THE BELUGA XL has returned to France following its visit to North Wales.

The aircraft, which is currently being tested by Airbus, visited Hawarden on Thursday, as part of its evaluation process.

On Saturday morning, the XL took off from Hawarden, allowing enthusiasts another glace at the spectacular plane in flight

The new design has around 30 per-cent more capacity than a regular Beluga, allowing it to carry two wings at a time, instead of just one.

Testing will carry on throughout 2019, with the aim of being introduced later in the year.