AN impressive freight plane has been spotted flying in the North-East - and is the largest of its kind in the world.
The Airbus "BelugaXL" has been seen landing at Newcastle Airport for the first time on what is believed to be part of a series of training flights.
The huge aircraft, which has the largest "cargo bay cross-section" of all existing cargo planes across the world, was captured by eagled-eyed fans earlier today.
Measuring just over 200 feet long, and 26 feet across, the BelugaXL can transport two wings belonging to the A350 WBX.
The unusual sighting comes weeks after a military plane was spotted landing into Teesside Airport on a number of occasions.
SEE MORE: What these military planes have been doing at Teesside Airport
More than 510 servicemen and women, based at Catterick in North Yorkshire, were transported on the RAF's Airbus KC2 Voyager.
On social media, the sighting of the BelugaXL impressed scores of people with some describing the unusual arrival as "amazing."
🐳 A very special visitor today @NCLairport saw the mighty @Airbus Beluga XL test aircraft F-WBXL land at R25 and do some circuits of the airspace! @ChronicleLive @itvtynetees @BBCNEandCumbria #Avgeek #Beluga @AirbusintheUK @air_intel @planesonthenet @scan_sky @NEAMPR @flyhellas pic.twitter.com/6Ws4udMVyr
— Newcastle Air Pics ✈ (@NCLairpics) December 16, 2020
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