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.”

Next Story
Real Estate

Our panels build faster and cost less than traditional methods

In the race to build faster and taller, the construction industry often leaves a heavy environmental footprint. But what if we could build with speed, efficiency, and sustainability? Sangeetha Menon, Founder and CEO, Hedrad, an NSRCEL-incubated venture pioneering lightweight composite panels in India, discusses her journey of innovation, unique marketing strategy and vision for a greener future in construction with CW.What inspired the name Hedrad and what does it represent in terms of your brand’s values?The name stems from the core of our panels, which use a honeycomb design base..

Next Story
Technology

We’re building robots that flow, not just move

Founded in 2021, Flo Mobility is reimagining construction automation with vision-AI robots designed for seamless movement through complex sites. In conversation with CW, Manesh Jain, Founder & CEO, discusses the company’s origin, its LiDAR-free tech stack, and expansion plans in the Middle East and US.What inspired the name Flo Mobility? Why ‘Flo’ and not ‘Flow’?When we started the company in 2021, our focus was on building autonomous navigation systems for robots. Since our work centred around robot movement, ‘mobility’ naturally became part of the name. We wanted to co..

Next Story
Real Estate

We’re committed to setting benchmarks in sustainable luxury living

From a landmark land acquisition in Boisar to ambitious launches across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), National Capital Region (NCR), Bengaluru and Pune, Birla Estates is driving future-ready growth with a strong focus on sustainability, partnerships and premium living, firmly anchored in its LifeDesigned® philosophy. K T Jithendran, Managing Director & CEO, outlines the company’s premium, sustainable growth playbook in conversation with PRATAP PADODE, Editor-in-Chief, CW. Excerpts:Birla Estates recently acquired a 70.92-acre land parcel in Boisar, Maharashtra, for..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?