The Beluga fleet eventually grew to five aircraft, but the airplane by any standard is pretty long in the tooth having first flown in 1983. In addition to an aging airplane, Airbus envisioned a ...

Most of the world's remaining Airbus A300s are freighters in service with three of the world's largest cargo companies.

ST, nicknamed Beluga, seen here in Kobe City, Japan. Photo / Naoki Maeda,Yomiuri, Yomiuri Shimbun via AFP Aerospace group ...

Airbus began replacing its first generation of planes -- Beluga STs -- with the even larger Beluga XLs in 2019. The latter continue to ferry parts between Airbus sites.