Unexpectedly, given the recent LinkedIn photos of successful Beluga operations of helicopters to Shenzhen or satellites to Florida in the past couple of months, news is out that the Airbus Beluga Transport company is no more. 75 people are affected by the surprising decision.

The French newspaper, Les Echos, seemed to get hold of the story first: Airbus Beluga Transport (AiBT), which specialized in oversize cargo missions, suspended all operations with immediate effect on 24JAN25. There is no published statement on the Airbus website thus far, but Reza Fazlollahi, Head of Sales & Contract at Airbus Beluga Transport, confirmed the news on his LinkedIn profile that evening: “It is with deep sadness that we were informed this week of the unexpected closure of our company.” He spoke of the extraordinary past six years in which he had been involved in the concept and launch of such a unique airline, and thanked his colleagues and everyone involved, including “so many great customers and partners from all over the world, who have never stopped believing in the great potential of our service to meet a real market need […] Part of me will continue to believe that Beluga will one day come back even stronger thanks to all these lessons learned.”
Totally out of the Beluga/blue…
The news was met with astonishment, and many expressed their sadness at the end of what looked to be a promising, growing niche operating airline. Yet, it would appear that what made the A300-600ST Beluga aircraft operations unique is also what led to the board’s decision to cease operations. An Airbus spokesperson revealed that the main challenge was the fact that the mega-aircraft requires specially trained teams and loading equipment, and this posed significant operational challenges. Challenges that also limited network flexibility, since not all destinations are equipped to handle such a large aircraft.
A letter to its customers apparently mentioned ‘economic factors’ as a primary cause, alongside a lack of external customers for the outsized cargo transport service also being a contributing factor to the decision. The return of more favourable sea freight conditions may have been a consideration, too, going forward.
It had all appeared so promising
Back in a dedicated press conference in 2022 – in fact almost to the day: 25JAN22 – Airbus had enthusiastically outlined its new commercial, global outsize cargo transport solution and ultimately the planned launch of its very own cargo airline. AiBT was launched in mid-2022, in response to a global shortage of outsized air cargo capacity – a situation exacerbated by the destruction of the Antonov An-225 Mriya during the invasion of Ukraine. Yet, despite its unique design, the BelugaST struggled to compete with larger cargo aircraft like the Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan in terms of lifting capacity. This competitive edge of other cargo aircraft may have contributed to the economic challenges faced by AiBT.
Yet, in 2022, the message had been one of complementary rather than competitive operations. Reza Fazlollahi, then Airbus Business Development Manager, had emphasized during the 2022 call: “We do not see ourselves as direct competitors. The AN124 does great job, especially with regard to payload. We will complement these oversize transport solutions and are specialised on volume as our unique selling point.” So, the idea at the time was: Antonov for large and heavy, Beluga for large and voluminous.
The hope at the time
At the time, CargoForwarder Global reported on AiBT’s then marketed selling point: the fact that the Beluga has the world’s largest interior cross-section, able to take cargo up to 7.1m in width and 6.7m in height. Phillippe Sabo, then Head of ATI Air Oversize Transport at Airbus, said during the 2022 press conference: “The Beluga’s wider cross section will open up new markets and new logistical possibilities – which would not be feasible with other current airborne transport means. For example, customers could consider in their future manufacturing process to make larger parts to be transported whole without prior disassembly.” The message was that no need for disassembly and assembly meant quicker handling times, less complexity, less risk of damage or loss, and ultimately less cost in the overall transport operation, making the Beluga attractive to all kinds of industries – in particular, satellite, space, airline (AOGs such as wing engines, for example), helicopter, oil & gas and energy providers, machinery, land vehicles and other military equipment, and humanitarian supply distributors.
But it was not enough
Unfortunately, things appear not to have worked out or are not being given enough time to prove their worth. Airbus Beluga Transport (AiBT) which eventually received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in NOV23, has become a short-lived independent airline venture, ceasing just 14 months later. It is not yet clear what will happen with the A300-600ST fleet in the mid to long term. As for the 75 employees affected by the decision, Airbus has emphasized that supporting them through the social process is a top priority and that it is committed to ensuring that they are taken care of during the currently undefined transitional period.