The European aeronautical giant Airbus confirmed Friday, January 24, the stop of its out -of -template freight company which borrowed its large aircraft “Beluga St”.
Most of the day: our exclusive selection
Every day, our editorial staff reserves you the best of the regional info. A selection just for you, to stay in connection with your regions.
France Télévisions uses your email address to send you the newsletter “The essentials of the day: our exclusive selection”. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Our Privacy Policy
“We confirm that Airbus Beluga Transport (AIBT) activity for oversized freight missions ends“said a company spokesperson for AFP, confirming information from the Les Echos economic daily. In all, 75 employees are affected.
Read also: Airbus is launching a new airline and aims at the space industry market
The “Beluga St” are aircraft derived from the Airbus A300 which were used to transport large aircraft sections between the different Airbus sites. Entering service in 1995, they are named after their silhouette resembling cetacean.
-The aircraft manufacturer began in 2019 to replace the first generation of Beluga with “Beluga XL”, based on the A330, while giving a second life to four first generation aircraft with the launch in January 2022 of this freight service in January 2022 air.
Airbus then intended to target “customers of various sectors, including space, energy, army, aeronautics, the maritime sector and humanitarian“, for the transport of”extraordinary cargoes“.
The airline has carried out missions worldwide in this context, Airbus said.
“The overall demand for air freight remains high“said the company.”However, we found that certain activities have moved to maritime transport.”
Read also: Photos. The impressive Airbus Beluga transport of two helicopters delivered in China
“The evolution of the freight market is not the reason why AIBT ended its activities, major operational difficulties having been the greatest challenge“said the company's spokesperson. Missions with the Beluga ST required specific procedures, with a dedicated team and loading platform, to load and unload the freight, making operations slower.
All the flights provided by the “Beluga St” fleet are suspended now, announced Airbus, and the closing process of the young company has just started. Airbus said, however, that he continued to bet on the air freight market, especially with his cargo aiale A350F. Beluga XL flights also continue between Airbus sites.
