One of Airbus’ BelugaST aircraft will be rehomed in the UK, with plans to turn it into a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) support facility at Airbus Broughton in North Wales, reports HLPFI’s sister publication Air Cargo News.
The freighter aircraft touched down in Broughton having completed its final flight from Bordeaux, France, after a 30-year career as the backbone of Airbus’ industrial logistics. The BelugaST fleet, first launched in 1994, has predominantly been used to transport wings made in the UK to other Airbus facilities around Europe.
“It’s a proud and incredibly exciting moment for Broughton. This particular Beluga first took flight 25 years ago, and since then has played a crucial part in transporting our wings from Broughton to Airbus’ mainland European sites,” said Gareth Davies, head of Airbus Broughton. “The focus will be to promote STEM in a fun and interactive way to inspire young people to consider a career in science, technology, engineering and maths.”
The STEM activities will be designed in conjunction with local schools to ensure alignment with the national curriculum.
After Airbus retired the BelugaST fleet in January 2025, its replacement – the even larger BelugaXL – is still operating to transport Airbus components to 11 sites around Europe. From mid-2027, the larger BelugaXL fleet will be the sole transporter of components for Airbus.
