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The majority of today’s cargo aircraft are specially-designed versions of existing passenger
aircraft. By filling the main cabin with freight instead of seats, cargo operators can use
these to ferry all kinds of goods around the world much faster than by land or sea. But
what about outsize cargo? Well, for extra large objects, European manufacturer Airbus
has developed the ‘Beluga’ family. But why is its most recent iteration not based
on a more modern aircraft?
Airbus’s first outsize cargo aircraft was officially named the A300-600ST (ST standing
for Super Transporter). However, after its introduction in the mid-1990s, it received
a popular nickname, which has stuck ever since. Because its bulbous fuselage resembles a particular
whale species, the aircraft is now widely known as the Beluga.
By 1999, Airbus had produced five of these striking aircraft, which were based on its
first-ever commercial airliner, the A300. The Beluga is a heavily modified version of
this game-changing twinjet, and allows Airbus to transport outsize components between its
sites across Europe. After two decades of service, Airbus began
the process of modernizing its aging Beluga fleet. Its new outsize cargo aircraft made
its first test flight in July 2018, and is known as the BelugaXL. This larger and more
modern behemoth entered service in January 2020, and is based on the Airbus A330-200F.
But why didn’t Airbus use the next-generation A330-800 as a base aircraft instead?
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First of all, it is worth briefly touching on how the A330-200 compares to its next-generation
counterpart. The -200 entered service with Korean Air in 1998 as a short-fuselage version
of the original -300. This had been introduced by French carrier Air Inter four years previously.
Meanwhile, the A330-800 is the smallest variant in the ultra-modern A330neo series. Kuwait
Airways received the first delivery of this type last October with Uganda Airlines following
two months later. Much like its older counterpart, the short-fuselage -800 entered service after
the standard, longer version. In the A330neo’s case, the longer model is designated as the
-900.
Let’s look at how the -200 compares with the -800
Both jets are 58.82 meters in length. However, the -200 has a wingspan of 60.3 meters while
the -800 has a span of 64 meters. If we compare the passenger versions of each jet, the A330-800
is capable of about 12% greater range than the -200.
As we can see, there is little to separate the A330-200 and -800 in terms of their specifications.
Both have similar dimensions and capacities, while the newer -800 edges performance-based
aspects such as range, as one might expect. So why wouldn’t the -800neo be used as the
new Beluga?
Well, Airbus had several good reasons to opt for the older -200 when developing the BelugaXL.
One key factor is the fact that the A330-200 already has an established freight variant.
This makes it easier to convert than the -800, which is yet to see such a development.
While the -800 outperforms the -200 in terms of range, this aspect is less important in
terms of BelugaXL operations. Indeed, most of its trips take place within Europe anyway.
Furthermore, this advantage would likely be less significant in the event of a conversion,
as cargo aircraft generally have lower ranges than their passenger-carrying counterparts.
Finally, time is also an important factor in this discourse. When looking at Airbus’s
timescales in its rollout of the BelugaXL, the established A330-200 was much more conducive
to getting to market sooner. The new outsize cargo aircraft entered service almost a year
before the A330-800. As such, using the newer variant as a basis for the BelugaXL would
have negatively impacted the project’s timeframe. Thus, for now, the A330neo remains a passenger-focused
family of jets. What do you make of the Airbus BelugaXL? Do
you think it should have been based on the new A330-800 instead of the existing A330-200?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.