The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus. The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France.[3] The first member of the family was followed by the stretched A321 (first delivered in January 1994), the shorter A319 (April 1996), and the even shorter A318 (July 2003). Final assembly takes place in Toulouse in France; Hamburg in Germany; Tianjin in China since 2009; and Mobile, Alabama in the United States since April 2016.
The twinjet has a six-abreast economy cross-section and came with either CFM56 or IAE V2500 turbofan engines, except the CFM56/PW6000 powered A318. The family pioneered the use of digital fly-by-wire and side-stick flight controls in airliners. Variants offer maximum take-off weights from 68 to 93.5 tonnes (150,000 to 206,000lb), to cover a 5,740–6,940 kilometres; 3,570–4,320 miles (3,100–3,750nmi)range. The 31.4m (103ft) long A318 typically accommodates 107 to 132 passengers. The 124-156 seat A319 is 33.8m (111ft) long. The A320 is 37.6m (123ft) long and can accommodate 150 to 186 passengers. The 44.5m (146ft) A321 offers 185 to 230 seats. The Airbus Corporate Jets are modified business jet versions of the standard commercial variants.
In December 2010, Airbus announced the re-enginedA320neo (new engine option), which entered service with Lufthansa in January 2016. With more efficient turbofans and improvements including sharklets, it offers up to 15% better fuel economy. The previous A320 generation is now called A320ceo (current engine option).
American Airlines is the largest A320 operator with 479 aircraft in its fleet, while IndiGo is the largest customer with 930 aircraft on order. In October 2019, the A320 family surpassed the Boeing 737 to become the highest-selling airliner.As of October2024[update], a total of 18,994 A320 family aircraft had been ordered and 11,707 delivered, of which 10,803 aircraft were in service with more than 350 operators. The global A320 fleet had completed more than 176 million flights over 328 million block hours since its entry into service. The A320ceo initially competed with the 737 Classic and the MD-80, then their successors, the 737 Next Generation (737NG) and the MD-90 respectively, while the 737 MAX is Boeing's response to the A320neo.
Development
Origins
The Joint European Transport JET2-100 concept
When Airbus designed the A300 during the late 1960s and early 1970s, it envisaged a broad family of airliners with which to compete against Boeing and Douglas (later McDonnell Douglas), two established US aerospace manufacturers. From the moment of formation, Airbus had begun studies into derivatives of the Airbus A300B in support of this long-term goal.[5] Prior to the service introduction of the first Airbus airliners, engineers within Airbus had identified nine possible variations of the A300 known as A300B1 to B9.[6] A 10th variation, conceived in 1973, later the first to be constructed, was designated the A300B10.[7] It was a smaller aircraft which would be developed into the long-range Airbus A310. Airbus then focused its efforts on the single-aisle market, which was dominated by the 737 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9.
The design within the JET study that was carried forward was the JET2 (163 passengers), which then became the Airbus S.A1/2/3 series (Single Aisle), before settling on the A320 name for its launch in 1984. Previously, Hawker Siddeley had produced a design called the HS.134 "Airbus" in 1965, an evolution of the HS.121 (formerly DH.121) Trident,[10] which shared much of the general arrangement of the later JET3 study design. The name "Airbus" at the time referred to a BEA requirement, rather than to the later international programme.
Design effort
In June 1977 a new Joint European Transport (JET) programme was set up, established by British Aerospace (BAe), Aerospatiale, Dornier and Fokker.[11][12] It was based at the then BAe (formerly Vickers) site in Weybridge, Surrey, UK. Although the members were all of Airbus' partners, they regarded the project as a separate collaboration from Airbus.[13] This project was considered the forerunner of Airbus A320, encompassing the 130- to 188-seat market, powered by two CFM56s.[8] It would have a cruise speed of Mach 0.84 (faster than the Boeing 737).[8] The programme was later transferred to Airbus, leading up to the creation of the Single-Aisle (SA) studies in 1980, led by former leader of the JET programme, Derek Brown.[9] The group looked at three different variants, covering the 125- to 180-seat market, called SA1, SA2 and SA3.[8] Although unaware at the time, the consortium was producing the blueprints for the A319, A320 and A321, respectively.[9] The single-aisle programme created divisions within Airbus about whether to design a shorter-range twinjet rather than a longer-range quadjet wanted by the West Germans, particularly Lufthansa.[8][13] However, works proceeded, and the German carrier would eventually order the twinjet.
In February 1981 the project was re-designated A320,[9] with efforts focused on the blueprint formerly designated SA2. During the year, Airbus worked with Delta Air Lines on a 150-seat aircraft envisioned and required by the airline. The A320 would carry 150 passengers over 2,850 or 1,860nmi (5,280 or 3,440km; 3,280 or 2,140mi) using fuel from wing fuel tanks only.[9] The -200 had the centre tank activated, increasing fuel capacity from 15,590 to 23,430L (3,429 to 5,154impgal).[14] They would measure 36.04 and 39.24m (118ft 3in and 128ft 9in), respectively.[9] Airbus considered a fuselage diameter of "the Boeing 707 and 727, or do something better" and settled on a wider cross-section with a 3.7m (12ft 2in) internal width, compared to Boeing's 3.45m (11ft 4in).[8] Although heavier, this allowed the A320 to compete more effectively with the 737. The A320 wing went through several design stages, eventually measuring 33.91m (111ft 3in).[14]
National shares
The UK, France and West Germany wanted responsibility over final assembly and its associated work, known as "work-share arguments". The Germans requested an increased work-share of 40%, while the British wanted the major responsibilities to be swapped around to give partners production and research and development experience. In the end, British work-share was increased from that of the two previous Airbuses.[13]
France was willing to commit to launch aid, or subsidies, while the Germans were more cautious.[13] The UK government was unwilling to provide funding for the tooling, requested by BAe and estimated at £250million; it was postponed for three years.[14] On 1 March 1984, the British government and BAe agreed that £50million would be paid, whether the A320 flew or not, while the rest would be paid as a levy on each aircraft sold.[13] In 1984, the program cost was then estimated at £2 billion ($2.8 billion) by Flight International,[15] equivalent to £8 billion today.
