Airbus is to transform one of its retired BelugaST transport aircraft into a STEM classroom at its Broughton site in the UK.
The Beluga ST5 completed its final flight from Bordeaux, France, ending an almost three decade career as a key component of the company’s industrial logistics network. The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) center will use the aircraft as a centerpiece to inspire young people to consider careers in aerospace.
The educational programs will be designed in conjunction with local schools to ensure alignment with the UK national curriculum. The facility will also showcase the history of aviation in the UK.
Gareth Davies, head of Airbus Broughton, said, “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.”
Davies added, “By transforming this aircraft into an education facility, we aren’t just preserving our history, we are using it to fuel the future of UK aerospace.”
The BelugaST fleet entered service in 1995 to replace the Super Guppy and has been used predominantly to transport wings manufactured in the UK to other Airbus facilities across Europe. The aircraft being converted, designated ST5 and known by its callsign Tango Foxtrot, has carried approximately 1,700 wings from Broughton and completed around 13,300 journeys between Airbus sites.
The aircraft has a payload capacity of approximately 88,000 lbs (40 metric tons), equivalent to the weight of an adult humpback whale. In 1997, a BelugaST set a world record for the largest payload carried by air.
Special missions for the fleet have included transporting satellites to the Kennedy Space Center and delivering the Columbus module for the International Space Station.
Didier Puxeddu, the BelugaST pilot who flew the final mission, said, “Flying the Beluga has always been a unique privilege. Knowing this aircraft will now stay here to inspire future pilots and engineers makes this touchdown one of the most rewarding of my career.”
Airbus announced the retirement of the BelugaST fleet earlier in 2025. From mid-2027, the larger BelugaXL fleet will be the sole transporter of components for the company, serving 11 aircraft manufacturing sites across Europe.
