Airbus A320 Family

With some 6,300 aircraft ordered and over 3,600 delivered to more than 200 operators by late 2008, the A318, A319, A320 and A321 make up the world's best-selling single-aisle aircraft family. The A320 Family is designed to optimise revenue through cabin adaptability and passenger comfort. Designed to optimise revenue through cabin adaptability and passenger comfort and featuring the most modern and complete fly-by-wire technology available on any single-aisle aircraft, they ensure savings in every element of direct operating cost and provide operators with the highest degree of operational commonality and economy for aircraft in the 100-220 seat category. It features the most modern and complete fly-by-wire technology available on any single-aisle aircraft. This ensures savings in every element of cash operating cost and provides operators with the highest degree of operational commonality and economy for aircraft in the 100-220-seat category.

The Family comprises four aircraft that share the same cockpit, fly with the same operating procedures, and have the same cabin cross-section and systems. The A320 Family responds to airlines' needs for optimised cabin layouts, better baggage and cargo handling, maximum operational flexibility on short- and medium-haul routes and lower operating costs that only a new-generation aircraft can offer. Fly-by-wire technology pioneered in the A320 Family - and subsequently applied to the A330, A340 and A380 - provide all the benefits of commonality across the Airbus product line.

The A320 Family's optimised cabin cross-section - the widest single-aisle fuselage on the market - sets the standards for passenger cabin adaptability in this segment. It allows for top- of- the-range comfort with wider seats and aisles, or an extra-wide aisle for fast turnarounds, which are essential in the low-cost market. Furthermore, the superior cabin size and shape allows for larger overhead stowage compartments to be fitted, which offer more convenience and lead to faster boarding and deplaning. March 2007 has seen the introduction of a brand new cabin design that enhances the feeling of spaciousness and adds even more overhead stowage space whilst reducing noise levels in the cabin.

The wider fuselage also provides unmatched cargo capability. The A319, A320 and A321 are unique in their category in offering a containerised cargo loading system that is essential for profitable cargo operations. This system is compatible with the worldwide standard wide-body system, which reduces ground equipment and handling costs.

The twin-engine A319, A320 and A321 can be powered by either CFM International CFM56 or International Aero Engines V2500 engines, while the A318 is offered with CFM56 engines or Pratt & Whitney PW6000A engines. The A320 Family is an environmentally responsible neighbour, offering the lowest fuel burn, emissions and noise footprints in its class. Work is ongoing to reduce fuel burn even further through a package of aerodynamic and engine modifications. In addition, the family's impressively high dispatch reliability further enhances profitability and passenger service.

The A320 Family profits from the unique benefits of Airbus operational commonality. Capitalising on the launch of the A318, Airbus has introduced and revised a number of aircraft systems, which improves overall reliability and reduces maintenance and spares costs, these are now standard on all newly ordered A320 Family aircraft. Among these, the new generation of Cabin Intercommunication Data Systems includes a touch-screen Flight Attendant Panel which facilitates programming. The new Liquid Crystal Display screens in the cockpit are lighter and clearer than cathode ray tubes and present the data in the same way to preserve cockpit commonality for pilots.

In addition, the A320 Family provides operators with tremendous flexibility in matching the right aircraft to specific route requirements through Airbus Dynamic Capacity Management. All A320 Family aircraft share the Same Type Rating, allowing pilots to fly any member of the Family after attending only one training course and enabling the same team of mechanics to maintain the aircraft. With only minimal additional training pilots can transition from the single-aisles to larger long-range aircraft quickly and simply thanks to the unique Airbus family concept and the exceptional degree of operational commonality.

Airbus A318

The Airbus A318, the smallest, and newest A320 Family member, brings all the benefits of Airbus commonality and comfort to the 100-seat market segment. The A318 retains all of the A320 Family's advantages while providing highly efficient operations in the 100-seat airliner category. With an overall length of 31.44 metres (103 ft. 2 in.), the A318 has the shortest fuselage of the A320 product line. The A318 seats 107 passengers in a typical two-class cabin layout, with eight in first class and 99 in economy.

With a range of up to 5,750 km/ 3,100 nm, the A318 entered service in July 2003. It has unbeatable take-off and landing performance, requiring less runway length than comparable aircraft thereby providing operators with access to a greater diversity of airfields. The A318 acquired steep approach landing certification in 2007 giving it the capability to fly to airports that require such performance for their challenging locations. When combined with its ultra-low noise characteristics, these features make the A318 an extremely good neighbour for downtown airports. The A318 with CFM56 engines gained ETOPS 180 minute approval in April 2007, with the Pratt and Whitney version to be approved during 2009. Once completed, this will mean that all A320 Family members will be approved for 180-minute ETOPS operations.

Airbus A319

The A319, first delivered in April 1996, continues to prove its versatility, enabling carriers to benefit from its range options and seat layout flexibility. The A319 brings a new standard of comfort and performance to markets previously only served by the smallest jet aircraft. A319 operational flexibility provides range possibilities of 3,700 nm./6,800 km., and longer for non-stop trans-Atlantic flights. The A319 offers a variety of seating configurations, from an all business-class layout to an optional high-density version. In addition to the standard 124-seat model, which has a range of up to 6,650 km/ 3,600 nm, Airbus offers an option, as ordered by an increasing number of low-cost airlines, allowing increased seating efficiency of up to 156 seats.

