IATA 320ICAO A320

Airbus A320

Airbus

TravelerPulse profile

Revolutionary narrow-body that pioneered fly-by-wire technology.

First flight

1987

Category

Narrow-body jet

Seating

150–180 (typical two-class or single-class)

Range

6,150 km

Engines

Two CFM56 or IAE V2500 turbofan engines (ceo); CFM LEAP-1A or PW1100G (neo)

Status

In production

The Airbus A320 is a short- to medium-range narrow-body commercial jetliner developed by Airbus, making it one of the most successful and widely operated aircraft families in aviation history. It was the first commercial aircraft to introduce fly-by-wire flight controls as standard, along with a glass cockpit and a side-stick controller instead of a traditional yoke. Launched in 1984 and entering service in 1988 with Air France, the A320 quickly established itself as a strong competitor to the Boeing 737. Its common type rating across the A318, A319, A320, and A321 variants offers airlines significant operational and training efficiencies. The A320 family has accumulated over 100 million flight hours and remains in high demand globally. Its successor, the A320neo (new engine option), introduced in 2016, features more fuel-efficient engines and winglets, further extending the family's commercial longevity.

Notable operators

Major operators include IndiGo, American Airlines, United Airlines, easyJet, Air France, Lufthansa, China Southern Airlines, and Wizz Air.

Notable facts

›First commercial aircraft to use fly-by-wire controls as standard.
›Introduced side-stick controllers instead of a conventional control yoke.
›The A320 family has received over 15,000 orders, making it one of the best-selling jetliner families ever.
›Shares a common type rating with the A318, A319, and A321, reducing airline training costs.
›The A320neo variant, introduced in 2016, offers up to 20% better fuel efficiency than the original ceo version.

Read more on Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Specifications may be inaccurate or vary by variant/operator — verify with the manufacturer before relying on them.

Encyclopaedia

The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus, and is the best-selling airliner ever built. The A320 aircraft programme was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France. The first member of the family was followed by the stretched A321, the shorter A319, and the shortest variant, the A318 . 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.

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