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| A300-600ST Beluga | |
|---|---|
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| The Beluga is based on the Airbus A300 with an oversized cargo hold on top | |
| Role | Outsize cargo freight aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Airbus |
| First flight | 13 September 1994 |
| Introduction | September 1995 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | Airbus Transport International |
| Produced | 1992–c.1999 |
| Number built | 5 |
| Developed from | Airbus A300-600 |
| Developed into | Airbus BelugaXL |
The Airbus A300-600ST (Super Transporter), or Beluga, is a specialised wide-body airliner used to transport aircraft parts and outsize cargoes. It received the official name of Super Transporter early on, but its nickname, after the beluga whale, which it resembles,[1][2] gained popularity and has since been officially adopted.
Due to Airbus's manufacturing facilities being dispersed, the company had a long term need to transport sizeable components, such as wings and fuselage sections, to their final assembly lines. This had been met by a small fleet of Aero Spacelines "Super Guppies", but these aircraft were aged and increasingly maintenance-intensive to keep in operation. While several different existing aircraft were studied, none were found to be fully satisfactory. Instead, the company came to favour developing a derivative of its standard A300-600. In August 1991, a new joint venture company, Super Airbus Transport International (SATIC), was formed to pursue the venture.
Construction of the first aircraft began during September 1992; it performed its maiden flight on 13 September 1994. Entering service in September 1995, the Super Transporter was a larger, faster, and more efficient aircraft than the preceding Super Guppies. A total of five aircraft were built for Airbus; while additional new-build aircraft were offered to prospective operators by SATIC during the 1990s, no other customers ordered the type. In addition to its primary task of conveying Airbus components, the Super Transporter fleet has occasionally been used for charter flights, carrying outsized cargoes for various customers and purposes, from whole helicopters to industrial equipment and humanitarian aid. On 25 January 2022, Airbus announced a service offering outsize cargo transportation using its Beluga fleet.
During the 2010s, Airbus developed a slightly larger successor, the BelugaXL, based on the Airbus A330-200. This fleet, which entered service in January 2020, is intended to eventually replace the original Beluga fleet, which was entering its third decade.[3] However, all aircraft have remained operational as of July 2024.
- ^ Morrison, Murdo (12 September 2014), "Quirky Dozen: The 12 strangest-looking aircraft ever built", Flightglobal, Reed Business Information, archived from the original on 14 September 2014, retrieved 15 September 2014
- ^ Ros, Miquel (3 October 2014). "Airbus' Beluga: The world's strangest-looking airplane turns 20". CNN. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ Cirium (13 January 2020). "Airbus begins BelugaXL operations". Flight Global. Retrieved 1 January 2022.