Airbus A320

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The Airbus A320 is a short-to-medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. First delivered in 1988, the A320 pioneered the use of digital fly-by-wire flight control systems in a commercial aircraft. With more than 2800 built, it is the second best selling jet airliner family of all time, after the Boeing 737, its closest rival.

Contents

History

StarFlyer Airbus A320-200

An Airblue A320-200 taking off at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore

Development

After the initial success of the Airbus A300, Airbus began developing a new model aimed at replacing the world's most popular aircraft at the time, the Boeing 727. The new Airbus would be of the same size, yet offer improved operating economics and various passenger capacities. The digital technology in the A320 would herald a two-generation technological leap over the all-analog Boeing 727 and be a generation ahead of the Boeing 737-300/400/500 series. The A320 was targeted at the global fleet replacement requirements for the 727 and early variants of the 737.

After the oil price rises of the 1970s, Airbus needed to minimise the trip fuel costs of the A320. To that end, Airbus incorporated advanced features including fly-by-wire flight control, composite primary structures, centre-of-gravity control (using fuel), glass cockpit (EFIS) and a 2-person flight deck. The end result: the A320 consumes 50% less fuel than the 727.

Features

Compared to other airliners of the same class, the A320 features a wider cabin and larger overhead bins along with fly-by-wire technology. In addition, the aircraft has a spacious cargo hold equipped with large doors to assist in expedient loading and unloading of goods. These features have resulted in orders from airlines including Northwest Airlines (launch customer for United States), United Airlines and British Airways. The A320's low maintenance and operating costs have appealed to low-cost carriers, as well. JetBlue, for example, has orders and options for up to 233 jets of the A320 family. Other low-cost carriers with significant orders include EasyJet, Frontier Airlines, Tiger Airways and Air Asia.

The A320 features a computerised on-board maintenance system. The avionics system is designed for easy upgrade without major rework. With the exception of the very earliest A320s, most can be upgraded to the latest avionics standards, keeping the aircraft advanced even after almost 2 decades in service.

The flight deck is equipped with EFIS with sidestick controllers. At the time of the aircraft's introduction, the behavior of the fly-by-wire system (equipped with full flight envelope protection) was a new experience for many pilots. Rigorous pilot training and modification of the fly-by-wire system has greatly reduced incidents related to the EFIS system.

Two suppliers provide turbofan engines for the A320 series: CFM International with their CFM56, and International Aero Engines, offering the V2500.

Production

Components from various Airbus plants are transported to the final assembly plant at Hamburg Finkenwerder for the A318/A319/A321 and to Toulouse for the A320. Nearly all assemblies are moved using Airbus' A300-600ST 'Beluga' outsized transporters.

In service

The JAA issued the type certificate for the A320 on February 26, 1988. After entering the market in March 1988 with Air France, Airbus expanded the A320 family rapidly, launching the 185-seat A321 in 1989, the 124-seat A319 in 1993, and the 107-seat A318 in 1999.

Early crashes, including the Air France A320 crash during an airshow in Habsheim, France, on 26 June 1988, dented the image of the A320 and its new computer controlled fly-by-wire technologies ([Video of the crash]). The cause of the crash remains in dispute, as the investigation was hindered by the tampering of essential evidence. Officially, the crash was attributed to pilot error. However, some suggest that the new computer systems and previously known deficiencies of the aircraft were the actual cause of the accident.

Interior of a StarFlyer A320-200

Competition

The A320 family has faced competitive challenges from the Boeing 737 Classics (-300/-400/-500), the Boeing 737 Next-Generation (-600/-700/-800/-900), the Boeing 757, the Boeing 717, the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series and the McDonnell Douglas MD-90 series during its almost two decades in service. As of February 2006, the A320 family's only remaining competitor is the Boeing 737 Next-Generation series, as the other models have ceased production. Embraer's 195 jet is also a major competitor to the A318.

Airbus is studying a replacement for the A320 series, tentatively dubbed NSR, for "New Short-Range aircraft.""[The 737 Story: Smoke and mirrors obscure 737 and Airbus A320 replacement studies]." Flight International. February 7, 2006.

