A Beluga XL aircraft is not used for cargo shipping in Sri Lanka.

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Recently, a video was posted on social media claiming that Sri Lankan Cargo had used a new aircraft to transport goods. We took steps to investigate the credibility of this claim.

Social Media Posts :

A video has been circulating on social media, purportedly portraying Sri Lanka’s new cargo plane with a caption implying the meaning “When I see someone bringing goods from abroad to Sri Lanka”.

Facebook

We did a fact check regarding this claim.

Fact Check :

The circulated video shows the Beluga XL, a large transport aircraft, so we checked whether mainstream media have reported on the import of the Beluga XL to Sri Lanka for cargo transportation.

As none of the mainstream media outlets have reported on this news, we also checked the official social media platforms and the website of Sri Lankan Cargo, the cargo division of Sri Lankan Airlines. However, they haven’t mentioned any news reports regarding it.

On their website the list of Airbuse aircraft used for cargo transport can be seen.

Accordingly, the Airbus currently used for cargo transportation is as follows.

Airbus A330-300

Airbus A330-200

Airbus A320 / A320 Neo

Airbus A321 Neo / A321

As mentioned, it is clear that there is no mention of a Beluga XL transport aircraft used for cargo transport, as mentioned in the video.

We also contacted Sri Lankan Airlines’ Media Spokesperson, Deepal Perera, to confirm this, and he stated that the above video has been generated using AI and that there is no such cargo plane in the country.

Sri Lankan Cargo is rapidly expanding its modern Airbus fleet and currently operates with 22 aircraft, including 7 A330-300 ,  3 A330-200,  5 A320 , 1 A321 , 2 A320 Neo and 4 A321 Neo.

Sri Lankan Cargo

Sri Lankan Air Cargo offers convenient connectivity to a global network of 37 destinations across 21 countries in Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Far East, China, and Australia.

Since the airline’s inception in 1979, Sri Lankan Cargo has continued to support the country’s rapidly growing export industry. Providing a convenient one-stop service to any destination in the world, customers can deliver their personal items, samples and gift items weighing up to 100 kilograms. This completes all cargo-related processes, including customs, at the Bag It office in Colombo. This service is available to non-tourists, regardless of the airline they are flying with..

The brand- new, fully equipped cargo terminal is located at Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, and serves as the sole agent for all air travel services to Sri Lanka. This terminal handles approximately 200,000 metric tons of cargo annually. You can find more information on this can be found here.

Airbus Beluga

Recognisable by its shape resembling a whale, the Airbus Beluga is one of the world’s most unique cargo aircraft. Known worldwide as the “Beluga Plane,” this transport aircraft is a wide-body aircraft designed to transport large cargo and aircraft parts. The Airbus Beluga is specifically designed to easily transport large cargo that traditional air transport methods cannot transport.

This plays a fundamental role in maintaining the continuity of the Airbus production process. With a range of 1,650 to 4,000 kilometres, the Beluga has become the bulk carrier between Airbus production sites across Europe, capable of transporting even the largest cargo, such as complete aircraft parts.

The BelugaXL, a modified version of the versatile A330-200, offers increased capacity and is capable of transporting two aircraft with a  30-foot wingspan at once. This demonstrates its size and the efficiency it provides for the Airbus manufacturing industry. More information on this here.

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Conclusion :

Our investigation reveals that the video posted on social media, which claims to show a Beluga XL aircraft transporting goods in Sri Lanka, is misleading. The Sri Lankan Airlines spokesperson also confirms that the video has been created using artificial intelligence and that no aircraft of that type is used for cargo transportation in this country.