Airbus enlarged the family of the Beluga XL

The aircraft manufacturer has decided to build instead of five of the six Beluga XL. The current Belugas wants to sell Airbus or rent.

19. July 2018 lifted the shapeless plane with the detection of F-WBXL for the first Time. In the meantime, the first Beluga XL has already got a sibling. And soon, a third child joins the family. Two more were planned to be used.

But now, Airbus has decided to build instead of five, even six Beluga XL. With a larger fleet of special transporters with the official designation of A330-743L you could cover all future scenarios, the aircraft manufacturer. "In a few years we could end up in a Situation, such as an increase in the production or one of our Beluga XL has a breakdown, and then the sixth plane is indispensable," explains program Director Bertrand George.

Also, when Beluga, there was a straggler

The six Beluga XL will be built until 2023 to finish. The 63,1-Meter-long giant Transporter with a load capacity of 50.5 tonnes, to replace the five current Belugas (officially: A300-600ST). Also in the current model we have built at first only four, and in 2001, then a fifth copy as a latecomer added, reminiscent of Philippe Sabo, head of Airbus Transport International, which operates the Belugas.

The first Beluga XL are scheduled to begin operating in 2019. You give Airbus new opportunities in the transportation of its own parts. The Beluga XL can transport about two wings of the A350, while the previous Beluga only has space for a Grand piano. The special fleet is used generally for the Transport of components between the sites. In addition, the Belugas to fly but also for external customers.

Airbus sees a need

For the old, on the A300-based Belugas Airbus is considering various options. One of them is to sell them to freight companies. "We know that there is a need for super Transporter," said Sabo. The Other Option is to run the five Machines and to rent for special transports.

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