Meet Airbus Beluga: Is this the cutest plane in the skies?

Airbus Beluga became famous for its unique whale-like design and massive cargo capacity. It has fascinated plane enthusiasts and industry professionals for nearly two decades.

Originally designed to transport large aircraft parts across Europe, the Airbus Beluga is now embarking on a groundbreaking new venture with the launch of Airbus Beluga Transport. This dedicated freight airline specializes in the transportation of oversized items, marking a significant milestone in the aircraft's history.

According to a CNN report, a new version of the Beluga is poised to replace the existing fleet. Benoît Lemonnier, the head of Airbus Beluga Transport, highlighted the unique advantage of the Beluga, stating, “There are very few options on the market for oversize items. Most often there’s a need to partially dismantle a payload to make it fit in an aircraft — whereas in the Beluga, it will just fit.”

As highlighted by CNN, the first-ever Beluga was initially called the Airbus Super Transporter, but soon, the nickname Beluga caught on due to the aircraft's resemblance to the white Artic whale, which prompted Airbus to rename it the Beluga ST.

The first model was launched into service in 1995, and since several improvements have been made to the aircraft in the successive models.

Head of Airbus Beluga Transport Benoît Lemonnier told CNN about the aircraft's uniqueness: "It is a very special design because it's actually a transformation of an A300-600 that had its entire head removed and then equipped with special fuselage shells, a bigger door, and dedicated flight equipment."

The newest Beluga model, which is more advanced and offers even more capacity, is called the Beluga XL. According to Lemonnier, it is based on a more modern platform, the A330.

You might wonder what it is like to fly an airplane that looks like an arctic whale. Lemonnier told CNN it is certainly a unique experience to fly an Airbus Beluga, saying, "It can have a sensitive behavior in the wind due to its big head, and that's why it requires specific training for pilots."

Apart from the big head issue, Lemonnir added, "But otherwise it flies very much like an A300-600—the cockpit is totally unchanged."

Since Airbus Beluga's main purpose is mainly to transport cargo, it isn't very likely that many travelers will book flights on the aircraft anytime soon.

Still, plane enthusiasts are thrilled to see that the company is launching its own airline, and there is a greater chance of seeing one at an airport near you.

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