Technology

Technological Advancements in the A320 include:

the first fully digital fly-by-wire flight control system in a civil airliner, hence the first with relaxed stability
fully glass cockpit rather than the hybrid versions found in A310, Boeing 757 and Boeing 767
the first narrowbody airliner with a significant amount of the structure made from composites
centralized maintenance diagnostics systems allowing diagnosis of problems from the flight deck
Airbus recently has started installing LCD (liquid crystal) display units in the flight deck of its new A318, A319, A320, and A321 flight decks instead of the original CRT (cathode ray tube) displays. These include the main displays and the backup artificial horizon, which was an analog display prior to this. LCDs are lighter and produce much less heat than CRT displays.
On it's A320's, Airbus currently offers the option for a new style of winglets. Jetblue Airways, among other airlines, is currently choosing this option on all of their new aircraft. http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1054589/L/

Even though the A320 family is technologically advanced, the computers at the heart of the aircraft are built around CPUs roughly equivalent to the Intel 8086. While these chips may not offer anywhere near the power of modern processors, they are incredibly stable, and allow engineers to examine literally decades of information related to their operation.

Variants

The Irish national airline, Aer Lingus, has several A320-200 aircraft

The A320 has given rise to a family of aircraft which share a common design but are slightly smaller (the A319), significantly smaller (the A318), or slightly larger (the A321). Passenger capacity ranges from 100 to 220. They compete with the Boeing 737, 757-200, and 717. All have the same pilot type-rating.

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 are able to be ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) certified.

A320

The A320 series has two variants, the A320-100 and A320-200. The A320-200 is the definitive version as very few A320-100s were ever produced; these aircraft, the first to be manufactured, were delivered to Air France and British Airways only and are the only A320s that lack the distinctive "wingtip fences". The A320-200 features wingtip fences and increased fuel capacity over the A320-100 for increased range: other than that differences are minimal.

Typical range with 150 passengers for the A320-200 is about 2900 nautical miles (5,400 km). It is powered by two CFMI CFM56-5 or IAE V2500 with thrust ratings between 25,500 to 27,000 pounds force (113 kN to 120 kN).

The direct Boeing competitor is the 737-800.

A319

[easyJet Airbus A319 departing Bristol]

British Airways Airbus A319-100

This is a shortened, minimum change version of the A320. With virtually same fuel capacity as the A320-200, and fewer passengers, the range with 124 passengers in 2-class configuration extends to 3,900 nautical miles (7200 km), the highest in its class. The A320 and A319 are the most popular variants of the A320 family. In 2003 easyJet took delivery of A319s with smaller galleys (as easyJet does not serve meals) and 156 seats in a single class configuration. To satisfy evacuation regulations additional over-wing exits were included.

The direct Boeing competitor is the 737-700.

The massive easyJet order of 120 A319s plus 120 options was among the biggest aircraft sales deals in recent times, rivaled only by chief competitor Ryanair's order for Boeing 737 aircraft.

It is powered by the same types of engine as the A320. JAA certification and service entry, with Swissair, took place in April 1996.

Currently, Northwest Airlines holds the record for the shortest scheduled A319 service from Bishop International Airport in Flint, MI to Detroit's Detroit Metro Airport, a distance of about 57 miles.

A319CJ

This is the corporate jet version of the A319. It incorporates extra fuel tanks which are installed in the cargo compartment giving a range of 6,500 nautical miles (12,000 km). Upon resale the aircraft can be reconfigured as a standard A319 by removing its extra tanks, thus maximizing its resale value. It is also known as the ACJ, or Airbus Corporate Jet.

The A319 is used by the Escadron de transport, d'entraînement et de calibrage which is in charge of transportation for France's officials. The aircraft seats up to 39 passengers but may be outfitted by the customers into any configuration. DaimlerChrysler and PrivatAir are among its users. The A319CJ competes with other corporate jets such as the Gulfstream V, the Boeing 737-700 based Boeing Business Jet (BBJ1), and Bombardier's Global Express. It is powered by the same engine types as the A320.

A319LR

This version features an all-business class layout with 48 seats, specifically tailored for exclusive business class services on intercontinental routes. The A319LR, compared to the A319CJ, has four auxiliary fuel tanks instead of six. Typical range is 4,500 nautical miles (8300 km), making it the longest range airliner in the A320 family.

