Air Cargo Management

BelugaST flights suspended as Airbus closes AiBT division

BelugaST
photo_camera BelugaST. Credit: Airbus

Airbus has announced it has terminated its oversized cargo transport business that operates the iconic BelugaST aircraft.

The news comes after the Airbus Beluga Transport (AiBT) division was granted its own Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in November 2023.

A fleet of four Airbus A300-600STs, the ‘original Beluga’, had been operating since 1995 to transport oversized cargo such as aircraft engines, helicopters and satellites.

An Airbus spokesperson told Aviation Business News (ABN): “We confirm that the decision has been taken to terminate the Airbus Beluga Transport (AiBT) business for outsized cargo missions. All flights operated by the BelugaST fleet are suspended as of now.”

In 2019, Airbus started to phase out the BelugaST aircraft to make way for the even larger Beluga XL, which is based on the A330 and operated by a different Airbus entity, Airbus Transport International (ATI). Six A330-700ST Beluga XLs remain in operation to transport aircraft parts between Airbus manufacturing sites.

Commenting on the reasoning for the termination of the AiBT business, the Airbus spokesperson told ABN: “It is a standard governance for Airbus to frequently review the business performance of an affiliate together with the management, address structural losses, propose alternative solutions and take the necessary decision to protect its employees and assets while also remaining transparent towards its customers.

“The overall air freight demand is still high as disclosed in our 2024 Global Market Forecast for the next 20 years. We’ve seen some activities that have shifted to sea transport though. Overall, the cargo market development is not the reason for AiBT to close its business as operational issues were the biggest challenge instead.”

The spokesperson continued: “Airbus continues to play an active role for the air cargo market as the demand for air freight is and remains high.

Airbus’ product portfolio consists of different individual offerings. The outsized cargo transport service offered by AiBT is not linked to Airbus’ continued activities when it comes to P2F conversions or the development of the A350F.

“The BelugaST is a special freighter with a main cargo deck being quite high for outsized cargo payload. In terms of ground operation, a mission with the BelugaST requires specific handling procedures involving a dedicated trained crew and a tailored jig to master the loading and unloading of shipments.”

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