Building Giants: The BelugaXL Tour Leg 2

Leg 2 — EDDW → LFBO Bremen → Toulouse Mission: Load Airbus components in Bremen and transport them to Toulouse, recreating an early operational proving mission of the BelugaXL.

📖 The First Cargo The cargo door closes.

The enormous hold that looked cavernous only minutes ago is now occupied by aircraft structures.

This is exactly what the BelugaXL was built to do.

During its testing program, the first BelugaXL conducted compatibility trials throughout Airbus's European manufacturing network. In February 2019, it carried A350 wings from Bremen to Toulouse during the aircraft's verification campaign.

Think about that as you begin today's takeoff roll.

You're flying an airplane...

carrying pieces of another airplane...

to a factory where those pieces will eventually become another airplane.

This is aviation supporting aviation.

After landing at Toulouse, specialized loading equipment meets the aircraft. The Beluga's enormous cargo door rises while the lowered cockpit remains underneath.

The cargo emerges.

Soon those components will disappear into the Airbus production system.

Your Beluga doesn't stay long.

There are more parts waiting elsewhere.