
One of five A300-600ST “Belugas,” F-GSTC, operated by Airbus arrived at Kobe Airport on the morning of February 21, 2024, reportedly with two helicopters onboard. This is the type’s fourth visit to Japan and third to Kobe.
On February 14, 2024, the aircraft was ferried from its base in Toulouse to Marseille where Airbus Helicopters has a factory. Then, between February 16 and 22, 2024, the aircraft made its multi-day, multi-stop journey to Kobe as follows:
- Marseille, France – Cairo, Egypt (February 16, 2024)
- Cairo, Egypt – Dubai World City, United Arab Emirates (February 17, 2024)
- Dubai World City, United Arab Emirates – Hyderabad, India – U-Tapao, Thailand (February 18, 2024)
- U-Tapao, Thailand – Da Nang, Vietnam – Taipei Taoyuan, Taiwan (February 19, 2024)
- Taipei Taoyuan, Taiwan – Kobe, Japan (February 21, 2024)
- Kobe, Japan – Osaka Kansai, Japan (February 21, 2024)
- Osaka Kansai, Japan – Kobe, Japan (February 22, 2024)
Presumably, the quick hop to Osaka was done for customs clearance in a similar fashion it was done during the “Beluga’s” previous two visits to Japan. This time, it was reported the oversized cargo aircraft brought in a pair of H160 helicopters, one for Osaka and one for Kanagawa Prefectural Police.
The reason it brought them to Kobe is that the airport is home to an Airbus Helicopters maintenance facility which makes it “the only foreign manufacturer in Japan that has maintenance facilities.” According to Airbus, the “Kobe facility also acts as the Asia-Pacific regional hub for engineering, blade repair, and H135 helicopter training, equipped with a full flight simulator.”
As of the time of this article’s February 24, 2024, update, the aircraft is making its way back to France. It flew from Kobe to Da Nang on February 22, 2024, and a day later it flew to Bangalore, India. The aircraft is currently on the ground in Bangalore.
Previously, the A300-600ST visited Japan in:
- 1999 when it brought in artwork from Paris to Tokyo (Narita Airport)
- 2021 when it brought in an H225 Super Puma helicopter for Japan’s police
- 2023 when it brought in a pair of H225 Super Puma helicopters for the Japan Coast Guard
First published on 2024/02/21. Updated on 2024/02/24 with additional information about the cargo onboard and about the aircraft’s route and schedule to and from Japan.