Commercial

Airbus A320

Manufacturer: Airbus

The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow‑body twin‑jet airliners made by Airbus. It is the world’s best‑selling airliner, with a six‑abreast economy cabin and a range of 5,740–6,940 km.

Aircraft Facts

Type Key
airbus-a320
Class
Commercial
Registry Count
810
Example Registration
N102UW

Specifications

Wingspan
35.8 m / 117.5 ft
Length
37.6 m / 123.3 ft
Height
11.8 m / 38.7 ft
Max Speed
871 km/h / 541 mph
Cruise Speed
828 km/h / 514 mph
Range
6150 km / 3821 mi
Ceiling
12000 m / 39370 ft
First Flight
1987-02-22
Production Start
1988-01-01
Total Built
11000

Aircraft Overview

History

The A320 programme started in March 1984. It first flew on 22 February 1987 and entered service with Air France in April 1988. The family grew with the stretched A321 (first delivered 1994), the shorter A319 (1996) and the smallest A318 (2003). Final assembly is done in Toulouse, Hamburg, Tianjin and Mobile.

Design

The A320 was the first airliner with digital fly‑by‑wire and side‑stick controls. It uses a glass cockpit, composite tail and a 25° swept wing. The cabin is 3.95 m wide, giving a six‑abreast economy layout and larger overhead bins than competitors.

Variants

Key variants include the A318, A319, A320 and A321. The A320neo (new engine option) entered service in 2016, offering up to 15 % better fuel economy. Corporate Jets are business‑jet versions of the family.

Operations

The A320 family is flown by more than 375 airlines worldwide, with American Airlines and IndiGo as the biggest operators. Over 11,500 aircraft are in service, and the fleet has completed more than 176 million flights.

Notable Facts

  • The A320 was the first commercial airliner to use digital fly‑by‑wire and side‑stick controls.
  • The A320neo introduced LEAP‑1A and PW1000G engines, giving up to 15 % better fuel economy.
  • The A320 family has a 6‑abreast economy cabin and a 3.95 m wide cabin, larger than the 737.
  • The A320 family has completed more than 176 million flights and 328 million block hours.
  • American Airlines operates the largest A320 fleet with 489 aircraft.
  • IndiGo has the largest order book for the family with 930 aircraft on order.

Variants

  • A320-232- 301 registrations - Example N1902U
  • A320-214- 191 registrations - Example N102UW
  • A320-271N- 119 registrations - Example N402FR
  • A320-251N- 118 registrations - Example N301FR
  • A320-212- 42 registrations - Example N334NW
  • A320-233- 22 registrations - Example N1523
  • A320-211- 10 registrations - Example N231XC
  • A320-231- 4 registrations - Example N252NJ
  • A320-200- 2 registrations - Example N1137
  • A320-111- 1 registrations - Example N290XC

Machine-Readable Resources

Sources