Airbus has decided to suspend operations of its oversized air cargo service, Airbus Beluga Transport (AiBT), marking a significant shift in its logistics strategy.
The decision comes just a year after the division secured its own Air Operator Certificate (AOC), signaling a reevaluation of the company’s long-term air freight operations.
According to simpleflying.com, AiBT had been operating with its fleet of Airbus A300-600ST Belugas which have been in service for over 20 years.
The end of the cargo transport division
As reported by ch-aviation, the manufacturer will wind down the outsized cargo division and return the four A300-600ST Belugas to the AOC of Airbus Transport International (ATI). The service was launched in early 2022, with AiBT receiving its own AOC in November 2023 to make it a dedicated airline.
However, just over a year later, the manufacturer has decided to suspend the business. According to Flightradar24, the last A300-600ST flight (BGA151B) was operated on January 17 from Bremen (BRE) to Toulouse (TLS). The flight was operated by F-GSTB, the second Beluga to join Airbus’ fleet. An Airbus spokesperson said, “We confirm that the decision has been taken to terminate the Airbus Beluga Transport business for outsized cargo missions. All flights operated by the BelugaST fleet are suspended as of now. The closure project has just started, and it is too early to predict a completion date. One of our main priorities during this time is to support our employees during the social process.”
While Airbus has not publicly disclosed the reason for shutting down the wing, it told customers that it was due to “economic factors.” With the fleet returning to Airbus Transport International, the manufacturer is uncertain what the A300-600STs will be used for in the medium to long term.
Offering outsized freight services
The Airbus Beluga aircraft have been around for over two decades. Based on the A300-600R and developed as a successor to the Super Guppy , the A300-600ST entered service in January 1996, the same year Airbus Transport International was created. By the year 2000, all five Belugas had entered service.
About 22 years later, the European manufacturer launched a new service to offer outsized freight transportation for customers worldwide with its BelugaST ‘Super-Transporter,’ moving on from performing in-house duties. Airbus’ vision was to create a dedicated airline, and this was achieved in November 2023 when AiBT received its AOC .
As of January 2024, AiBT had about 60 employees, hired externally and internally, mainly from ATI. The manufacturer then transferred the BelugaSTs from ATI’s fleet register to AiBT (on lease from Airbus). Operations started on the existing Airbus network before expanding to long-haul missions with higher payloads.
Over the past year, the BelugaST fleet has been deployed to various destinations worldwide, including Sydney, Melbourne, Dubai, Bahrain, Hyderabad, Hamburg, Sharm el-Sheikh and Shenzhen. However, as of January 2025, all five BelugaSTs are stored in Bordeaux and Toulouse.
Introduction of BelugaXL
The BelugaST fleet was transferred to AiBT and replaced by six new-generation BelugaXLs – based on the larger A330-200 aircraft. The BelugaXL was launched in late 2014 to support the flagship A350 ramp-up and other production increases. The type offers 30% more transport capacity than the BelugaST.
Airbus now has six BelugaXLs in service, with the final aircraft joining the fleet in June 2024 . After serving as the type’s test aircraft, the sixth BelugaXL was delivered to ATI, marking the closure of the program. Ch-aviation’s fleet module shows that all six A330-700STs are currently in active service with Airbus Transport International.
The fleet is deployed on shorter inter-site missions between Toulouse, Hamburg, Saint-Nazaire, Düsseldorf, and other European destinations. The XL has a payload capacity of 51 tonnes, a range of 2,200 NM, and is large enough to accommodate the most sizable A350 fuselage section or two of the flagship widebody’s 30-metre-long wings.
