Toulouse photo gallery - Airbus Belugas & Manufactured Aircraft

Toulouse's Airbus facilities are located next to the international airport. From the terminal, you can spot the Beluga planes used to carry aircraft components such as wings and fuselage sections to the manufacturing facility here from their other production sites around Europe. You can also see other newly manufactured aircraft ready to be handed over to the customer, with many different airline liveries on display.

The larger XL version can carry two 30m wings and provide extra capacity than the standard Super Transporter, which entered service in 1995 and will soon retire and disappear from the skies. The original Beluga can carry 47 tonnes of cargo and items up to 30m long, while the new XL can carry 51 tonnes of cargo and items up to 63m long.

Airbus employs over 56,000 in France and Toulouse plays a pivotal role in the aerospace industry. Manufacturing is scattered across the continent, with Toulouse being the headquarters and assembly location. The fuselage is manufactured in Hamburg, the wings in St. Nazaire or Broughton, and components in Bremen.

Upon departure, you can see the vastness of Airbus' facilities around the airport. Tours of the site are possible but photos are strictly not allowed inside. Visit stops include a peek at the final assembly line as well as the apron where almost completed aircraft are parked for testing.