Lufthansa operates a premium business service between Germany and the USA using a fleet of A319LRs operated by the Swiss PrivatAir. However, Qatar Airways fit their A319LRs with standard seatings with 110 seats.

The closest Boeing equivalent is the 737-700ER, which has significantly longer range.

A321

A Lufthansa A321-131 in 1950's Lufthansa livery (the "Retrojet")

Aer Lingus Airbus A321-200

This is a lengthened, minimum change version of the A320. The wing area is slightly enlarged and the undercarriage is strengthened, with higher thrust variants of both CFM56 and V2500. The A321's closest Boeing equivalents are the 737-900/-900ER and the 757-200, though the A321 lacks the 757's transatlantic flight range and "hot-and-heavy" operation capabilities due to less powerful engines. Type certification was awarded in December 1993 by the JAA.

Typical range with 186 passengers for the A321-100 is about 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km). It is powered by two CFM56-5 or IAE V2500 engines with a thrust rating of 31,000 pounds force (138 kN).

The A321-200 has extra fuel capacity bringing the range with 186 passengers up to about 3,000 nautical miles (5,500 km). The A321-200 is powered by two CFM56-5 or IAE V2500 engines with a thrust rating of about 33,000 pounds force (147 kN).

A318

The A318, also known as the "Mini-Airbus", is the smallest member of the A320 family. During development, it was known as the "A319M3," thus indicating its history as a direct derivative of the A319. "M3" indicates "minus three fuselage frames." The aircraft is six metres shorter and 14 tonnes lighter than its predecessor. Pilots who are trained on the other A320 variants may fly the A318 with no further certification, since it features the same type rating as its sister aircraft.

The A318 has a passenger capacity of 109 in a two-class configuration. It is intended to replace early Boeing 737 and Douglas DC-9 models, though it is also a rival to the current 737-600. Boeing also offered their 717 aircraft as a competitor, although it was suitable primarily for regional routes and did not have the A318's range capabilities.

Air France Airbus A318

The A318 is available with a variety of different maximum take-off weights (MTOW) ranging from a 59 tonne, 2,750 km (1,500 nautical mile) base model to a 68 tonne, 6,000 km (3,250 nautical mile) version. The lower MTOW enables it to operate regional routes economically whilst sacrificing range and the higher MTOW allows it to complement other members of the A320 family on marginal routes. The lighter weight of the A318 gives it an operating range 10% greater than the A320, allowing it to serve some routes that the A320 would be unable to: London-Jerusalem and Singapore-Tokyo, for instance. Its main use for airlines, however, is on short, low-density hops between medium cities.

During the design process, the A318 ran into several problems. The first one was the decline in demand for new aeroplanes following the attacks of 11 September 2001. Another one was the new Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines, which burned more fuel than expected: by the time CFMI had a more efficient engine ready for market, many A318 customers had already backed out, including Air China and British Airways. America West Airlines, which had selected the Pratt & Whitney engines, amended its A318 orders, opting instead for A319 or A320 aircraft. Trans World Airlines cancelled a significant order for 50 A318 after being acquired by American Airlines, which does not operate any A320 family aircraft (although, neither did TWA when the order was originally placed). While Airbus was hoping to market the A318 as a regional jet alternative, laws in both the U.S. and Europe have kept it in the same class as larger aircraft for calculating landing fees and the like, so regional operators have avoided it.

It is powered by two CFM56-5 or Pratt & Whitney PW6000 with thrust ranges between 21,600 to 23,800 lb_f (96 to 106 kN) thrust. Launch customers Frontier Airlines and Air France took deliveries in 2003, with Frontier receiving their models in July of that year. The price of an A318 ranges from $39 to $45 million, and operating costs are around $3,000 for a 500 mile flight.

