Lightning strikes Airbus Beluga during take-off from Welsh airport

Fascinating image shows the moment lightning struck one of the world's largest aircraft

A Flintshire resident caught the moment lightning struck an Airbus Beluga while it flew over north Wales in the UK on Wednesday. Photo: Glenn Smethurst

The Airbus Beluga, a whale-shaped aircraft, is one of the largest airplanes in the world. Airbus

An Airbus Beluga transport plane on display during the ILA Berlin Air Show 2022. EPA

An Airbus Beluga weighs 85.6 tonnes. AFP

Airbus playfully added a smiling face to the massive jet. The aircraft is closer in size to two blue whales – the world's largest animals – placed nose to tail. Reuters

The BelugaXL's nose measures 18.9 metres high - about the height of a three-storey building. Getty

With a maximum payload of 51 tonnes, the jet can carry seven full-size elephants and still have cargo space to spare. Reuters

The giant flying 'whale' can easily carry two A350 XWB wings in one flight. Fully-loaded it can cover distances up to 2,200 nautical miles. AFP

A Beluga transport plane takes off in Colomiers near Toulouse, France. The plane flies between Airbus's 11 production sites in Europe to the company's assembly lines in France, Germany and China. Reuters

The design of the BelugaXL re-uses existing components and equipment from Airbus's A330 wide-body range. It is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. Reuters

The shape of the Airbus BelugaXL resembles the Arctic cetacean. 

Lightning has struck one of the world’s largest aircraft as it was flying over north Wales.

The Airbus Beluga, which weighs 85.6 tonnes, was hit while taking off from Hawarden Airport in Flintshire, local media reported.

Airbus said the flight continued as normal and landed safely at its destination in Hamburg, Germany.

“At 1pm today, Beluga XL5 departing Hawarden Airport was struck by lightning,” Airbus said.

"This is a routine event in aviation and the aircraft continued with its journey to Hamburg as planned. In accordance with standard operating procedure, the aircraft will be inspected before its next flight."

It was reported that dozens of people reported hearing a “huge explosion” and a bright flash. Some also reported a loss of power and TV reception.

According to the US National Weather Service, commercial passenger planes are hit by lightning an average of one or two times a year.

It said that these aircraft are designed and built with conducting paths to survive lightning strikes.

"Actually, aircraft often initiate the strike because their presence enhances the ambient electric fields typical for thunderstorms and facilitates electrical breakdown through air," it said.

But very intense lightning strikes can damage avionics, including the radar and antennas.

The Airbus Beluga, with a wingspan of 45 metres, made its first flight in 1994.

Its larger version, the Airbus BelugaXL, made its first operational flight in 2020.

Shaped like a whale, the aircraft is 63 metres long, eight metres wide and has the largest cargo bay cross-section of all existing cargo aircraft in the world.

The jet successfully completed its first operational flight after banking more than 700 test flight hours.