Launch
The A320 first prototype (retrofitted with IAE V2500-A1 engines) at the 1988 Farnborough Airshow
The programme was launched on 2 March 1984.[16] At the time, Airbus had 96 orders.[17]:48Air France was its first customer to sign a "letter of intent" for 25 A320s and options for 25 more at the 1981 Paris Air Show.[18] In October 1983, British Caledonian placed seven firm orders, bringing total orders to more than 80.[19]Cyprus Airways became the first customer to place an order for V2500-powered A320s in November 1984, followed by Pan Am with 16 firm orders and 34 options in January 1985, and then Inex Adria.[17]:49 One of the most significant orders occurred when Northwest Airlines placed an order for 100 A320s in October 1986, powered by CFM56 engines, later confirmed at the 1990 Farnborough Airshow.[17]:49–50
During A320 development, Airbus considered propfan technology, which was backed by Lufthansa.[13] At the time unproven, the technology essentially consisted of a fan placed outside the engine nacelle, offering turbofan speeds and turboprop economics; ultimately, Airbus stuck with turbofans.
The first A320 was delivered to Air France on 28 March 1988; the early A320-100s had no wingtip fences.
In the presence of then-French Prime MinisterJacques Chirac and the Prince and Princess of Wales, the first A320 was rolled out of the final assembly line at Toulouse on 14 February 1987 and made its maiden flight on 22 February in 3 hours and 23 minutes.[4] The flight test programme took 1,200 hours over 530 flights. European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) certification was awarded on 26 February 1988.[17]:50 The first A320 was delivered to Air France on 28 March,[22] and began commercial service on 8 April with a flight between Paris and Berlin via Düsseldorf.[23] In 1988, the clean-sheet aircraft program cost was 5.486 billion French francs.[24]
Lufthansa was the first to receive the stretched A321 on 27 January 1994.
The first derivative of the A320 was the Airbus A321, also known as the Stretched A320, A320-500 and A325.[9][25] Its launch came on 24 November 1988 after commitments for 183 aircraft from 10 customers were secured.[9][26] The aircraft was to be a minimally changed derivative, apart from minor wing modifications and the fuselage stretch itself. The wing would incorporate double-slotted flaps and minor trailing edge modifications,[9] increasing wing area from 124m2 (1,330sqft) to 128m2 (1,380sqft).[27] The fuselage was lengthened by four plugs (two ahead and two behind the wings), making the A321 6.94 metres (22ft 9in) longer than the A320 overall.[9][28][29] The length increase required enlarged overwing exits, which were repositioned in front of and behind the wings.[14] The centre fuselage and undercarriage were reinforced to accommodate an increase in maximum takeoff weight of 9,600kg (21,200lb), for a total of 83,000kg (183,000lb).[9]
Final assembly for the A321 would be, as a first for any Airbus, carried out in Germany (then West Germany).[30] This came after a dispute between the French, who claimed the move would incur $150million (€135 million) in unnecessary expenditures associated with the new plant,[9] and the Germans, who argued that it would be more productive for Airbus in the long run. The second production line was located at Hamburg, which would also subsequently produce the smaller Airbus A319 and A318. For the first time, Airbus entered the bond market, through which it raised $480million (€475 million) to finance development costs.[26] An additional $180million (€175 million) was borrowed from the European Investment Bank and private investors.[9]
The maiden flight of the Airbus A321 came on 11 March 1993, when the prototype, registration F-WWIA, flew with IAE V2500 engines; the second prototype, equipped with CFM56-5B turbofans, flew in May.Lufthansa and Alitalia were the first to order the stretched Airbuses, with 20 and 40 aircraft, respectively. The first of Lufthansa's V2500-A5-powered A321s arrived on 27 January 1994, while Alitalia received its first CFM56-5B-powered aircraft on 22 March.
The first A319 was delivered to Swissair on 25 April 1996.
