The 'Beluga' planes from Airbus are famous for their unusual design and enormous cargo capacity. The A300 served as the foundation for the BelugaST jets, which were followed by the BelugaXL, which was built using six A330s. As per news reports, companies can now lease the jet for their own cargo transportation earlier they were used for carrying Airbus components only. Airbus held a press conference to discuss the future of its five 'BelugaST' freighters.
The freight plane made its first flight in September 1994 and went into operation a year later. Airbus has been able to take a new approach to utilise the BelugaST after the introduction of the BelugaXL. The new use for the plane is making the jet accessible for charter outsize freight operations. Over Christmas, F-GSTC transported a helicopter from Marseille, France, to Kobe, Japan, via Warsaw, Novosibirsk, Seoul, and Osaka.
Airbus has made its number 2 (F-GSTB) and 3 (F-GSTC) BelugaSTs available for such trips at this time. However, by the mid-2020s, it intends to dedicate all five to this aspect of its operations. This will eventually result in establishing a new Airbus business to manage this part of Beluga's operation.
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Airbus has implemented new ideas to support the new role of the BelugaST. These included the multi-purpose pallet system, which requires minimal modification regardless of the cargo it holds. It's made up of two-meter modules with 20-centimeter tie-down points. When it comes to loading and unloading the Beluga, Airbus has made significant progress. It has started adopting a new outboard platform for these operations. There is now only one, but additional will be dispatched to strategic places to speed up procedures. Finally, for payloads less than 12 metres long and 20 tonnes in weight, it will use a portable onboard freight loader.
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