Everything You Need To Know

Transport oversized cargo with ease using Airbus Beluga Transport! Understanding the market’s significant challenge when transporting outsized cargo, Airbus stepped up to the challenge and created an innovative solution. The Airbus Beluga Transport is designed to transport large and heavy cargo efficiently, significantly minimizing delays and reducing the risk of damage.

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This technology ensures safe and on-time delivery of large cargo, improving the efficiency of moving goods and providing peace of mind. Whether shipping complex aerospace parts, fragile art pieces, or large industrial equipment, the Airbus Beluga Transport is up to the task. It is precisely designed and built for reliability, making it a top choice for transporting big and challenging loads with great care.

The BelugaST and the BelugaXL play critical roles in Airbus freight. With nearly thirty years of service, the BelugaST’s dimensions reduce the need to dismantle cargo, avoiding unnecessary risks of damage. Airbus’ transportation service remains competitive, with the BelugaST and BelugaXL boasting low fuel consumption.

Photo: Airbus

BelugaST

Since the mid-1990s, the Airbus BelugaST has had one of the most significant cargo holds of any civil or military aircraft currently flying. Also known as the A300-600ST Super Transporter, the Belugas operated by Airbus have been crucial to the company’s production and assembly network, which has been running at total capacity. These aircraft offer large cargo transport solutions for various industries, including space, energy, military, aeronautics, maritime, and humanitarian sectors. Six new-generation BelugaXL versions are gradually replacing the older BelugaSTs.

New loading techniques and equipment are being developed to maximize the BelugaST’s turnaround capability in commercial service, including an automated Onboard Cargo Loader for jobs where loading platforms are unavailable. The cockpit includes controls for a transportable heating module, which provides temperature-controlled conditions for sensitive payloads, such as satellites or paintings.

BelugaXL

In late 2014, Airbus launched the BelugaXL as a new super transporter. The BelugaXL performed its maiden flight in 2018 and received the type certification from the EASA airworthiness authority in 2019. This paved the way for the first BelugaXL service entry in January 2020. As with the BelugaST, the BelugaXL fleet operates across 11 European destinations.

Photo: S. Ramadier | Airbus

The BelugaXL will gradually replace the existing five-member BelugaST fleet. The Airbus A330-based BelugaXL fleet incorporates newly developed elements, including its lowered cockpit, a highly enlarged cargo bay structure, and modified rear and tail section. At seven meters longer and one meter wider than its BelugaST predecessor, the BelugaXL provides 30% extra transport capacity.

As with the BelugaST, BelugaXLs are equipped with cargo loading systems to ensure easy and efficient handling of payloads. The trained crews of Airbus Transport International’s subsidiary control the systems. Thanks to the new system efficiencies, the turn-around time for the BelugaXL is approximately one hour, reduced by almost half compared to a BelugaST.

Two pilots operate the BelugaXL. At the end of 2022, Runway Overrun Prevention System (ROPS) and Autopilot/flight Director Traffic Collision Avoidance System (AP/FD TCAS) were incorporated. During landings, the ROPS predicts operational landing distance and warns crews of risk during auto-braking and manual braking operations. In contrast, automatic avoidance maneuvers with AP/FD TCAS are performed in the case of collision risk.

The History of Airbus Beluga Transport

Two years ago, Airbus launched its outsized air-cargo service, Airbus Beluga Transport. The vision was to create a dedicated airline with its own Air Operator Certificate. Once the decisive audit by the authorities was passed successfully, the Continuous Airworthiness and Maintenance Organisation certificate became Airbus’ next goal, which came later that year in November. With all these successful approvals, Airbus Beluga Transport could finally call itself an ‘airline’ and operate under its own Air Operator Certificate. Airbus Managing Director Benoît Lemonnier said,

“We staffed the right people in the right place. First, our management was staffed at the beginning of the year until mid-2023. Then we recruited the necessary expert resources in the various fields of flight operations, dispatch crew planning, and also some new pilots. To date we have recruited almost 60 employees into the company – either through external recruitment or via internal job mobility within Airbus, mainly from ATI. We trained our people to be ready from ‘day one’.”

Airbus Beluga Transport specializes in moving oversized cargo with two types of aircraft: the older BelugaST and the newer BelugaXL. The BelugaST, which started service in the 1990s, is known for its large cargo area and has been important for shipping items that regular cargo planes can’t handle. However, Airbus is now using the BelugaXL more because it can carry 30% more cargo and works faster, making deliveries quicker.

Two years ago, Airbus made its cargo operations official by creating the airline Airbus Beluga Transport. With the new airplane and its own airline, Airbus Beluga Transport, meets increasing needs for shipping large and heavy items worldwide, highlighting Airbus’s efforts in improving service and meeting customer needs.

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