World’s largest cargo plane, Beluga XL, lands again at Kolkata Airport

15 Oct 2024 CW Team

The Beluga XL, the world’s largest cargo aircraft, made another landing at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport early Monday morning. The aircraft, arriving from Tianjin Binhai International Airport in China, touched down at 5:47 am, according to an official from the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

The stopover was scheduled for crew rest, refuelling, and compliance with Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). The aircraft is set to depart for Bahrain International Airport at 3:30 pm on Tuesday, the official confirmed.

Originally expected to return on October 13, the flight faced a 24-hour delay. This marks the Beluga XL’s second appearance at the Kolkata airport, following its debut landing on October 8.

The Beluga XL, the largest model in the Airbus Beluga series, measures 207 feet in length, 62 feet in height, and boasts a wingspan of nearly 198 feet. It is an upgraded version of the Beluga ST, designed to carry oversized cargo such as aircraft components.

Kolkata’s airport, the only one in Eastern India equipped to handle the massive aircraft, announced on X (formerly Twitter) during the Beluga's earlier visit: “For the first time, NSCBI Airport welcomed the Airbus Beluga XL, carrying essential aircraft components.”

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