Airbus Beluga, the whale-shaped flying marvel, which is at present taking the utmost pride in all the undistracted recognition it is getting worldwide since its unreal arrival, emerged at the Mumbai airport on November 22, 2022.
Airbus Beluga is one of the latest cargo aircraft offered by the European company Airbus
Originating as an excellent carrier, the Airbus A300-600ST is one of the most recent cargo aircraft, a commercial service offered by the European company Airbus. This one-of-a-kind marvellous guest was even located at the Kolkata airport on November 20, 2022, where it had landed for refuelling and crew rest purposes. Kolkata airport even took to its official Twitter account to tweet about the airbus’ arrival, labelling it as the “majestic beast.”
Guess who’s back! It’s the whale again! One of the world’s largest aircraft @Airbus #Beluga (No. 3) landed at #KolkataAirport for crew rest and refueling. Here are few glimpses of the majestic beast from the #CityofJoy. #Airbus #BelugaAircraft #BelugaWhale pic.twitter.com/Obx50PjSTv
— Kolkata Airport (@aaikolairport) November 20, 2022
Airbus Beluga made its appearance in Mumbai airport for the very first time
The passengers, airport staff, jet locators, and other attendees at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) were stunned as soon as they witnessed the uniquely-shaped airbus touch the land of CSMIA at IST 3:29 pm for a brief layover before heading for Cairo, Egypt. People around were in extreme hysteria and excitement as none had beheld such a bizarre airliner before. Travellers and airport workers were seen capturing the astonishing moment on their phones. Additionally, Mumbai airport tweeted about the same by sharing some stunning pictures of the airbus.
Look who made a pitstop at @CSMIA_Official! The Airbus Beluga Super Transporter made its first appearance at #MumbaiAirport and left us all awestruck. Tell us what you think of its unique design.#GatewayToGoodness #Beluga #Aviation #PlaneSpotting #AviationDaily #Airbus pic.twitter.com/T4W1OCkduG
— CSMIA (@CSMIA_Official) November 22, 2022
Here is a detailed insight into some interesting facts about Airbus Beluga
- The magnificent Airbus Beluga is proficient in managing cargo for several sectors, counting maritime, humanitarian, space, and military, among others, at a length of 56.15 metres.
- The Airbus comprises a height of 17.25 and the wingspan comprises a remarkable towering height of 44.24 metres. Existing as one of the up-to-the-minute designs, these excellent carriers propose a semi-automated primary deck cargo loading system, forming them to be capable to manage payloads.
- Belugas in terms of an Airbus, carry enough potential of conducting monstrous cargo of up to 7.1 metres in width and 6.7 metres in height and owns the “world’s largest interior representation of any transport aircraft.”
Airbus is an identical name in the aerospace industry, a company headquartered in Europe. While Belugas have been an integral part of Airbus’ activities, since the mid-1990s, they were inaugurated as a service in the month of January. - Additionally, Airbus disclosed that its first inauguration appeared at the end of December 2021. The aim was to lend to Japan for a confidential client which Beluga halted for refuelling at three places, namely- Russia, Korea, and Poland.
- The Airbus doesn’t require a bunch of crew members on board. Since there are absolutely no passengers to serve, the aircraft only needs one loadmaster to handle the cargo and two pilots to fly the aircraft.
- If you’re wondering the exact outlet which acts as the ultimate door for loading and unloading, then it is the very front section, the forehead of the whale-shaped beast opens and that is from where the entire process of loading and unloading takes place.
- This humongous aircraft barely costs 30 minutes or even less than that to unload itself. Beluga’s front loading and unloading are entirely constructed for fast loading only. Despite the capacity of the load, on average, it would cost less than 20 minutes to unload.
Hero Image Credit: Andy Rudorfer/Unsplash; Feature Image Credit: Berend Verheigen/Unsplash
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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Answer: The uniquely whale-shaped airbus, which is mainly used to transport extensive cargo, is one of the largest cargo-carrying aircraft in the entire world.
Answer: A sum of 5 Airbus Belugas are there, used to transport enormous cargo.
Answer: Absolutely yes! Airbus inaugurated the Beluga XL at the end of the year 2014 as a modernised conveyor supporting the A350 ramp-up and other production rate boosts.
Answer: If set side by side with the external transection of the A380, then Airbus Beluga is actually bigger than the A380.
Answer: A sum total of 5 Airbus Belugas are there, addressed as "Super Transporter" aircraft.