The A319 was the following derivative of the baseline A320. The design was a "shrink", with its origins in the 130- to 140-seat SA1, part of the Single-Aisle studies, which had been shelved as the consortium focused on its bigger siblings.[9] After healthy sales of the A320/A321, Airbus focused once more on what was then known as the A320M-7, meaning A320 minus seven fuselage frames.[14] It would provide direct competition for the 737-300/-700.[9] The shrink was achieved through the removal of four fuselage frames fore and three aft of the wing, cutting the overall length by 3.73 metres (12ft 3in).[28][31][32] Consequently, the number of overwing exits was reduced from four to two. The bulk-cargo door was replaced by an aft container door, which can take in reduced height LD3-45 containers.[31] Minor software changes were made to accommodate the different handling characteristics; otherwise the aircraft was largely unchanged. Power is provided by the CFM56-5A, CFM56-5B, or V2500-A5, derated to 98kN (22,000lbf), with option for 105kN (24,000lbf) thrust.[33]
Airbus began offering the new model from 22 May 1992, with the actual launch of the $275million (€250 million) programme occurring on 10 June 1993;[31][9][6] the A319's first customer was ILFC, which signed for six aircraft. On 23 March 1995, the first A319 underwent final assembly at Airbus' German plant in Hamburg, where A321s were also assembled. It was rolled out on 24 August 1995, with the maiden flight taking place the following day.[14] The certification programme took 350 airborne hours involving two aircraft. Certification for the CFM56-5B6/2-equipped variant was granted in April 1996, and qualification for the V2524-A5 started the following month.[9]
Delivery of the first A319, to Swissair, occurred on 25 April 1996; it entered service by month's end.[9] In January 1997, an A319 broke a record during a delivery flight by flying the 3,588 nautical miles (6,645km; 4,129mi)great circle route to Winnipeg, Manitoba from Hamburg in 9 hours and 5 minutes.[9] The A319 has proven popular with low-cost airlines such as EasyJet, which purchased 172 of them.[1]
The A318 was born out of mid-1990 studies between Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), Singapore Technologies Aerospace, Alenia and Airbus on a 95- to 125-seat aircraft project. The programme was called the AE31X, and covered the 95-seat AE316 and 115- to 125-seat AE317.[9] The former would have had an overall length of 31.3m (102ft 8in), while the AE317 was longer by 3.2m (10ft 6in), at 34.5m (113ft 2in).[34] The engines were to be two Rolls-Royce BR715s, CFM56-9s, or the Pratt & Whitney PW6000;[9][34] with the MTOW of 53.3t (118,000lb) for the smaller version and 58t (128,000lb) for the AE317, the thrust requirement were 77.9–84.6kN (17,500–19,000lbf) and 84.6–91.2kN (19,000–20,500lbf), respectively.[34] Range was settled at 5,200km (2,800nmi; 3,200mi) and 5,800km (3,100nmi; 3,600mi) for the high gross weights of both variants.[34] Both share a wingspan of 31.0m (101ft 8in)[34] and a flight deck similar to that of the A320 family. Costing $2billion (€1.85 billion) to develop, aircraft production was to take place in China.[9]
Simultaneously, Airbus was developing the Airbus A318. In early 1998, Airbus revealed that it was designing a 100-seat aircraft based on the A320. The AE31X project was terminated by September 1998, and Airbus officially announced the A318[9] at that year's Farnborough Airshow.[6] The aircraft was the smallest in Airbus's product range, and was developed coincidentally at the same time as the largest commercial aircraft in history, the Airbus A380. First called A319M5 in as early as March 1995, it was shorter by 0.79-metre (2ft 7in) ahead of the wing and 1.6 metres (5ft 3in) behind.[6] These cuts reduced passenger capacity from 124 on the A319 to 107 passengers in a two-class layout.[35] Range was 5,700 kilometres (3,100nmi; 3,500mi), or 5,950 kilometres (3,210nmi; 3,700mi) with upcoming Sharklets.[35]
The 107-seater was launched on 26 April 1999 with the options and orders count at 109 aircraft.[6] After three years of design, the maiden flight took place at Hamburg on 15 January 2002.[36] Tests on the lead engine, the PW6000, revealed worse-than-expected fuel consumption.[37] Consequently, Pratt & Whitney abandoned the five-stage high-pressure compressor (HPC) for the MTU-designed six-stage HPC. The 129 order book for the A318 shrunk to 80 largely because of switches to other A320 family members.[37] After 17 months of flight certification, during which 850 hours and 350 flights were accumulated, JAA certification was obtained for the CFM56-powered variant on 23 May 2003.[37] On 22 July 2003, first delivery for launch customer Frontier Airlines occurred,[6] entering service before the end of the month.
The Toulouse Blagnac final assembly line builds A320s, whereas the Hamburg Finkenwerder final assembly line builds A318s, A319s, and A321s. The Airbus factory in Tianjin, China assembles A319s, A320s, and A321s; A320s and A321s are also assembled at the Airbus Americas factory in Mobile, Alabama.[38] Airbus produced a total of 42 A320s per month in 2015, and expected to increase to 50 per month in 2017.[39]
Production of parts takes place in a large number of countries around the world. For example, the centre fuselage is made in Hamburg, Germany; the horizontal stabiliser is produced in Getafe, Spain; and the rudder is produced in Harbin, China.[citation needed]
As Airbus targets a 60 monthly global production rate by mid-2019, the Tianjin line delivered 51 in 2016 and it could assemble six per month from four as it starts producing A320neos in 2017; 147 Airbus were delivered in 2016 in China, 20% of its production, mostly A320-family, a 47% market share as the country should become the world's largest market ahead of the US before 2027.[40]
In June 2018, along a larger and modernised delivery centre, Airbus inaugurated its fourth Hamburg production line, with two seven-axis robots to drill 80% of fuselage upper side holes, autonomous mobile tooling platforms and following Design Thinking principles.[41] By January 2019, Mobile was outputting 4.5 A320s per month, raising to five by the end of the year.[42]
In September 2019, Airbus reached a milestone with the delivery of the 9000th A320-family aircraft, to Easyjet. In October 2019, Airbus inaugurated a highly automated fuselage structure assembly line for A320 Family aircraft in Hamburg, showcasing an evolution in Airbus' industrial production system.[43] Production rates continue to rise, and Airbus aims to reach a production rate of 63 aircraft per month by 2021, which would result in the 10,000th delivery occurring early that year.[44]
