Airbus BelugaST at Aeroscopia museum

Toulouse, France, 24 June 2026 - One of Airbus’ BelugaST aircraft, (A300-600ST F-GSTD) has been proudly relocated to its new permanent home at the Aeroscopia Museum in Toulouse. Transferred from the industrial flight line, the aircraft was welcomed in a warm reception by Airbus employees and the local aerospace community. This transition concludes a three-decade operational career, marking the beginning of the aircraft's new mission as one of the main exhibits at the museum.

Since entering service in 1995, the BelugaST fleet of five aircraft has been the essential connective tissue of Airbus’s industrial system. These oversized freighters have served as the backbone of the company's internal logistics, ensuring that major components, such as wings and fuselage sections, are transported seamlessly between manufacturing sites across Europe. Since 2014, the larger new-generation BelugaXL has become the primary transporter to support Airbus’s accelerating production ramp-up with a fleet of six aircraft.

“This aircraft is a true testament to the industrial legacy and engineering excellence that have defined Airbus for over five decades,” said Jean-Pierre Cousserans, Head of Airbus Transport International (ATI), the subsidiary managing all of the company's transport activities. “Moving it into its final position at Aeroscopia was a special moment for all of us. Knowing it will stay in Toulouse to inspire future pilots, engineers and all those that love aviation makes this final handover one of the most rewarding milestones of my career.”

The BelugaST4 will now focus on a legacy of public engagement, joining a collection of historic aircraft that includes the Concorde, the “Super Guppy” and the A380. The arrival of the aircraft at Aeroscopia follows the retirement of the BelugaST5 in the United Kingdom earlier this year. In January 2026, a sister aircraft touched down at Airbus Broughton to be transformed into a dedicated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) support facility.

Beluga lovers everywhere will be able to see the replacement of the BelugaST, the even larger BelugaXL in the skies, transporting Airbus components to 11 sites around Europe. Airbus announced the retirement of the BelugaST fleet earlier in 2025. From mid-2027, the larger BelugaXL fleet of 6 aircraft will be the sole transporter of components for Airbus.

Notes to editors

About the Airbus BelugaST

The BelugaST fleet entered service in 1995 to replace the "Super Guppy." It revolutionised how Airbus’ aircraft components were moved across Europe, allowing Airbus to scale production to record levels.The BelugaST’s payload is 40 tonnes - the equivalent weight of an adult Humpback whale.
'Tango Delta' turned 27 years old on 18 December 2025.
Special missions for the BelugaST fleet included:
- In 1997, the BelugaST set a world record for the biggest payload to be carried by air, transporting a chemical tank for a merchant ship.
- In 1999, a BelugaST transported the famous Eugène Delacroix painting ‘Liberty Leading the People’ from Paris to Tokyo.
- In 2003, a BelugaST performed the longest ever charter flight at the time, flying for 25 hours plus stops to transport three Airbus Helicopters rotorcraft from France to an airshow in Melbourne, Australia.
- It also transported the Columbus module for the International Space Station and delivered massive telecommunications satellites like Inmarsat to launch sites.

For more information on the Beluga, click here.

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