TheAirbus A320 family is a series ofnarrow-body airliners developed and produced byAirbus, 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 byAir France.[2]The first member of the family was followed by the stretchedA321 (first delivered in January 1994), the shorterA319 (April 1996), and the shortest variant, theA318 (July 2003).Final assembly takes place inToulouse in France;Hamburg in Germany;Tianjin in China since 2009; andMobile, Alabama, in the United States since April 2016.
Thetwinjet has a six-abreast economy cross-section and came with eitherCFM56-5A or -5B, orIAE V2500 turbofan engines, except the A318. The A318 has either twoCFM56-5B engines or a pair ofPW6000 engines in place of the IAE V2500.The family pioneered the use of digitalfly-by-wire andside-stick flight controls in airliners.Variants offermaximum take-off weights from 68 to 93.5 tonnes (150,000 to 206,000 lb), to cover a 5,740–6,940kilometres; 3,570–4,320miles (3,100–3,750 nmi)range.The 31.4 m (103 ft) longA318 typically accommodates 107 to 132 passengers.The 124-156 seatA319 is 33.8 m (111 ft) long.The A320 is 37.6 m (123 ft) long and can accommodate 150 to 186 passengers.The 44.5 m (146 ft)A321 offers 185 to 230 seats.TheAirbus Corporate Jets are modified business jet versions of the standard commercial variants.
In December 2010, Airbus announced there-enginedA320neo (new engine option), which entered service withLufthansa in January 2016. With more efficient turbofans and improvements includingsharklets, it offers up to 15% betterfuel economy. The previous A320 generation is now calledA320ceo (current engine option).
American Airlines is the largest A320 family operator with 486 aircraft in its fleet, whileIndiGo is the largest customer with 930 aircraft on order. A total of 19,472 A320 family aircraft had beenordered with 12,321delivered to customers as of October 2025[update]. It overtook theBoeing 737 family in total orders in October 2019, and in total deliveries in September 2025. It is also the most-utilised airliner with 11,334 units 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 the737 Classic and theMD-80, then their successors, the737 Next Generation (737NG) and theMD-90 respectively, while the737 MAX is Boeing's response to the A320neo.
WhenAirbus designed theA300 during the late 1960s and early 1970s, it envisaged a broad family of airliners with which to compete againstBoeing andDouglas (laterMcDonnell 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.[4] 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.[5] A 10th variation, conceived in 1973, later the first to be constructed, was designated the A300B10.[6] It was a smaller aircraft which would be developed into the long-rangeAirbus A310. Airbus then focused its efforts on the single-aisle market, which was dominated by the737 andMcDonnell 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 theHS.121 (formerly DH.121)Trident,[9] which shared much of the general arrangement of the later JET3 study design. The name "Airbus" at the time referred to aBEA requirement, rather than to the later international programme.
In June 1977 a newJoint European Transport (JET) programme was set up, established byBritish Aerospace (BAe),Aerospatiale,Dornier andFokker.[10][11] It was based at the then BAe (formerlyVickers) site inWeybridge,Surrey, UK. Although the members were all of Airbus' partners, they regarded the project as a separate collaboration from Airbus.[12] This project was considered the forerunner of Airbus A320, encompassing the 130- to 188-seat market, powered by twoCFM56s.[7] It would have a cruise speed of Mach 0.84 (faster than the Boeing 737).[7] The programme was later transferred to Airbus, leading up to the creation of theSingle-Aisle (SA) studies in 1980, led by former leader of the JET programme, Derek Brown.[8] The group looked at three different variants, covering the 125- to 180-seat market, calledSA1,SA2 andSA3.[7] Although unaware at the time, the consortium was producing the blueprints for the A319, A320 and A321, respectively.[8] 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, particularlyLufthansa.[7][12] However, works proceeded, and the German carrier would eventually order the twinjet.