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation, demand for new jets was reduced in 2020 and Airbus cut its monthly production from 60 to 40 A320s.[45] In October 2020, the 500th A320 built in Tianjin, an A320neo, was delivered to China Southern, twelve years after the final assembly line start in 2008.[46]
A320 Enhanced
Improvements
In 2006, Airbus started the A320 Enhanced (A320E) programme as a series of improvements targeting a 4–5% efficiency gain, with large winglets (2%), aerodynamic refinements (1%), weight savings and a new aircraft cabin.[47] Engine improvements that reduced fuel consumption by 1% were made to the A320 in 2007 with the CFM56 Tech Insertion[48] and in 2008 with the V2500Select (One).[49]
Sharklets
Wingtip sharklet
In 2006, Airbus tested three styles of winglets intended to counteract the wing's lift-induced drag and wingtip vortices more effectively than the previous wingtip fence. The first design type to be tested was developed by Airbus and based on work done by the AWIATOR programme.[50] The second type of winglet incorporated a more blended design and was designed by Winglet Technology, a company based in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Two aircraft were used in the flight test evaluation campaign– the prototype A320, which had been retained by Airbus for testing, and a new build aircraft which was fitted with both types of winglets before it was delivered to JetBlue.[citation needed]
Despite the anticipated efficiency gains and development work, Airbus announced that those winglets would not be offered to customers, claiming that the weight of the modifications required negated any aerodynamic benefits.[51] On 17 December 2008, Airbus announced it was to begin flight testing an existing blended winglet design developed by Aviation Partners Inc. as part of an A320 modernisation programme using the A320 prototype.[52]
Airbus launched the sharklet blended winglets during the November 2009 Dubai Airshow. Installation adds 200kg (440lb) but offers a 3.5% fuel burn reduction on flights over 2,800km (1,500nmi; 1,700mi),[53] saving approximately US$220,000 and 700 t of CO2 per aircraft per year.[54] The 2.5 metres (8ft 2in) tall wingtip devices are manufactured by Korean Air Aerospace Division.[55]
In December 2011, Airbus filed suit in the western district of Texas over Aviation Partners' claims of infringement of its patents on winglet design and construction which were granted in 1993. Airbus' lawsuit seeks to reject responsibility to pay royalties to Aviation Partners for using its designs, despite work performed together with both parties to develop advanced winglets for the Airbus A320neo.[56]
The first sharklet-equipped Airbus A320 was delivered to Indonesia AirAsia on 21 December 2012, offering a 450kg (990lb) payload and 100nmi (190km; 120mi) range increases over the original aircraft specifications.[57]
Cabin
In 2007, Airbus introduced a new enhanced, quieter cabin with better luggage storage and a more modern look and feel, and a new galley that reduced weight, increased revenue space and improved ergonomics and design for food hygiene and recycling.[58] It offered a new air purifier with filters and a catalytic converter, removing unpleasant smells from the air before it is pumped into the cabin, as well as LEDs for mood lighting and a new passenger service unit (PSU).[59]
Offering 10% more overhead bin volume, more shoulder room, a weight reduction, a new intercom and in-flight entertainment system, noise reduction and slimmer PSU, the enhanced cabin can be retrofitted.[60] The flight crew controls the cabin through touchscreen displays.[61]
The A320neo (neo for new engine option) is a development launched on 1 December 2010, making its first flight on 25 September 2014 and introduced by Lufthansa on 25 January 2016. Re-engined with CFM International LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines and with large sharklets, it was designed to be 15% more fuel efficient. Its three variants are based on the previous A319, A320 and A321. Airbus received 6,031 orders by March 2018 and delivered 318 by May 2018. The original family was renamed A320ceo, for current engine option. As of July 2024, IndiGo has 173 Airbus A320neos under service, making it the largest operator of this type of aircraft.
Replacement airliner
In 2006, Airbus was studying a future replacement for the A320 series, tentatively dubbed as NSR or "New Short-Range aircraft".[62] The follow-on aircraft to replace the A320 was to be named A30X. In 2007, Airbus North America President Barry Eccleston stated that the earliest the aircraft could have been available was 2017.[63] In January 2010, John Leahy, Airbus's chief operating officer-customers, stated that an all-new single-aisle aircraft was unlikely to be constructed before 2024 or 2025.[64]
Airbus claimed the 737-300 burns 35% more fuel and has a 16% higher operating cost per seat than the V2500-powered A320.[65] A 150-seat A320 burns 11,608kg (25,591lb) of jet fuel over 2,151nmi (3,984km; 2,475mi) (between Los Angeles and New York City), or 2.43L/100km (97mpg‑US) per seat with a 0.8kg/L fuel.[66] Its wing is long and thin, offering better aerodynamic efficiency because of the higher aspect ratio than the competing 737 and MD-80.
The Airbus A320 family are low-wingcantilevermonoplanes with a conventional empennage with a single vertical stabiliser and rudder. Its wing sweep is 25 degrees. Compared to other airliners of the same class, the A320 features a wider single-aisle cabin of 3.95 metres (156in) outside diameter,[28] compared to the 3.8m (148in) of the Boeing 737 or 757, and larger overhead bins. Its cargo hold can accommodate unit load device containers.
The A320 airframe includes composite materials and aluminium alloys to save weight and reduce the total number of parts to decrease the maintenance costs.[67] Its tail assembly is made almost entirely of such composites by CASA, which also builds the elevators, main landing gear doors, and rear fuselage parts.[9]
The A320 flight deck features a full glass cockpit, rather than the hybrid versions found in previous airliners. It is also equipped with an Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) with side-stick controllers. The A320 has an Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) to give the flight crew information about all of the systems on the aircraft. The only analogue instruments were the radio-magnetic indicator and brake pressure indicator.
