In the first five weeks of this year, the giant freighter named “Beluga” will be a regular guest at Munich Airport. BelugaXL is based on the Airbus A330-200F. It owes its name to its whale-like appearance. The Beluga mainly transports aircraft components between the various Airbus sites. During its current guest performance at Munich Airport, A350 fuselage sections manufactured in Augsburg – known as ‘side shells’ – are loaded onto the transport aircraft using a specially constructed scaffold and then flown to the Airbus plant in Hamburg-Finkenwerder.
With its special shape, a wingspan of almost 61 meters and a height of around 20 meters, the BelugaXL is a real highlight for aviation fans. The loading of aircraft parts from Augsburg at Munich Airport emphasizes the importance of the Free State of Bavaria as a key location for air traffic and the aircraft industry. Of interest to aircraft fans: the BelugaXL is expected to make three more visits to the airport on January 23, 29, and 31 2025, landing in Munich at midday and taking off for Hamburg in the afternoon.
