BROUGHTON- North Wales will host a historic aviation farewell as Airbus Transport International prepares to retire one of its most recognisable aircraft. On January 29 (Today), Airbus BelugaST 5 will conduct a final flypast over Broughton Airfield, also known as Hawarden Airport (CEG), marking the close of a 30-year operational chapter.
The aircraft, registered F-GSTF and known internally as BelugaST 5, will make its last operational appearance over the former BAE Systems site that has supported Airbus wing manufacturing for decades. Weather permitting, the flypast will be followed by a final landing at around 11:00 local time, closing the aircraft’s active service life.
BelugaST Retirement
The Airbus BelugaST fleet is being phased out as the manufacturer completes its transition to the larger BelugaXL. BelugaST 5 is among the last examples still capable of flight, with earlier aircraft already retired and parked.
Data from aircraft tracking sources indicate that BelugaST 1 and 4 have been withdrawn, while numbers 2 and 5 are listed as parked. BelugaST 3 continues limited operations between Airbus sites in France and Germany, but its retirement is expected soon.
This staged withdrawal reflects Airbus’s broader logistics shift as production volumes and component sizes increased. The BelugaST, while iconic, no longer meets the capacity requirements of Airbus’s latest aircraft programs. Track Flight Here.
Airbus BelugaST history
The BelugaST first flew on September 13, 1994, and entered service in January 1996 after extensive flight testing. Based on the Airbus A300-600 platform, the aircraft was designed to replace the ageing Super Guppy fleet used during earlier Airbus programs.
Five BelugaST aircraft were built to move wings, fuselage sections, and other outsized components between European production sites. These included regular routes connecting the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain to final assembly lines in Toulouse and Hamburg.
In 1997, the BelugaST set a world record for the heaviest payload ever carried by an aircraft, transporting a large chemical tank for maritime use. BelugaST 5, the final aircraft built, entered service in December 2000 and became a familiar sight at Broughton.
BelugaXL transition
Airbus launched the BelugaXL program in 2019 to support newer aircraft such as the A350. Based on the A330-200 platform, the BelugaXL offers around 30 percent more payload capacity than the BelugaST, AerospaceGlobal News reported.
For several years, both aircraft types operated together, but the expanding BelugaXL fleet gradually reduced the need for the older A300-based transports. In early 2023, the BelugaSTs were transferred to Airbus Beluga Transport for commercial cargo operations.
That venture ended after two years due to limited market demand and high operating constraints. Airbus then decided to wind down BelugaST operations entirely, with flight activity tapering off through 2025.
Bottom Line
The farewell flypast of BelugaST 5 over Broughton marks the end of an aircraft that quietly enabled modern Airbus production.
As Airbus seeks museum and educational homes for the retired fleet, the BelugaST’s engineering legacy will be preserved for future generations.
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