Airbus has announced that it will be using one of its Beluga planes to fly a satellite from Toulouse, France to John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to a tweet by the aircraft manufacturer on Tuesday. The satellite belongs to Inmarsat--a British telecommunications firm--and is part of a larger effort to provide coverage over the Atlantic Ocean.

The plane is expected to make a quick stop at St. John's International Airport (YYT) for refueling before continuing on its way to Florida.

Not the first time that Airbus has transported a satellite

Tuesday's announcement is surprisingly not the first time that Airbus has used one of its Beluga planes to fly a satellite to its launch site. In fact, an Airbus Beluga was used to deliver another satellite built by the aircraft manufacturer for Eutelsat in October of last year.

Prior to last year's delivery, the Airbus Beluga was used in 2009 to transport one of the modules for the International Space Station. That was also the last time that a Beluga aircraft visited the United States before 2022.

More on the Airbus Beluga

The Airbus Beluga was introduced in 1995 as a modified version of the A300 that was designed to carry outsized cargo such as helicopters, aircraft wings, and most recently, satellites. The plane features a unique upward-swinging hinged cargo door and ranks among some of the largest aircraft in the world.

Photo: Airbus

Given that outsized cargo is an extremely niche category, Airbus manufactured only five Beluga planes. Furthermore, it expects to replace all five Beluga aircraft in the coming years with its successor: the Beluga XL.

Airbus' announcement that it will be using one of its Beluga planes to transport a satellite from Toulouse to Kennedy Space Center ultimately comes at a time when airlines are looking to purchase new aircraft as demand for travel continues to recover and in some cases even exceed pre-pandemic levels. The satellite delivery therefore represents an opportunity for the manufacturer to gain some good publicity that may or may not prove beneficial as airlines consider which company they would like to purchase from moving forward.

Sources: Airbus, Inmarsat, Inmarsat, SatNews