Since 2003, the A320 has featured liquid crystal display (LCD) units on the flight deck instead of the original cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays. These include both main displays and the backup artificial horizon, which also previously had an analogue display.[68]
Airbus offers an avionics upgrade for older A320 aircraft, the In-Service Enhancement Package, to keep them updated.[69] Digital head-up displays are also available.[70]
The A320 retained the dark cockpit (where an indicator is off when its system is running; useful for drawing attention to dysfunctions when an indicator is lit) from the A310, the first widebody designed to be operated without a flight engineer and influenced by Bernard Ziegler, first Airbus CEO Henri Ziegler's son.[71]
Fly-by-wire
The A320 is the world's first airliner with digital fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system: input commands through the side-stick are interpreted by flight control computers and transmitted to flight control surfaces within the flight envelope protection; in the 1980s the computer-controlled dynamic system of the Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter cross-fertilised the Airbus team which tested FBW on an A300.[72] At its introduction, fly-by-wire and flight envelope protection was a new experience for many pilots.
All following Airbuses have similar human/machine interface and systems control philosophy to facilitate cross-type qualification with minimal training. For Roger Béteille, then Airbus president, introducing fly-by-wire with flight envelope protection was one of the most difficult decisions he had ever made, explaining: "Either we were going to be first with new technologies or we could not expect to be in the market."[72]
Early A320s used the Intel 80186 and Motorola 68010.[73] In 1988, the flight management computer contained six Intel 80286 CPUs, running in three logical pairs, with 2.5 megabytes of memory.[74]
Engines
The suppliers providing turbofan engines for the A320ceo family were CFM International with the CFM56, International Aero Engines offering its V2500, and Pratt & Whitney's PW6000 engines available only for the A318,[75] while for the A320neo family are CFM International LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines. The engines on the A320 family tend to make a distinct two tone drone when flying low and taxiing.
The CFM56, with unmixed exhaust, is available on all variants.
The Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) issued the type certificate for the A320 on 26 February 1988. After entering the market on 18 April 1988 with Air France, Airbus then expanded the A320 family rapidly, launching the 185-seat A321 in 1989 and first delivered it in 1994; launching the 124-seat A319 in 1993 and delivering it in 1996; and launching the 107-seat A318 in 1999 with first deliveries in 2003.[76]
As of March2024[update], the global A320 fleet had 99.7 percent operational reliability in the last 12 months and completed more than 176 million flights over 328 million block hours since its entry into service.[77]
The A320 family was developed to compete with the Boeing 737 Classics (-300/-400/-500) and the McDonnell Douglas MD-80/90 series, and has since faced challenges from the Boeing 737 Next Generation (-600/-700/-800/-900) and the 717 during its two decades in service. As of 2010, the A320 family also faced competition from Embraer's E-195 (to the A318) and the CSeries being developed by Bombardier[78] to the A318/A319.
Airbus has delivered 8,605 A320 family aircraft since their certification/first delivery in early 1988, with another 6,056 on firm order (as of 31 December 2018).[1] In comparison, Boeing has shipped 10,444 737-series aircraft since late 1967, including 8,918[79] since March 1988,[80] and has a further 4,763 on firm order (as of 31 December 2018).[80]
A320-200 with cargo door open during operations with one of its largest customers, AirAsia.
By September 2018, there were 7,251 A320ceo family aircraft in service versus 6,757 737NGs, while Airbus expected to deliver 3,174 A320neos compared with 2,999 Boeing 737 MAX through 2022. Airbus sold the A320 well to low-cost startups and offering a choice of engines could make them more attractive to airlines and lessors than the single-sourced 737, but CFM engines are extremely reliable. The six-month head start of the A320neo allowed Airbus to rack up 1,000 orders before Boeing announced the MAX. The A321 has outsold the 737-900 three to one, as the A321neo is again dominating the 737-9 MAX, to be joined by the 737-10 MAX.[81]
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
The baseline A320 has given rise to a family of aircraft which share a common design but with passenger capacity ranges from 100, on the A318,[35] to 220, on the A321.[29] They compete with the 737, 757, and 717. Because the four A320 variants share the same flight deck, all have the same pilot type rating. Today all variants are available as corporate jets. An A319 variant known as A319LR was also developed. Military versions like A319 MPA also exist. American Airlines is the largest airline operator of the A320 family of aircraft, with 392 aircraft in service as of 30 September 2017.[1]
Technically, the name "A320" only refers to the original mid-sized aircraft, but it is often informally used to indicate any of the A318/A319/A320/A321 family. All variants have had 180-minute ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) certification capacity since 2004 (EASA) and 2006 (FAA).[84]
A318
The 31.44m (103.1ft) long A318 is the shortest variant, here in the livery of British Airways.
The Airbus A318 is the smallest member of the Airbus A320 family. The A318 carries up to 132 passengers and has a maximum range of 3,100nmi (5,700km; 3,600mi). The aircraft entered service in July 2003 with Frontier Airlines, and shares a common type rating with all other Airbus A320 family variants, allowing existing A320 family pilots to fly the aircraft without the need for further training. It is the largest commercial aircraft certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency for steep approach operations, allowing flights at airports such as London City Airport. Relative to other Airbus A320 family variants, the A318 has sold in only small numbers with total orders for only 80 aircraft placed as of 31October2015[update]. In 2018, the A318 list price was US$77.4 million.[85]
The A319, 3.73m (12ft 3in) shorter than the A320, has a single overwing exit per side for exit limits of 145, and two per side for 146 and above as seen on this EasyJet aircraft.
The A319 is 3.73m (12ft 3in) shorter than the A320.[28][31][32] Also known as the A320M-7, it is a shortened, minimum-change version of the A320 with four frames fore of the wing and three frames aft of the wing removed. With a similar fuel capacity as the A320-200 and fewer passengers, the range with 124 passengers in a two-class configuration extends to 6,650km (3,590nmi), or 6,850km (3,700nmi) with the "Sharklets".[32] Four propulsion options available on the A319 are the 23,040–24,800lbf (102.5–110.3kN) IAE V2500, or the 22,000–27,000lbf (98–120kN) CFM56.[6] Although identical to those of the A320, these engines are derated because of the A319's lower MTOW.
