Airbus Abandons Its Beluga Cargo Airline

[@Nobi36]

An ST once visited Clark Intl, north of Manila. It felt so amazing having a unique aircraft visit us.

[@bennyattar8862]

Ryanair might want them for passenger charter service.

[@Hellfr4g]

bring your own pressure suit and cold weather protection as the cargo space is not pressurized ^^

[@thomasgunther]

@@Hellfr4g No need to bring your own, they will provide some life support for a small charge.

[@jameshannay7376]

To clarify, the BelugaSTs are the ones being sidelined after the cargo airline closure. The BelugaSTs have not been used by Airbus as the primary aircraft for aircraft part transportation since their replacements by the BelugaXL, and so Beluga Transport was created to offer oversized cargo ops and give the BelugaSTs a use. I'm unsure on this point but I'm guessing it was more costly to maintain the BelugaSTs than the airline was making in cargo ops, and so the decision was made to dissolve the airline and place the BelugaSTs back into storage. The BelugaXLs are still flying, and will be flying for Airbus for decades to come.

[@kelvin3309]

That’s what the video said…?

[@jameshannay7376]

@kelvin3309 A few people in the comments were getting confused so I just wanted to outline that main point.

[@silpol]

@@jameshannay7376 it could be because amount and bill of orders to transport outsized cargo reduced due to geopolitics and other factors

[@Gapines23]

@@silpolyeah, they thought there was a need for others to use them rather than retire. But their costs were claimed to be higher and minimal advantage to extra space but weight limitations

[@donaldstanfield8862]

Love the image of them parked all together!

[@bpop19]

I think the word "beluga" was said more times in under 4 minutes than I have ever heard in my 30 years prior to this video 😅

[@CheshireTomcat68]

beluga

[@speleokeir]

It would make a hell of a drinking game😀- though alcohol poisoning would be a very real possibility. 😵😵😵

[@vipahman]

I wish I could see a beluga in the wild!

[@PaulWhite-zn9xx]

Hawarden Airport in North Wales near Chester is the place to go!

[@d.b.cooper1]

It’s honestly so confusing at first 😂boggles the mind. I saw them near Liverpool/Chester from a mountain top hotel during a work trip once 11 years ago, during sunset. Something I’ll never forget. Love the name too

[@PaulWhite-zn9xx]

@@d.b.cooper1 That must have been very memorable. I live in Chester and see them frequently, often at low level as they are coming in to land, but I’m always excited to see them. It seems strange that they can even fly as if defying the laws of physics!

[@VolkerHett]

There are more reasons to visit Bremen, but this is another one :D There are some nice spots to watch them!

[@RichardMcLaren]

Ohhh, so this is where D.B. Cooper has been hiding!

[@shaun30-3-mg9zs]

I see these planes and the XL Beluga fly every day over my home, as i'm 8-10 miles away from Airbus in Broughton, Flintshire as i'm in Wrexham

[@MobilAvenue_]

I’m on the Wirral and see them quite often flying over

[@shaun30-3-mg9zs]

@@MobilAvenue_ Your only a stone throw away

[@KE_Aviation]

Wow lucky

[@PaulWhite-zn9xx]

@@shaun30-3-mg9zs Ditto. I live in Chester. I’ve seen them more times than I can count but I still get excited every time and watch as they fly over, sometimes at quite low level as they are coming in to land at Hawarden.

[@VolkerHett]

I'm in Bremen :D

[@JustSheepsie]

Note: The Beluga XL variants are still operational for anyone who is confused.

[@GarrettWorcester]

LOL, you could feel my head shaking from a thousand miles away! 👍🏼

[@chrismckellar9350]

With an age of 20 years, the cost of maintaining and operating the fleet are rising hence the closure of the business. I wouldn't be surprise the fleet will be scrapped.

[@DigitalDiabloUK]

Exactly this. The return on investment for maintaining a fleet which isn't generating enough revenue naturally will lead them to call time. The question is, what will customers use instead?

[@elestromusicgamesfun1101]

Those planes are among the coolest crafts ever produced!

[@mucherlavasavi]

Can you do a follow up video for this in your other channel like for example how is oversize air cargo is surviving after the death of an225 and closing of company's similar to this ending of 747 production has Impacted the fright company and alternative they can use

[@eamonahern7495]

Surprising considering supply chain issues.

[@Boeing737MAXExpert]

This is sad, especially for those who likes this very special and ‘ugly’, but unique-looking cargo aircraft type. (A330 & A300s)

[@jfmezei]

Is this the end of the Belugas, or the end of Belugas made available to any commercial customer? It would be nice to have them transformed into passenger jets and finally realize the promise of the A380 with tennis courts, olympic size swimming pool, gym, restaurants, hotel with beds, in the plane 🙂

[@mikegaskin5542]

End of the old Belugas, the new BelugaXLs keep doing what they’re doing

[@MRFELIX350]

Nice vid

[@sethlau8758]

Would be cool if a cargo / full airline bought these airframes to integrate it into their existing cargo services!

[@obroni]

If Airbus can't make it work economically, then nobody can.

[@Sithvulcan76]

I guess there are too many 747-8F's in operation handling outsized cargo. However, if they offered a wet lease arrangement, they could find use for some of those ST's.

