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2024-02-01

Airbus Freighter Ascends with Certified Autonomy

In a significant milestone, Airbus Beluga Transport (AiBT) has officially obtained its Air Operator Certificate (AOC), marking its transformation into an independent freight airline. Launched by Airbus in January 2022, AiBT operated under Airbus Transport International (ATI) with the ultimate goal of establishing a dedicated airline with its own AOC.

The journey towards this achievement involved meticulous planning and documentation, as detailed by AiBT’s Managing Director, Benoît Lemonnier, and the Head of Flight Operations, Olivier Schneider.

Lemonnier reflected on the extensive preparation, stating, “For our final dossier, we had been compiling many documents during the first half of this year, encompassing Flight Safety, Flight Operations, Ground Operations, Technical Operations, and Crew Training.”

The submission of the dossier took place at the end of June 2023, initiating a thorough examination process that involved responding to inquiries and fine-tuning procedures throughout the summer.

He emphasised the foundation laid by building upon the documentation and processes established by ATI, facilitating a more streamlined certification process for AiBT.

The crucial audit by aviation authorities was successfully passed on September 26, paving the way for AiBT’s official recognition as an autonomous freight airline. One remaining requirement was the “Continuous Airworthiness and Maintenance Organisation” certificate (CAMO), which was obtained at the beginning of November.

With these necessary approvals in place, AiBT could now assert its status as an independent airline, authorised to operate under its own AOC.

Optimal Staffing

Lemonnier highlights that the transformation into an airline involved not only meeting documentation and regulatory requirements but also a comprehensive effort to establish the company with a focus on diverse resources.

“We staffed the right people in the right place. First our management was staffed at the beginning of the year until mid-2023. Then we recruited the necessary expert resources in the various fields of flight operations, dispatch crew planning, and some new pilots. To date we have recruited almost 60 employees into the company either through external recruitment or via internal job mobility within Airbus, mainly from ATI.

We trained our people to be ready from ‘day one’.”

“We established new facilities near Blagnac airport and secured an aircraft operational base at Francazal airport near Toulouse with dedicated parking spots,” states Lemonnier. “Our ground crews have enhanced capacity for Beluga preparation, focusing on loading/unloading transport pallets and aircraft maintenance.”

The transfer of Beluga Super Transporters (BelugaSTs) from ATI’s fleet register to AiBT’s is complete, with the current fleet consisting of three aircraft and a fourth set to join in 2024.

Ultimate Goal

Schneider joined in May with over 20 years of experience at the Air France Group. Facing challenges in ramping up operations and training, Schneider notes the novelty of this type of operation for many team members.

Coordinating multiple long-haul missions in a week adds complexity, and training in the Operation Control Centre involves qualifying two new dispatchers every two months. The ultimate goal is to operate all five Belugas simultaneously worldwide, presenting challenges in resources, anticipation, and coordination.

Payload Diversification

As AiBT gains experience with short intra-Europe flights supporting Airbus Commercial’s ramp-up, its focus shifts to expanding the range of certified payloads for external customers.

Lemonnier anticipates a broader customer base in 2024, emphasising the delivery of payloads for Airbus Helicopters and Airbus Defence and Space in 2022/2023.

To facilitate this expansion, AiBT has secured an agreement with Airbus for additional investment to certify the BelugaST for carrying various helicopters, containers, and aircraft engines.

This move aims to tap into a significant market. In 2024, the plan includes a ramp-up of ‘external flights,’ particularly long-haul missions, with a target of three missions per month alongside existing BelugaST missions in Europe in support of ATI’s service for Airbus’ production system.

Since the BelugaST is unique to Airbus, there is no immediate ‘ready qualified’ source of pilots on the external job market. Pilots of other types commonly operated would need to be brought in and trained-up to be type-rated on the Beluga – which takes some time.

To bridge this gap, AiBT has reached an agreement for 12 of ATI’s pilots to join AiBT as captains or first officers for up to three years. After this interim period, these pilots will return to ATI to fly the expanding fleet of new A330-200 BelugaXLs.

AiBT actively recruits external pilots, with nine already onboard and a goal of reaching around 36 pilots by 2026.

Exciting Challenge

Pilots from standard freight carriers face challenges adapting to Beluga operations due to distinct mission and flight profiles, necessitating new training and type-rating. Despite these differences, Lemonnier and Schneider highlight the appeal for external pilots to join Airbus subsidiary, citing opportunities for career development within a renowned brand like Airbus.

The allure extends to the excitement of flying the iconic Beluga and undertaking its unique missions.

For example, the Beluga fleet was built for the European network, whose sectors are around four hours maximum. For AiBT’s long haul missions, however, its crews will have to fly several ‘legs’ before reaching their destination. “That will be something new for many experienced long-haul aircrew who are used to flying from Europe to Singapore, in 13 hours from start to finish. Whereas with the Beluga we are talking about four legs spread over two days to get there,” explains Schneider.

Its pilots will also need to fly some missions at 20,000 ft at around Mach 0.7, versus the typical 35,000ft cruising altitude and Mach 0.8 speed of regular freighters.

The reason for this is that certain payloads, especially helicopters, are not generally certified for exposure to altitudes of more than 20,000 ft a constraint that needs to be maintained while they are being carried the Beluga’s unpressurised cargo hold.

In contrast, when carrying a space satellite payload the Beluga will cruise higher, since spacecraft are built to operate in the vacuum of space.

Weather Conditions

Belugas will experience varied weather conditions at lower cruise altitudes, which, by contrast, regular air freight aircraft would not encounter higher up at 35,000 ft.

Unlike regular freighter missions, the Beluga faces a unique ground operation challenge. Its elevated cargo deck demands extensive coordination and a specialised crew for unloading at the destination, a crucial aspect of the operation taking several hours to complete.

In summary, Schneider emphasises: “As mentioned, our goal is to have a fleet of five Belugas operating all around the world. To achieve this will be the culmination of several years of hard work. I look forward to this day, and the thought of Airbus’ mythical Belugas flying over the world’s continents fills me with eager expectation.”.

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