The A319 was developed at the request of Steven F. Udvar-Házy, the former president and CEO of ILFC.[87] The A319's launch customer, in fact, was ILFC, which had placed an order for six A319s by 1993.[9] Anticipating further orders by Swissair and Alitalia, Airbus decided to launch the programme on 10 June 1993. Final assembly of the first A319 began on 23 March 1995[14] and it was first introduced with Swissair in April 1996. The direct Boeing competitor is the Boeing 737-700.
A total of 1,460 of the A319ceo model have been delivered with 24 remaining on order as of 30 September 2017.[1] A 1998 A319 was $35 million new; the value was halved by 2009, and reached scrap levels by 2019.[88] In 2018, the A319 list price was US$92.3 million.[85]
ACJ319
An ACJ319 cabin
The A319CJ (rebranded the ACJ319) is the corporate jet version of the A319. It incorporates removable extra fuel tanks (up to six additional centre tanks) which are installed in the cargo compartment, and an increased service ceiling of 12,500m (41,000ft).[89] Range with eight passengers' payload and auxiliary fuel tanks (ACTs) is up to 11,000 kilometres; 6,900 miles (6,000nmi).[90][91] Upon resale, the aircraft can be reconfigured as a standard A319 by removing its extra tanks and corporate cabin outfit, thus maximising its resale value. It was formerly also known as the ACJ, or Airbus Corporate Jet, while starting with 2014 it has the marketing designation ACJ319.
The A320 series has two variants, the A320-100 and A320-200. Only 21 A320-100s were produced.[9] These aircraft, the first to be manufactured, were delivered to Air Inter– later acquired by Air France– and British Airways as a result of an order from British Caledonian made prior to its acquisition. The primary differences from the -100 were the -200's wingtip fences and increased fuel capacity, providing increased range.
Powered by two CFM56-5s or IAE V2500s with thrust ratings of 98–120kN (22,000–27,000lbf), the A320's typical range with 150 passengers is 3,300nmi (6,100km; 3,800mi).[28] A total of 4,512 of the A320ceo model have been delivered, with 220 remaining on order as of 30 September 2017.[1] The closest Boeing competitor is the 737-800.[94]
In 1988, the value of a new A320 was $30 million, reaching $40 million by the end of the 1990s, a 30% increase lower than the inflation, it dipped to $37 million after 2001, then peaked to $47 million in 2008, and stabilised at $40–42 million until the transition to the A320neo.[95] In 2018, its list price was US$101.0 million.[85]
The A321 is 6.93m (22ft 9in) longer than the A320; overwing exits are replaced by doors.
As the A320 was beginning operations in 1988, the A321 was launched as its first derivative the same year.[9] The A321 fuselage is stretched by 6.93 metres (22ft 9in), with a 4.27m (14ft 0in) front plug immediately forward of wing and a 2.67m (8ft 9in) rear plug.[6] The A321-100 maximum takeoff weight is increased by 9,600kg (21,200lb) to 83,000kg (183,000lb).[9] To maintain performance, double-slotted flaps were included, in addition to increasing the wing area by 4m2 (43sqft), to 128m2 (1,380sqft).[27] The maiden flight of the first of two prototypes came on 11 March 1993.[14] The A321-100 entered service in January 1994 with Lufthansa.
As the A321-100 range was less than the A320, development of the heavier and longer range A321-200 began in 1995. The higher range was achieved through higher thrust engines (V2533-A5 or CFM56-5B3), minor structural strengthening, and an increase in fuel capacity with the installation of one or two optional 2,990L (790USgal) tanks in the rear underfloor hold.[6] Its fuel capacity was increased to 30,030L (7,930USgal) and its maximum takeoff weight to 93,000kg (205,000lb). It first flew in December 1996 and entered service with Monarch Airlines in April 1997.
The A321's closest Boeing competitors are the 737-900/900ER,[94] and the 757-200.[27] In 2018, the A321 list price was US$118.3 million.[85] A total 1,784 units of the A321ceo model have been delivered, with seven remaining on order as of 30 September 2023.[1]
Conversions
Civilian variants
Passenger-to-freighter (P2F)
Airbus A321P2F of Australia Post
A programme to convert A320 and A321 aircraft into freighters was set up by Airbus Freighter Conversion GmbH. Airframes were to be converted by Elbe FlugzeugwerkeGmbH (EFW) in Dresden, Germany, and Zhukovsky, Russia. Launch customer AerCap signed a firm contract on 16 July 2008 to convert 30 of its passenger A320/A321s into A320/A321P2F (passenger to freighter). However, on 3 June 2011, Airbus announced all partners would end the passenger-to-freighter programme, citing high demand on used airframes for passenger service.[96] Finally, on 17 June 2015 ST Aerospace signed agreements with Airbus and EFW for a collaboration to launch the A320/A321 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion programme.[97]
A321P2F
In August 2019, Qantas was announced as launch operator for the A321P2F converted freighter, for Australia Post, with up to three aircraft to be introduced in October 2020.[98]Titan Airways received their first A321P2F in January 2021;[99] it was converted at Singapore Seletar Airport, with two more A321P2F's to be converted.[100]
The initial converted aircraft first flew on 22 January 2020, to be delivered to Vallair, and secured EASA supplementary type certificate in February. It was to replace older converted Boeing 757s with 14 main deck and 10 lower deck positions, carrying up to 27.9t (62,000lb) over 2,300nmi (4,300km; 2,600mi). Airbus sees a market for 1,000 narrowbody conversions over the 2020-2040 period.[101] On 27 October 2020, the first A321P2F was delivered to launch operator Qantas Airways, with windows and exit doors removed, and a large hydraulically actuated main cargo door installed.[102]
A320P2F
