes

Airbus has launched a dedicated airline for its unique Beluga cargo planes, known for their distinct, oversized appearance resembling the white Arctic whale. The Beluga, which has fascinated aviation enthusiasts and planespotters for nearly two decades, primarily transports large aircraft components between Airbus’ European manufacturing sites.

The creation of Airbus Beluga Transport comes as the company introduces a new model, the Beluga XL, to replace the original fleet. This newer version boasts greater capacity and advanced capabilities, prompting the transition of the older Beluga ST planes to the standalone freight airline.

Benoît Lemonnier, head of Airbus Beluga Transport, highlighted the Beluga’s unique capacity for oversized cargo, noting, “There are very few options on the market for oversize items. Most often there’s a need to partially dismantle a payload to make it fit in an aircraft — whereas in the Beluga, it will just fit.”

The first Beluga, originally dubbed the Airbus Super Transporter, made its debut flight in 1994 and became operational in 1995. Five units were produced until 2000, each designed as a modification of the A300-600, featuring a large, bulbous fuselage and a wide-loading door to accommodate massive cargo pieces.

Before adopting the Beluga fleet, Airbus utilized the Super Guppies—modified Boeing Stratocruisers from the 1950s previously employed by NASA for transporting spacecraft components.

The newer Beluga XL, based on the Airbus A330 platform, provides even more space and efficiency, capable of carrying both wings of the Airbus A350 simultaneously—a significant upgrade over the single-wing capacity of its predecessor. Since 2018, six XL models have been constructed, with the most recent soon to be delivered for use within the internal Airbus network.

This strategic move not only enhances Airbus’s logistical capabilities but also marks a significant evolution in its operational efficiency, allowing the older Beluga ST models to serve broader cargo transport needs through the newly formed Airbus Beluga Transport airline.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, edition.cnn.com