Beluga XL - Oversize Transport for the 21st Century

Featuring one of the most voluminous cargo holds of any civil or military aircraft flying today, the Airbus Beluga plays a key role in keeping Airbus production and assembly network operating at full capacity. The current fleet of 5 Beluga, based on A300-600, carries complete sections of Airbus aircraft from different production sites around Europe to the final assembly lines in Toulouse, France and Hamburg, Germany. To support the A350 XWB ramp-up and other production rate increases, Airbus will gradually replace its current Beluga’s with six BelugaXL aircraft, derived from the company’s versatile A330 widebody product line. Veronique Roca, Chief Engineer of the BelugaXL, describes the BelugaXL since its launch in Nov 2014: with the First Flight in July 2018, the BelugaXL is now completing the Flight Test Campaign and has achieved certification.