Airbus' super freighter mimics characteristics of the beluga whale. [Courtesy: Airbus]
Key Takeaways:
Airbus has launched "Airbus Beluga Transport," a new commercial service utilizing its fleet of distinctive Beluga ST jets to provide heavy-lift air transport for outsized cargo to external customers.
The service leverages the Beluga's unique advantage of having the largest interior cross-section among transport-category aircraft, enabling it to carry exceptionally large items such as fully assembled helicopters or oversized engine parts.
This commercial venture is driven by increased global demand for heavy-lift airfreight, particularly exacerbated by the pandemic's impact on cargo capacity, and is made possible as Airbus replaces its Beluga STs with newer XL models for internal transport.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on FreightWaves.com.
Airbus said Tuesday it is commercializing its in-house fleet of Beluga supersize jets used to transport large aircraft components between manufacturing sites to offer logistics companies and other organizations airlift for outsized shipments.
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Eric is the Air Cargo Market Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government coverage and news analysis, and was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. Eric is based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com
