Airbus BelugaXL

Airbus BelugaXL

Company type	Aircraft model
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	November 2014 (2014-11)
Headquarters	Toulouse , France
Products	Large transport aircraft

The Airbus BelugaXL (model A330-743L) is a large-scale transport aircraft derived from the Airbus A330-200F. Created by Airbus to succeed the original BelugaST, it serves primarily to carry oversized aircraft parts such as wings. Its maiden flight occurred on 19 July 2018, followed by type certification on 13 November 2019, and it officially entered operational service with Airbus Transport on 9 January 2020.

Development

By the year 2013, the initial fleet of five BelugaSTs was insufficient to fulfill Airbus's expanding manufacturing demands. Airbus considered various external heavy transport options including the Antonov An-124, An-225, Boeing C-17, Dreamlifter, and A400M, before opting to adapt one of its own designs. The BelugaXL initiative was launched in November 2014 with plans to produce five replacement aircraft, reaching a design freeze milestone on 16 September 2015. The total budget for development and manufacturing was approximately €1 billion.

Fleet

The original BelugaSTs continued operating alongside the newly introduced BelugaXLs starting in 2019, maintaining a mixed fleet arrangement for at least five years to accommodate increased production of single-aisle aircraft that required enhanced parts transportation. In 2017, the BelugaST fleet logged over 8,000 flight hours—double the amount recorded in 2014—and was midway through its expected service lifespan, with potential applications in civilian or military logistics by other operators.

With the delivery of the first three BelugaXL units, the total combined fleet expanded to eight aircraft, while all five original BelugaSTs remained active until their retirement in 2021. The BelugaSTs operated at maximum capacity, conducting five flights daily across six days per week, accumulating around 10,000 hours annually, although some components were transported via ground methods. Transporting parts for the A320 took three times longer using the BelugaST compared to the BelugaXL; for A350 components, this difference extended to nine times longer.

In response to increased production rates of the Airbus A350 and targets to deliver 880 aircraft in 2019 alongside plans to boost A320neo output to 63 units per month by 2021, Airbus expanded its BelugaXL fleet by adding a sixth aircraft in June 2019. Despite this growth, the BelugaSTs still retained an operational lifespan of 10–20 years, with considerations underway regarding their potential sale or use by external parties.

Production

The lower fuselage of the BelugaXL was initially assembled on the Airbus A330 final assembly line before being moved for the integration of the upper fuselage and nose sections. The first fuselage segment was delivered to Toulouse in November 2016, with final assembly commencing in December of the same year. Key structural components supplied by Aernnova in Spain arrived in April 2017.

Airbus subsidiary Stelia Aerospace, based in Meaulte, was responsible for manufacturing the nose section, which was delivered in May 2017. The upper front fuselage, encompassing the cargo door area (measuring wide, long, and high), was provided by Stelia Rochefort and delivered in July 2017. The primary cargo door (, long and high) followed in September 2017.

By October 2017, approximately 75% of the structural assembly had been completed, and systems integration was underway ahead of installing tail components. Installation of the vertical fin, tail cone, and horizontal stabilizer was followed by the main freight door fitting starting mid-November, with power-up scheduled for late 2017.

The BelugaXL’s inaugural flight was targeted for summer 2018, initiating a ten-month flight test program aimed at certification and service entry in 2019. Testing utilized a single instrumented aircraft. The front cargo door installation took place in December 2017. In January 2018, the second aircraft arrived in Toulouse for conversion—achieved two months faster than the first—with plans to convert three additional aircraft annually thereafter.

Testing

The first BelugaXL emerged from the assembly line on 4 January 2018, initially without paint or engines. Certification required fewer than 1,000 flight test hours. After installation of its Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, extensive ground testing was conducted over several months to verify system functionality. This was supported by bench tests performed in Toulouse and Hamburg that simulated flight stresses on full-scale joint replicas, ultimately clearing the aircraft for flight and type certification.

By March 2018, engine installation was underway on the first BelugaXL (MSN1824), while conversion of the second aircraft (MSN1853) had reached about 30%. Following checks on landing gear and flight controls, MSN1824 underwent fueling and ground testing. The third airframe was anticipated to begin conversion before year-end. MSN1853 was planned for operational deployment in 2019 after completing validation across eleven European sites. In April, MSN1824 was rolled out equipped with Trent engines but without winglets.

In early June 2018, the BelugaXL successfully completed ground vibration testing; ONERA and DLR confirmed its dynamic characteristics aligned with theoretical models. The flight test program was projected to encompass around 600 hours. By mid-June, construction of the second aircraft’s lower fuselage was finished; installation of the upper shell and freight door followed to achieve completion by autumn. The maiden flight took place on 19 July 2018 from Blagnac Airport in Toulouse. By February 2019, test flights included trips to Airbus wing manufacturing plants in Bremen and Broughton.

The second BelugaXL aircraft was unveiled on 19 March 2019 and became the first to enter operational service; meanwhile, the initial test aircraft underwent retrofitting after certification. MSN1853 commenced flight testing on 15 April; at that point, MSN1824 had completed over 140 flights accumulating more than 500 hours—final preparations before certification approval. Conversion of a third airframe was ongoing with completion expected by late 2019 for delivery in 2020. Operations were planned to begin with two XLs by late 2019.

Following more than 200 test flights totaling upwards of 700 hours, the BelugaXL obtained its European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification on 13 November 2019.

The last two BelugaXL units are anticipated to receive 180-minute ETOPS authorization, allowing transatlantic missions typically associated with satellite transport to North American launch facilities. As of February 2021, certification trials were progressing to approve the XL’s autoland functionality.

Operations

The initial BelugaXL entered service on 9 January 2020, with Airbus planning to have all six aircraft operational by the close of 2023. The earlier A300-600ST fleet was completely retired by 2021.

Design

Offering a 30% increase in capacity over the original BelugaST, the BelugaXL is capable of transporting two A350 XWB wings simultaneously instead of just one. Its fuselage has been extended in length and width, enabling it to carry a significantly heavier payload. The rear fuselage section is derived from the Airbus A330-300, while the front section is based on the Airbus A330-200, optimizing the center of gravity. The strengthened floor and structural components come from the Airbus A330-200F. The semi-built platform utilizes A330 wings, main landing gear, and central and aft fuselage sections with minimal systems installed, simplifying assembly.

The expanded cargo bay is installed within three months, incorporating approximately 8,000 new components along the joining line. The unpressurized cargo compartment begins with tail modifications carried out by Spain's Aernnova, followed by fabrication of the upper fuselage by Stelia Aerospace, which includes two side panels and a crown per segment to achieve a maximum diameter of . The main cargo door features 24 locking mechanisms; the nose houses both the cockpit and a four-seat courier area provided by Airbus. The vertical stabilizer has been enlarged by 50%, supported by auxiliary fins on the horizontal stabilizer and two ventral fins located beneath the tail assembly.

The BelugaXL cruises at Mach 0.69, reaching altitudes over , surpassing the original Beluga's range. The upper fuselage is supplied by Deharde Aerospace and the P3 group, while Aciturri manufactures the horizontal tailplane extension along with the auxiliary and ventral fins.