Giant Airbus Beluga XL Lands at Kolkata Airport for the First Time

For the first time, Kolkata's NSCBI Airport has welcomed the Airbus Beluga XL, a large transport aircraft designed for oversized cargo. The aircraft landed for refueling, crew rest, and FDTL compliance, highlighting Kolkata's capability to host such unique planes as it travels from Toulouse to Tianjin.

Kolkata Airport made history when it welcomed the Airbus Beluga XL, the largest of its kind, on Tuesday night. This marks the first time that the NSCBI Airport has accommodated this enormous aircraft, previously only handling the smaller ST series.

The Beluga XL, known for transporting colossal aircraft components, landed from Bahrain International Airport to rest crews, refuel, and address flight duty time limitations (FDTL). Its arrival celebrated Kolkata Airport's unique capability in Eastern India to support such massive planes.

The aircraft, on a journey originating from the Airbus factory in Toulouse to Tianjin, China, highlights its role in ferrying equipment and parts vital for multinational aviation operations. The giant plane, accompanied by three pilots and an engineer, is scheduled to depart after refueling on Wednesday evening.

(With inputs from agencies.)