Airbus Beluga: World’s strangest-looking plane gets its own airline

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The Airbus Beluga, an exceptional aircraft in the world, presently has an airline company dedicated exclusively to it.

The peculiar, large cargo aircraft, which many aviation enthusiasts adore, has been operating for nearly twenty years. Its primary role is to transfer airplane components between various Airbus factories located throughout Europe.

A fresh model of the Beluga is now taking over from the initial group of aircrafts, which are currently being used to operate a separate freight airline known as Airbus Beluga Transport.

Benoit Lemonnier, who is in charge of Airbus Beluga Transport, states that there are not many choices available for transporting large items. In most cases, some parts of the payload must be disassembled to accommodate it on the plane, but with Beluga, this is not necessary as it can handle larger items.

The original name of the first Airbus Super Transporter was later changed to Beluga ST because of its nickname, which was based on its similarity to the white Arctic whale. The name remains in the acronym as a tribute to the original name.

The initial flight took place in 1994 and it was introduced for use a year later in 1995. Over time, four additional models were created, with the final one being released in the latter part of 2000.

Lemonnier explains that the main purpose of the Beluga is to move huge parts of Airbus airplanes from their factories located in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Turkey to the final assembly lines situated in Toulouse and Hamburg. It was uniquely designed by transforming an A300-600 aircraft, with its entire frontal section removed. Additionally, the Beluga has been equipped with specific and special components such as fuselage shells, a larger door, and flight equipment specifically designed for its purposes. Overall, the Beluga is an exceptional and innovative aircraft created for a highly distinctive and crucial role within the aviation industry.

Airbus utilized a group of modified Boeing Stratocruiser planes from the 1950s known as Super Guppies, prior to the existence of the Beluga. These planes were once utilized by NASA to transfer spacecraft parts. Currently, the Beluga XL is replacing the original Beluga, offering more room and advanced features, repeating history.

The Beluga XL is a bigger and lengthier aircraft compared to the ST. It can transport both wings of Airbus A350, a new and high-end aircraft competing with Boeing 787 and 777.

Lemonnier explains that the A330 platform is the foundation for the XL, which is far more advanced. Six XLs have been produced since 2018, with the newest one to be delivered soon to Airbus' airline. The Beluga XL can completely take over the Beluga ST's role within the Airbus network, enabling STs to be utilized for other purposes.

The Beluga STs, which have been in use for almost 20 years, still have a long way to go, according to Lemonnier. "Depending on their flight frequency, they could still be used for another 20 years without any problem."

One of the planes will still be used by Airbus to transport aircraft parts, whereas the other four will only be operated by the newly established cargo airline.

The Belugas have been utilized for missions beyond Airbus before. According to a statement, there were several chartered flights that took place between 2000 and 2010. When the Beluga had additional space, they carried helicopters and satellites.

Next year, the business finished twelve test operations to prepare for launching the airline. "What's new is that we are now completely independent, which gives us the capability to be adaptable for our passengers. We can also accept modifications to the flight schedule, making it possible for us to remain in a particular location until we have cargo to transport, which would likely be difficult for the Airbus-owned airline to achieve," Lemonnier explains.

The Beluga ST is a great choice for carrying big items like satellites, helicopters, aircraft engines, and boats, because its cargo area is much bigger than other cargo planes like the Boeing 747-8F. It's also commonly used for moving military vehicles and flight simulators.

According to Lemonnier, when you travel on the Beluga, the experience may be somewhat unusual compared to flying on a typical airplane.

According to him, because of its large head, the aircraft can be affected by wind and may need customized training for pilots. However, apart from that, its flight behavior is similar to that of an A300-600, and the cockpit remains identical.

There is a constraint on the distance the aircraft can cover, which is limited to a maximum of 3,000 kilometers (1,600 nautical miles). This implies that when travelling from Europe to the United States, it might be necessary to make up to two pit stops for refueling, usually in places like the Azores and Canada.

The Beluga has a limit of carrying up to 40 metric tons of cargo, which is quite low compared to its competitors like the Antonov AN-124 that can carry thrice the weight. In the past, the AN-225, which was the biggest airplane in the world until its destruction in 2022, could hold an enormous 250 tons of cargo. However, the Beluga is more suitable for accommodating a larger volume of items.

Gary Crichlow, an aviation expert at AviationValues consultancy, explained that the planned usage of the Airbus Beluga Transport sets it apart from typical cargo planes in the industry.

According to the speaker, transporting helicopters, satellites, and other big objects involves certain operational difficulties that are not present in the transportation of Amazon packages. The maximum altitude for a helicopter's design determines the highest altitude that the transportation flight can operate.

According to Crichlow, even though the Beluga ST can only carry 40 metric tons of cargo, it still has an advantage due to the fact that there are five of them. Airbus boasts that their cargo holds are among the largest of any civil or military aircraft currently in operation. This sets them apart from Antonov aircraft, which have higher carrying capacities.

He says that Airbus is not trying to become like Amazon Prime, but after spreading out the cost of each Beluga, which was €183 million ($199 million) over the last two decades, it seems like a chance to make money from a small part of the freighter market that is low-risk.