Airbus A320

The A320 entered airline service in April 1988 and rapidly established itself as the industry standard for passenger comfort and economy on short and medium-haul routes. Typically seating 150 passengers in two classes or up to 180 for low-cost operations, the A320 has a range of up to 5,700 km/3,000 nm. The A320 is in widespread service on five continents, flying routes that range from short European commuter sectors, through European charter operations to coast-to-coast US flights.

The founding member of the best-selling Airbus single-aisle Family, the A320 is the only all-new aircraft in its category. Airbus innovation means better performance and reliability with reduced fuel burn and easier maintenance. The A320's 3.96-metre-wide (13 ft.) fuselage provides wider seats and more room for carry-on baggage in the cabin, and the ability to load containerised cargo in the lower hold. The A320 set a new generation of comfort standards, accommodating 12 first class and 138 economy passengers in the widest cabin available for single-aisle jetliners.

Airbus A320ceo

Deliveries of the A320ceo (current engine option) jetliners with Sharklets began in December 2012 with the first aircraft�s handover to AirAsia � the largest low-cost carrier in Asia and the biggest A320 Family airline customer � and Airbus has since delivered the first A319 and A321 with these devices to American Airlines and Finnair, respectively. Lufthansa Group�s supervisory board approved the purchase of ten A320ceo aircraft for its subsidiary Eurowings. The new aircraft will become the backbone of the new low cost business model announced by the Lufthansa Group in July 2014, which foresees Eurowings operations on direct connections within Europe. Airbus does not want to move A320 orders to 2018 and beyond because the airframer is aiming to achieve full A320neo production cutover by this point.

Airbus A320neo

The A320neo (new engine option) incorporates cabin innovations, new generation engines and Sharklets (large wing tip devices) which together deliver 20 percent in fuel savings per seat by 2020. The A320neo Family, encompassing the A319neo, A320neo and A321neo, seating up to 160, 189 and 240 passengers respectively, is the world's best-selling single-aisle aircraft family and the preferred choice with traditional airlines, as well as with the fast-growing low-cost carrier market for which it is now the reference. The familiy features new engine options � the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM and the CFM International LEAP-1A turbofans.

Sharklets also are equipped on the ACJ319, ACJ320 and ACJ321 corporate jet versions based on Airbus� A320 Family members. These devices cut down on aerodynamic drag by helping reduce the spiral-shaped vortices that are formed at the wingtips of any aircraft during flight. The Sharklets bring four per cent savings in overall fuel consumption on long route sectors to A320 aircraft, while also improving takeoff performance and increasing payload by as much as 450 kg. � allowing for additional range or more passengers to be carried.

As part of this enhancement to the A320 Family, Airbus also plans to increase the exit door limits for NEO jetliners, taking advantage of innovative new cabin equipment, fixtures and seat designs to deliver increased efficiency for operators, while retaining the company�s modern comfort standard of 18-inch wide seats for passengers. The A320neo versions have over 95 per cent airframe commonality with the A320ceo (current engine option) versions, enabling it to fit seamlessly into existing A320 Family fleets � a key factor for Airbus customers and operators which have taken delivery of more than 6,000 of these aircraft through mid-2014.

By September 2014, firm orders for the NEO reached 3257 aircraft from 60 customers, representing a 60 per cent market share in its category, representing a 60% market share. On 25 September 2014 the first A320neo to fly landed back at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport France at 02:22 pm local time after successfully completing its first flight which lasted around two and a half hours. The aircraft � carrying the registration F-WNEO � was flown by Airbus Experimental Test Pilots Philippe Pellerin and Etienne Miche de Malleray. Accompanying them in the cockpit was Test-Flight Engineer Jean-Paul Lambert. Monitoring the progress of the flight profile were the Flight-Test Engineers Manfred Birnfeld and Sandra Bour-Schaeffer.

Marking another key achievement, the A320neo took to the skies for the first time with LEAP-1A powerplants in May 2015.

Airbus A321

Entering service in early 1994, the largest member of the A320 Family - the A321 - has a range of up to 5,600km/3,000nm. The A321 offers the best seat-mile costs of any single-aisle aircraft and brings seating capacities into the realm of the widebody jetliner. The A321 offers the best seat-mile costs of any single-aisle aircraft, and matches widebody cost efficiency. This stretched fuselage aircraft has an overall length of 44.51 metres (146 ft.) and an operating range of up to 3,000 nm./5,600 km with the maximum passenger payload. Typical two-class seating capacity for the A321 is 185 seats with 16 in first class and 169 in economy, while the A321 single-class configuation comfortably seats 199 passengers.

Airbus announced its commitment to build a single-aisle assembly line in Mobile, Alabama in 2012, and less than one year later, broke ground on the $600 million (U.S.) facility. The ceremonial inauguration of the plant came in September 2015. The aircraft delivered today, a JetBlue A321, successfully had its first flight on March 21st, 2016.

In addition to the JetBlue A321, there were nine other A320 Family aircraft in production at the facility. Airbus anticipated delivering four aircraft per month from the Mobile plant by the end of 2017. The initial deliveries were all be A320 Family aircraft with the Current Engine Option (CEO), but l began transitioning to New Engine Option (NEO) derivatives in late 2017.

In addition to hundreds of new Airbus jobs the project has brought to the local community, the Mobile area has seen many Airbus suppliers open new facilities in the region, providing even more employment and a parallel boost to the local economy. Airbus is proud to boast that 87 percent of its new employees are from the Gulf Coast region, with nearly one third being U.S. military veterans.