While designing the A318, Airbus included a number of technology upgrades, many of which have been integrated into the rest of the A320 family. Some are also finding their way to the A380 jumbo aircraft. These upgrades include:

a new touchscreen LCD panel at the flight attendants' stations in the cabin, to simplify access to environmental and communications controls
new cabin lighting based on LED light sources, instead of halogen and fluorescent bulbs
electrically-powered backup braking systems, improving upon the older design using reserve hydraulic pressure
the use of laser-beam welding during construction, used to fasten floor stringers to the lower fuselage shell. Laser welding eliminates the need for rivets to secure the joint, which saves weight, and is faster, saving on assembly time.

Orders for the A318 have been quite slow, nevertheless much better than for its direct competitor B737-600. The sales pace has been influenced by the strong sales of the Bombardier CRJ900 and Embraer E-Jets series.

A318 Elite

On November 10th 2005, Airbus announced the A318 Elite. The Airbus A318 Elite is aimed at the medium-range market for flights of up to 4,000 nm range, with a choice of two cabin layouts seating up to 14 and 18 passengers, and will be powered by CFM engines. Comlux became the launch customer by ordering three A318 Elite aircraft.

A320 market share

Finnair Airbus A320-200

Iberia A321-200

Airbus has shipped 2,801 A318/A319/A320/A321s since its certification/first delivery in early 1988, with another 1,560 on firm order (June 2006). Boeing has shipped 5,082 737s since late 1967 with a further 1,277 on firm order (May 2006). Based on these figures Airbus delivered on average 146 A320 series aircraft per annum, compared to 127 for Boeing's 737.

Operators

As of February 2006 and according to Airbus, A320s were operated in most parts of the world by:

Europe

Airlines: Adria, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Air Astana, Aigle Azur, Air Berlin, Air France, Air Malta, Air Méditerranée, Air Moldova, Air Via, Alitalia, Armavia, Armenian International, AtlasJet International, Austrian, Azerbaijan Airlines, bmi/British Midland, BH Air, Blue Wings, BMed, British Airways (and affiliates), Comlux, Condor, Corse Mediterrannee, Croatia, Cyprus, Cyprus Turkish, Czech Airlines, DaimlerChrysler Aviation, Eagle Aviation, EasyJet, Edelweiss, Eirjet, Eurofly, Finnair, First Choice, Freebird, GB Airways, Germanwings, Hellas, Hi Fly (fdb Air Luxor), Iberia, Iberworld, LAT Charter, Livingston, LTE International, LTU, Lufthansa, Martinair, Meridiana, Monarch, MyAir, MyTravel, Niki, Nova, Onur, Privatair, SATA, SAS/Scandinavian, SN Brussels Airlines, Spanair, Star, Swiss, TAP Air Portugal, Thomas Cook, Turkish, Twinjet, UM Air, Volare, Vueling, Wind, Wizz.

Governments: France, Italy, Turkey

North America

Airlines: Air Canada, Blue Moon, Frontier, jetBlue, Northwest, Skyservice, Spirit, United, USA 3000, US Airways/America West.

Governments: None

Asia-Pacific

Airlines: Airblue, Air Caledonie, Air China Southwest, Air China Zhejiang, Air Deccan, Air Macau, Air New Zealand, All Nippon (ANA), Bangkok, Batavia, Cebu Pacific, China Eastern, China Southern, Dragonair, Druk Air, FreedomAirlines, GO, Hainan, Indian Airlines, Jetstar, JetstarAsia, Kingfisher, Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Royal Brunei, Shenzhen, Sichuan, SilkAir, Tiger Airways, Valuair, Air Asia, Asiana Airlines Spring, SriLankan, Vietnam Airlines.

Governments: Thailand

Middle East

Airlines: Air Arabia, Egyptair, Gulf Air, Iran Air, Jazeera, Kuwait Airways, Lotus, Mahan, Menajet, Middle East Airlines, National Air Services, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Syrian Arab.

Governments: Bahrain

Latin America and Caribbean

Copa Airlines TACA, TAM Linhas Aéreas, Aereas, TAME Ecuador, Air Jamaica, Mexicana, Interjet, LAN Chile, LAN Peru, Volaris.

Governments: Brazil, Venezuela

Africa

Airlines: Air Burkina, Air Ivoire, Air Mauritius, Air Memphis, Nouvelair, Royal Air Maroc, South African Airways, Tunisair, Virgin Nigeria