After EFW began the first A320 conversion in March 2021, the A320P2F made its maiden three-hour flight on 8 December from Singapore.[103] The aircraft was first delivered in 2006, and its first cargo operator was to be Nairobi-based Astral Aviation from the second quarter of 2022, leased from Middle Eastern lessor Vaayu Group.[104] The A320P2F received its supplemental type certification at the end of March 2022.[105]
The A320P2F is suitable for express domestic as well as regional operations and can accommodate up to 27 metric tonnes over 1,900 nautical miles, offering space for 14 large containers/pallets on the main deck and 10 LD3-type containers on the lower deck.[77]
Military variants
DRDO AEW&CS (Airborne Early Warning and Control System)
As of October2024[update], there are 10,803 A320 family aircraft in commercial service with over 350 operators. The five largest operators are American Airlines (479), China Eastern Airlines (388), EasyJet (358), IndiGo (343) and China Southern Airlines (329). Aircraft in operation include 42 A318s, 1,279 A319s (1,257 ceo, 22 neo), 6,266 A320s (4,192 ceo, 2,074 neo) and 3,216 A321s (1,705 ceo, 1,511 neo) aircraft. In addition, 904 A320ceo family aircraft consisting of 38 A318s, 227 A319s, 560 A320s and 79 A321s were out of service through retirement or write-off.[1]
Air France, British Airways, and Frontier Airlines are the only operators to have operated all four variants of the A320ceo family.[1]Middle East Airlines received two milestone aircraft. The first was an A320ceo with manufacturer serial number (MSN) 5,000 on 20 January 2012.[107] Eight years later, on 9 October 2020, the airline received MSN 10,000, an A321neo, at the celebration of its 75th anniversary.[108][109] In December 2022, over 10,000 A320 family aircraft were operated by more than 330 airlines, completing more than 158 million flights or 292 million hours in the air.[1][77]
The A320ceo family was the fastest-selling airliner from 2005 to 2007.[110] Its successor, the A320neo family, improved on this with 1,420 orders and commitments in less than a year in 2011.[111] In November 2013, the A320 family aircraft reached 10,000 orders.[112] In October 2019, the A320 family became the highest-selling airliner family with 15,193 orders, surpassing the Boeing 737's total of 15,136.[113] In August 2021, the A320 family passed the 10,000 delivery mark,[114] 33 years after its introduction, versus 50 years for the Boeing 737, which passed the 10,000 delivery mark in March 2018.[115] On 16 December 2021, the last member of the A320ceo family, an A321ceo (MSN 10315), was delivered from the assembly line Airbus Mobile in Alabama to Delta Air Lines registered N129DN.[2] In July 2022, total orders for the A320neo family reached 8,502, exceeding the total orders for the A320ceo family of 8,120.[1] In June 2023, total orders for the A321neo reached 5,163, surpassing total orders for the A320ceo of 4,763, and making it the most-ordered variant of the A320 family.[1][116] In July 2023, the total orders for the A321neo reached 5,259, surpassing the record 5,205 orders for the Boeing 737-800, becoming the most ordered variant of any airliner in the world.[1][80][117] In December 2023, the A320neo family became the first of airliner generations to reach a record order of 10,000 units and an order backlog of 7,000 units.[1]
As of October2024[update], a total of 11,707 A320 family aircraft have been delivered, with 6 A320ceos (2 A319s and 4 A320s from two defunct airlines) remaining in the backlog. In the first ten months of 2024, Airbus has delivered 444 A320neo family aircraft, comprising 5 A319neos, 176 A320neos and 263 A321neos. The A320 family backlog is over the 7,000 mark, with A321s accounting for 60% and total orders reached 18,994,[1][77] while total orders for the 737 increased slightly to 16,705 aircraft, of which 11,898 had been delivered.[80]
As of 2015, the Airbus A320 family had experienced 0.12 fatal hull loss accidents for every million takeoffs and 0.26 total hull loss accidents for every million takeoffs.[122]
As of 2023, the Airbus A320 family had experienced 0.095 (0.08 for A320ceo and 0.11 for A320neo) fatal hull loss accidents for every million takeoffs and 0.14 (0.17 for A320ceo and 0.11 for A320neo) total hull loss accidents for every million takeoffs.[123]
The Boeing 737 is an American narrow-body airliner produced by Boeing at its Renton factory in Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retained the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating but with two underwing Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofan engines. Envisioned in 1964, the initial 737-100 made its first flight in April 1967 and entered service in February 1968 with Lufthansa. The lengthened 737-200 entered service in April 1968, and evolved through four generations, offering several variants for 85 to 215 passengers.
The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of 3,700 nmi. Final assembly of the aircraft takes place in Hamburg, Germany and Tianjin, China.
The Airbus A321 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short to medium range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin engine jet airliners; it carries 185 to 236 passengers. It has a stretched fuselage which was the first derivative of the baseline A320 and entered service in 1994, about six years after the original A320. The aircraft shares a common type rating with all other Airbus A320-family variants, allowing A320-family pilots to fly the aircraft without the need for further training.
The Airbus A318 is the smallest and least numerous variant airliner of the Airbus A320 family. The A318 carries 107 to 132 passengers and has a maximum range of 5,750 kilometres. Final assembly of the aircraft took place in Hamburg, Germany. It is intended primarily for short-range service.
Tunisair is the national airline of Tunisia. Formed in 1948, it operates scheduled international services to four continents. Its main base is Tunis–Carthage International Airport. The airline's head office is in Tunis, near Tunis Airport.
