Airbus Discontinues Beluga Transport Service

DALLAS — Airbus has announced the immediate suspension of its Airbus Beluga Transport (ABT) operations, marking the end of a brief venture into specialized outsize cargo services. The decision comes merely 14 months after the airline received its French air operator's certificate in November 2023.

The cargo service, which utilized the distinctive A300-600ST Beluga aircraft, had been established to provide transportation solutions for oversized cargo, such as satellites, aircraft engines, and helicopters. This initiative emerged as Airbus sought new applications for its Beluga fleet after transitioning its internal logistics to the newer and larger A330-700L BelugaXL aircraft.

As reported by Flight Global, the company has initiated the closure process, though a definitive completion timeline remains undetermined. Airbus has emphasized its commitment to supporting affected employees through the transition period, and during its brief operational period, the airline recruited approximately 60 staff members.

The company has not disclosed specific reasons for terminating the service, which ends just three years after its initial charter operations began exploring the third-party market potential.

Last year, the last of six Airbus BelugaXLs (BXL) entered service, as the successors to the iconic A300-600ST, the original ‘Beluga,’ which was planned to continue its mission with the ABT.

At the time, Airbus said, "The fleet is now complete," via a press release, noting that the BelugaXL had served as the program’s test platform since 2018. The last BelugaXL joined its five siblings at Airbus Transport International (ATI), a subsidiary of Airbus that has been operating as the company's internal airline since 1996.

Airlifter Missions

Offering 30% more payload capacity than its predecessor, the A300-600ST, the BXL is key to Airbus' increasing production pace. Built in Toulouse, France, the six specially commissioned airlifters transport sub-assemblies and components between Airbus' European manufacturing sites.

Each BXL mission averages a turnaround time of just 70 minutes, thanks to specially designed loading facilities at plants in France, Germany, Spain, and the UK.

The suspension of A300-600ST flights and closure of the commercial Beluga service is particularly notable given the market conditions that initially prompted its creation.

The airline had aimed to fill a gap in outsize cargo capacity, particularly following the reduced availability of alternatives like the Antonov An-124. The fleet of five A300-600ST aircraft had been transferred from Airbus Transport International, the company's internal logistics division, to serve this new commercial venture.

The BelugaXL in Numbers

• Each BelugaXL has a payload capacity of 51 tonnes and a range of 2,200 nautical miles.
• The aircraft is as long as two blue whales and as tall as a three-storey office block.
• Its hold is "big enough to swallow 26 small cars, or seven elephants."
• The airlifter can accommodate the largest A350 fuselage section or two of the widebody’s 30-metre long wings.
• ATI’s BelugaXL fleet is forecast to reach 9,500 flight hours annually by 2027, compared to a planned 6,500 flight hours in 2024.
• The BXL can operate with a blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

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