An Airbus Beluga cargo plane has been added to the hangars of the Aeroscopia museum near Toulouse, marking a world first for the outsized aircraft.
With its distinctive bulging shape—designed to haul large fuselage sections between Airbus production sites across Europe—the Beluga has been part of the industrial landscape around Toulouse for decades. Aeroscopia’s new arrival is the first time a Beluga has been put on public display in a museum.
Aeroscopia adds a one-of-a-kind aircraft to its collection
Aeroscopia, located in Blagnac on the edge of Toulouse, preserves and exhibits aircraft tied to French and European industrial aviation history. Bringing a Beluga into its collection strengthens the museum’s role as a showcase for the Airbus ecosystem.
The plane’s sheer size created obvious logistical challenges for transport and installation, but it is now accessible to visitors.
The move also reflects a broader shift as some Airbus aircraft begin transitioning into museum retirement, as the Beluga XL—a newer, higher-capacity version—takes over the manufacturer’s inter-factory routes.
The Beluga’s central role in Airbus production
For nearly 30 years, Belugas carried wing sections, fuselage segments, and other oversized subassemblies between Airbus sites across Europe—from Hamburg to Seville, with stops including Bremen and Saint-Nazaire. Without them, final assembly in Toulouse could not have operated at the same pace.
As the baton passes to the higher-capacity Beluga XL, older aircraft are gradually being withdrawn. The Beluga now at Aeroscopia stands as a physical record of that industrial history—one the museum has taken on the task of preserving.
