Final Beluga
After having served as the programme’s test platform since 2018, the last of six Beluga XLs entered service in June 2024. These successors to the A300-600ST, the iconic original ‘Beluga’, continue its mission to strengthen the company’s industrial capabilities. Time for some heavy lifting!
The fleet is complete. The last Beluga XL (BXL) joined its five siblings at Airbus Transport International (ATI) this month. ATI, an Airbus subsidiary, has been the company's internal airline since 1996.
Offering 30% more payload capacity than its predecessor the A300-600ST, the BXL is central to Airbus’ accelerating production ramp-up. The six specially commissioned airlifters, built in Toulouse, France, carry sub-assemblies and components between Airbus’ European manufacturing sites. Each mission averages a turnaround time of just 70 minutes, thanks to specially designed loading facilities at plants in France, Germany, Spain, and the UK. (cj)