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This week will see the Super-Transporter 5 fly into retirement
Airbus is retiring one of its first-generation BelugaST cargo aircraft. The European manufacturer is transitioning fully to the newer BelugaXL fleet. The BelugaST, formally known as the A300-600ST Super Transporter, supported Airbus production for more than two decades by hauling oversized aircraft components between manufacturing sites across Europe.
One of the Beluga super-transporters (ST) will stage a flypast this week, as North Wales is tipped to be its final resting place. The STs have gradually been removed from service by Airbus.
This week will see the Super-Transporter 5 fly into retirement. To mark the occasion the plane will stage a flypast in areas around Airbus Broughton on Thursday morning, January 29. The plane will then land at the Hawarden Airport runway at around 11am.
Broughton is expected to become the aircraft’s permanent home. More details on its final usage at the site are expected in the near future. A spokesperson for Airbus said: “We plan to retire the BelugaST aircraft in the Airbus home countries and respective options are currently being worked through. For BelugaST 5, its final flight will take place on 29 January.”
Airbus built a total of five BelugaST aircraft, all of which spent their careers supporting the manufacturer’s internal transport network. With the transition to the newer BelugaXL fleet now complete, most of the original BelugaSTs have been withdrawn from service or placed in storage.
Industry reports suggest that up to four of the five aircraft will ultimately require permanent retirement solutions, whether through museum display, educational use, or long-term storage, underscoring the logistical challenge of preserving aircraft of this scale.
Despite its retirement, the BelugaST remains one of the most recognisable special-mission aircraft ever built, known for its distinctive features. It is Instantly recognisable by its remarkable whale-like shape.
The new BelugaXL incorporates a lowered cockpit, an enlarged cargo bay structure, modified rear and tail section, and cargo loading systems to ensure efficient handling of payloads. It was launched in 2014 to support Airbus’ accelerating production ramp-up.
The six-aircraft BelugaXL fleet is operated by Airbus Transport International (ATI), an Airbus subsidiary that has been the company’s internal airline since 1996.
In 2024, a Beluga XL plane took off from Liverpool John Lennon Airport. The plane, which transports aircraft parts and outsize cargoes, was diverted to LJLA (as opposed to its usual destination at Hawarden) due to strong winds. It refuelled there and 90 minutes later departed for Toulouse Airport.
An airport spokesperson commented: “This is such an amazing looking aircraft that I’m sure many in the region will have seen in the skies flying overhead operating to or from the airfield at the Airbus factory over in Broughton, North Wales.
“The chance to see this close up on the ground here at the Airport when it lands at Liverpool sometimes due to bad weather at Broughton, is always a great occasion for all those who work at the airport.”
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