Airbus Readies New Giant Beluga XL For New Transport Capacity For Airbus’ Industrial Network

by Benson Agoha | Technology

In the run up to 2017, Airbus is assembling for release a new range of mega aircraft for its industrial network.

According to a statement by Airbus, the first of five new Beluga XL airlifter “giants” will begin taking shape early next year, initiating the creation of a new jetliner fleet to transport complete sections of the company’s aircraft from production sites around Europe to final assembly lines in France, Germany and Spain. 

Airbus said the Beluga XL, with a lower fuselage, will be the same as the Freighter version of Airbus’ A330-200 jetliner and is to be built on the A330 final assembly line adjacent to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in southwestern France. 

Not all of the new aircrafts components components are manufactured by Airbus itself. Some components are provided by external suppliers, "including the significantly enlarged upper fuselage, the modified forward fuselage section with a lowered nose and cockpit, a large forward cargo door allowing “roll-on-roll-off” loading directly onto the main deck, and a pair of auxiliary vertical tail-plane end-fins."

This explains why the new giant airlifter can still be produced in the same facility that produces the A330-200.

But once the lower fuselage for Beluga XLs is completed on the final assembly line, Airbus said, it will be moved to its Building L34 at Lagardère industrial zone adjacent to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, where the build-up process into the outsized airlifter will take approximately 12 months per aircraft.

"The five Beluga XL aircraft will provide an additional 30 percent in transport capacity for Airbus’ industrial network, joining the existing fleet of five A300-600ST Super Transporters – which are based on the legacy A300 jetliner, and were given the original “Beluga” moniker because of their resemblance to the white whale of the same name,"  Airbus said.