Kolkata Airport witnesses a historic landing: Airbus’s Beluga XL
Due to the aircraft’s size and requirements, the Kolkata International Airport was reportedly the only suitable location in eastern India for the Beluga XL to stop on its way to China.
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Originating from the Airbus Factory in Toulouse, France, the Beluga XL was transporting critical equipment and parts to another Airbus facility in Tianjin, China. (Express Photo)The Kolkata International Airport made history on Tuesday as it welcomed the Airbus Beluga XL, the largest aircraft in the Beluga series. This marked the first time the airport has accommodated the XL version, having previously handled the Beluga ST.
The massive aircraft landed at 10.43 pm, arriving from Bahrain International Airport. Originating from the Airbus Factory in Toulouse, France, the Beluga XL was transporting critical equipment and parts to another Airbus facility in Tianjin, China.
Due to its size and specific requirements, the Kolkata Airport was reportedly the only suitable location in eastern India for the Beluga XL to make a “technical stop”, so that the crew could get rest in compliance with flight duty time limitations, and the aircraft could be refuelled.
The aircraft will be refuelled Wednesday evening before it departs for Tianjin Binhai International Airport, China. The expected departure time is 5.50 pm, with three pilots and one engineer. It had taken off from Bahrain International Airport, taking around 5 hours and 28 minutes to reach Kolkata.
The Beluga XL (Airbus A330-743L) was designed by Airbus to carry oversized cargo, primarily aircraft components such as wings and fuselages. It is an upgraded version of the original Beluga ST (A300-600ST), offering an increased capacity and improved performance
The Beluga XL is 63.1 metres long, with a wingspan of 60.3 metres. Its payload capacity is approximately 51 tons, and its cargo hold is large enough to transport two A350 wings simultaneously.
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