Airbus Beluga XL makes historic stop at Kolkata airport
Kolkata: The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata witnessed a historic moment on Tuesday as it hosted the Airbus Beluga XL for the first time. The giant aircraft, the largest in the Beluga series, made a scheduled stop for crew rest and refueling during its journey from the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, to its unit in Tianjin, China.
The Airbus Beluga XL landed at the Kolkata airport at 10:43 pm IST, arriving from Bahrain International Airport. The aircraft, known for its distinctive shape and immense size, is primarily used to transport oversized cargo, including large aircraft components such as wings and fuselages. The Beluga XL, an upgraded model of the Beluga ST, boasts a length of 63.1 meters and a wingspan of 60.3 meters, with a payload capacity of approximately 51 tons.
Kolkata airport has previously hosted the smaller Beluga ST, but this marks the first time the larger XL model has touched down in the city. The aircraft’s stopover in Kolkata was necessitated by crew rest requirements, flight duty time limitations (FDTL), and the need to refuel. Among airports in eastern India, Kolkata’s facility is uniquely equipped to accommodate such large aircraft, making it a strategic choice for the Beluga XL’s journey.
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Turkish Airlines flight makes emergency landing in New York after pilot dies
NEW YORK: A Turkish Airlines jetliner headed from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday after the pilot died on board, an airline spokesperson said.
Pilot İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, lost consciousness at some point after Flight TK204 took off from Seattle Tuesday night, Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Üstün said in a statement.
Crew members decided to make an emergency landing and worked to revive the pilot, Üstün said, but he died before the plane landed.
Data from the tracking site FlightAware shows that the Airbus A350 landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport just before 6 a.m.
Arrangements were being made for passengers to reach their destination from New York, the airline spokesperson said.
Pehlivan had worked at Turkish Airlines since 2007, Üstün said. A routine health check in March showed no health problems that would have prevented him from working, he said.
“As Turkish Airlines, we deeply feel the loss of our captain and extend our sincerest condolences to his bereaved family, colleagues, and all his loved ones,” Üstün said.