The CFM International CFM56 series is a Franco-American family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines made by CFM International (CFMI), with a thrust range of 18,500 to 34,000 lbf. CFMI is a 50–50 joint-owned company of Safran Aircraft Engines of France, and GE Aerospace (GE) of the United States. GE produces the high-pressure compressor, combustor, and high-pressure turbine, Safran manufactures the fan, gearbox, exhaust and the low-pressure turbine, and some components are made by Avio of Italy and Honeywell from the US. Both companies have their own final assembly line, GE in Evendale, Ohio, and Safran in Villaroche, France. The engine initially had extremely slow sales but has gone on to become the most used turbofan aircraft engine in the world.
The IAE V2500 is a two-shaft high-bypass turbofan engine built by International Aero Engines (IAE) which powers the Airbus A320 family, the McDonnell Douglas MD-90, and the Embraer C-390 Millennium.
Titan Airways Limited is a British charter airline based at London Stansted Airport. The carrier specialises in short-notice ACMI and wet lease operations, as well as ad-hoc passenger and cargo charter services to tour operators, corporations, governments, and the sports and entertainment sectors. The company holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail, on aircraft with 20 or more seats.
A narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft is an airliner arranged along a single aisle, permitting up to 6-abreast seating in a cabin less than 4 metres (13 ft) in width. In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner usually configured with multiple aisles and a fuselage diameter of more than 5 metres (16 ft), allowing at least seven-abreast seating and often more travel classes.
TAP Maintenance & Engineering – the maintenance, repair and operations center of TAP Air Portugal airline – is located at Portela Airport, Lisbon, Portugal.
As of September 2024, the American Airlines fleet consists of 971 mainline aircraft, making it the third-largest commercial airline fleet in the world. American Airlines operates aircraft manufactured by Boeing and Airbus.
Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) is a business unit of Airbus which markets and completes business jet variants of the company’s airliners. Following the entry of the 737-based Boeing Business Jet into the market, Airbus introduced the A319-based Airbus Corporate Jet in 1997. Although the term Airbus Corporate Jet was initially used only for the A319CJ, it is now used for all models in a VIP configuration. As of June 2019, 213 corporate and private jets are operating; 222 aircraft have been ordered, including 128 A320 family jets.
As of November 2024, Air India operates a fleet of both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft with a fleet consisting of Airbus A319, A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo, A350 as well as the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787, making for a total of 210 aircraft.
The CFM International LEAP is a high-bypass turbofan engine produced by CFM International, a 50–50 joint venture between American GE Aerospace and French Safran Aircraft Engines. It is the successor of the CFM56 and competes with the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G to power narrow-body aircraft.
The Airbus A321neo is a single-aisle airliner created by Airbus. The A321neo is developed from the Airbus A321 and Airbus A320neo family. It is the longest stretched fuselage of Airbus's A320 series, and the newest version of the A321, with the original A321ceo entering service in 1994 with Lufthansa. It typically seats 180 to 220 passengers in a two-class configuration, with up to 244 passengers in a high-density arrangement.
The Airbus A320neo family is an incremental development of the A320 family of narrow-body airliners produced by Airbus. The A320neo family is based on the enhanced variant of the previous generation A319, A320, and A321, which was then retrospectively renamed the A320ceo family.
British Airways operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. It operates a single-aisle fleet of Airbus aircraft, including the Airbus A320-200 and the Airbus A320neo. It also operates a twin-aisle aircraft fleet of the Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A380, Boeing 777 and 787.
This is a list of aviation-related events in 2019.
IndiGo is the largest airline of India since its establishment in 2006. It is also the largest individual Asian airline and the world's 10th-largest airline, as of October 2024.
↑ Eden, Paul E. (15 December 2016). The world's most powerful civilian aircraft. New York: Rosen Publishing. ISBN9781499465884. OCLC959698377.
↑ Payne, Richard (2004). Stuck on the Drawing Board: Unbuilt British Commercial Aircraft Since 1945. London, UK: The History Press Ltd. ISBN978-0-7524-3172-7.
1 2 3 4 Guy Norris and Mark Wagner (1999). Airbus. MBI Publishing Company. ISBN9781610606967. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
↑ Laming, Tim and Robert Hewson (2000). Airbus A320. Zenith Imprint. p.23. ISBN978-0-7603-0902-5. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
1 2 Reed, Arthur (1992). Airbus: Europe's High Flyer. Zürich, Switzerland: Norden Publishing House. p.84. ISBN978-3-907150-10-8.
1 2 3 4 Moxon, Henley (30 August 1995). "Meeting demands". Flight International. Archived from the original on 22 June 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
1 2 3 Kingsley-Jones, Max (10–16 June 2003). "The Minibus Arrives". Flight International. Archived from the original on 27 February 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
↑ Gilbert Sedbon (13 February 1988). "Keeping the Complex Simple". Flight International. p.44. Archived from the original on 20 May 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
↑ "Boeing Orders & Deliveries". Boeing.com. Boeing Press Calculations. 31 August 2020. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
↑ "hull-loss occurrences". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
↑ "Airbus A320 Statistics". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
↑ "Safety Recommendation A08-53"(PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. 22 July 2008. p.2. Archived(PDF) from the original on 10 February 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2017. According to Airbus, as of May 2007, 49 events similar to the United Airlines flight 731 and UK events had occurred in which the failure of electrical busses resulted in the loss of flight displays and various aircraft systems.
↑ "USAir Flt.1549 Coming to Charlotte"(PDF). Contact: The Newsletter of the Carolinas Historic Aviation Commission. February 2011. Archived from the original(PDF) on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
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