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

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

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.”

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.”

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code