[@Steven-jn2cw]

good idea

[@ImNotPotus]

Southwest could use them to fly America passengers

[@sundragon7703]

When you look at an Airbus Baluga, those planes require their own infrastructure to load/unload. Very few places have the capability to hoist cargo above the cockpit of the Balugas. Meanwhile, military transports used for oversized cargo purposes can use readily available forklifts or tractors or the cargo can roll itself out. The need might be there but the ground infrastructure probably does not exist there.

[@Why_250_Vortex]

1:03 shows that it has an onboard cargo loader

[@hbkba185]

Stating one sentence with more than three and half minutes

[@SWAFanPilot]

But will belugas still be flying??

[@johnwalton8132]

Yes

[@ambergris5705]

Could it be that there's an increased demand within Airbus to fly their own cargo? With no 777X in sight the pressure is increasing to get the A350 out of the factories, and I think it's going to require planes flying the parts. The Beluga XLs will take care of that, but then the old Belugas would take over the other types of transport.

[@standard_gauge]

The Belugas are desinged to carry large aero structures which are relativly light for their size. Maybe other cargo large enough to need a Beluga was heavier than the payload limit.

[@Nobi36]

Farewell a300s?

[@user-underdasea]

Still in use in fedex

[@shadowbits-x64]

Sad :( The belugas were amazing

[@tallmansfavorites7563]

Excess cargo capacity within the international shipping marketplace, and an uncertainty of the threats of tariffs coming from the White House in the US has put a damper on this.

[@ambergris5705]

I think you're very right about tariffs. The timing seems significant.

[@shrimpflea]

It's pretty simple. There isn't enough need for them to be profitable. They are highly specialized aircraft for very specific cargo.

[@philippedays6100]

that thing is hideous anyway

[@Charles-b2t]

Doomed from the get go, mainly because it requires specialized equipment just for this type only .. A very expensive proposition for such a small fleet.

[@jamieammar6131]

Beluga XL based on the A330s will keep going. This news is for the older variant.

[@kenoliver8913]

But it doesn't need specialised equipment - it has a fold-up loader/unloader that it carries around inside it. The bigger issue is that it cannot carry much weight, unlike big military lifters, so it can only carry bulky but light things (eg the airframe subassemblies they were designed for). Specialised maintenance is perhaps more of an issue, especially as the planes are old.

[@stradivarioushardhiantz5179]

Airbus should focusing the BelugaST on delivering Parts in order to increase Productions...A320neo queues are way to long

[@Jona-gs7ye]

The Beluga planes are not the problem. The supply chain issues are the biggest problem.

[@yodingdongyo]

Just because you make the planes does not make you an airline or a transport company.

[@smoketinytom]

Perhaps the ST fleet will be used to help the production of the current backlog... Reckon the people at NASA might want a crack at using the aircraft, even if it's a lease or outright purchase.

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[@SakeenaMahmd]

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[@SakeenaMahmd]

@Evelynmya

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The fact that i got to learn and earn from her program is everything to me think about it, it's a win win for both ways

[@deniermurch8693]

I am sure there is a niche market for these aircraft somewhere. (satire)

[@Robberg118]

1:10 From where to Toulouse? Stop this nonsense of trying to pronounce place names in the accent of what you think the country speaks. Yet you didn't pronounce Toulouse with your usual silly 'allo, 'allo. French accent.

[@antontsau]

its AI voice, all complains directly to Skynet.

[@bennyattar8862]

Zey are flowing hair bosses to Toulouse

[@rollvideo]

Surely the Beluga could be used regularly to transport Donald Trump’s ego?

[@thetruthbehindplanes]

Airbus projects as well as their planes are attracted to the inner core of the earth

[@TRPGpilot]

Please rephrase that sentence so it makes sense.

[@thetruthbehindplanes]

@@TRPGpilot airbus planes (apart from the A380) do not work well

[@TRPGpilot]

@thetruthbehindplanes OK now I know that i'm communicating with a Microsoft Flight Simulator child. I do not have any time to waste in juvenile discussion and will not be engaging further. Good bye.

[@thetruthbehindplanes]

@@TRPGpilot I do not even have MSFS And i always say GEFS is innacurate GEFS is a nice game, but it is not realistic And nice to hear you wont be doing anything further i have had enough with daily mail journalists

[@Hande-04B]

@thetruthbehindplanes bruh what did I say , don’t seem desperate , ignore the 5 yr old Boeing haters 👍

[@JosemiguelDelacruzArias]

The end of the beluga era😢

[@l2etranger]

Perhaps reputation, the public would react unfavorably to its unusual shape and mock it.

[@gerhardma4687]

What nonsense. Form follows function.

[@NinNin-pl3hn]

Nin

[@douglasthomson8022]

Did I hear somebody say giant water bomber?

[@antontsau]

nope. Water bomber does not require huge volume and long range, its limited by weight, but requires strength and agility to work in extreme conditions and fly as close to terrain (including hills) as possible, belugas are definitely not for this.

[@douglasthomson8022]

@@antontsau I was joking lol. The 747 Supertanker was converted back into a freighter maybe for the same reasons. It could lay down a incredible swath of retardant but wasn't great diving into the hills and canyons of California.

[@olivierduprez7810]

According to flightradar, at least one A300ST is still actively flying deserving Airbus factories. F-GSTB made 3 flights on January 31st.