Airbus Beluga XL

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here has witnessed the landing of one of the world's largest cargo aeroplane, Airbus Beluga. A press release from the airport operator on Monday said the whale-shaped Beluga landed here on Sunday night and would take off today. GMR Hyderabad International Airport made special arrangements for its landing, parking and take-off. The Beluga is known for its ability to transport oversized air cargo, it said. Earlier, the world's biggest cargo aircraft Antonov An-225 made its first landing here in May 2016. The Hyderabad airport was chosen based on the infrastructure strength and technical parameters, the release added.

The aircraft, named for its resemblance to the dome-headed, hunch-backed white whale of the Arctic, is awaiting the installation of its two engines before starting ground tests, with work on a second