In February 1981 the project was re-designated A320,[8] with efforts focused on the blueprint formerly designated SA2. During the year, Airbus worked withDelta Air Lines on a 150-seat aircraft envisioned and required by the airline. The A320 would carry 150 passengers over 2,850 or 1,860 nmi (5,280 or 3,440 km; 3,280 or 2,140 mi) using fuel from wing fuel tanks only.[8] The -200 had the centre tank activated, increasing fuel capacity from 15,590 to 23,430 L (3,429 to 5,154 imp gal).[13] They would measure 36.04 and 39.24 m (118 ft 3 in and 128 ft 9 in), respectively.[8] Airbus considered a fuselage diameter of "the Boeing 707 and 727, or do something better" and settled on a wider cross-section with a 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in) internal width, compared to Boeing's 3.45 m (11 ft 4 in).[7] Although heavier, this allowed the A320 to compete more effectively with the 737. The A320 wing went through several design stages, eventually measuring 33.91 m (111 ft 3 in).[13]
The UK, France andWest 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 andresearch and development experience. In the end, British work-share was increased from that of the two previous Airbuses.[12]
France was willing to commit to launch aid, or subsidies, while the Germans were more cautious.[12] The UK government was unwilling to provide funding for the tooling, requested by BAe and estimated at£250 million; it was postponed for three years.[13] On 1 March 1984, the British government and BAe agreed that £50 million would be paid, whether the A320 flew or not, while the rest would be paid as a levy on each aircraft sold.[12]In 1984, the program cost was then estimated at £2 billion ($2.8 billion) by Flight International,[14] equivalent to £8 billion today.
The A320 first prototype (retrofitted with IAE V2500-A1 engines) at the 1988Farnborough Airshow
The programme was launched on 2 March 1984.[15] At the time, Airbus had 96 orders.[16]: 48 Air France was its first customer to sign a "letter of intent" for 25 A320s and options for 25 more at the 1981Paris Air Show.[17] In October 1983,British Caledonian placed seven firm orders, bringing total orders to more than 80.[18]Cyprus Airways became the first customer to place an order for V2500-powered A320s in November 1984, followed byPan Am with 16 firm orders and 34 options in January 1985, and thenInex Adria.[16]: 49 One of the most significant orders occurred whenNorthwest Airlines placed an order for 100 A320s in October 1986, powered byCFM56 engines, later confirmed at the 1990Farnborough Airshow.[16]: 49–50
During A320 development, Airbus consideredpropfan technology, which was backed byLufthansa.[12] At the time unproven, the technology essentially consisted of a fan placed outside the enginenacelle, offering turbofan speeds andturboprop economics; ultimately, Airbus stuck withturbofans.
The first A320 was delivered to Air France on 28 March 1988; the early A320-100s had nowingtip fences.
In the presence of then-French Prime MinisterJacques Chirac and thePrince andPrincess of Wales, the first A320 was rolled out of the final assembly line at Toulouse on 14 February 1987 and made itsmaiden flight on 22 February in 3 hours and 23 minutes.[3] The flight test programme took 1,200 hours over 530 flights. EuropeanJoint Aviation Authorities (JAA) certification was awarded on 26 February 1988.[16]: 50 The first A320 was delivered to Air France on 28 March,[21] and began commercial service on 8 April with a flight betweenParis andBerlin viaDüsseldorf.[22] In 1988, the clean-sheet aircraft program cost was 5.486 billionFrench francs.[23]
Lufthansa was the first to receive the stretched A321 on 27 January 1994.[13]
The first derivative of the A320 was theAirbus A321, also known as theStretched A320,A320-500 andA325.[8][24] Its launch came on 24 November 1988 after commitments for 183 aircraft from 10 customers were secured.[8][25] The aircraft was to be a minimally changed derivative, apart from minor wing modifications and the fuselage stretch itself. The wing would incorporatedouble-slotted flaps and minortrailing edge modifications,[8] increasing wing area from 124 m2 (1,330 sq ft) to 128 m2 (1,380 sq ft).[26] The fuselage was lengthened by four plugs (two ahead and two behind the wings), making the A321 6.94 metres (22 ft 9 in) longer than the A320 overall.[8][27][28] The length increase required enlarged overwing exits, which were repositioned in front of and behind the wings.[13] The centre fuselage andundercarriage were reinforced to accommodate an increase inmaximum takeoff weight of 9,600 kg (21,200 lb), for a total of 83,000 kg (183,000 lb).[8]
Final assembly for the A321 would be, as a first for any Airbus, carried out in Germany (then West Germany).[29] This came after a dispute between the French, who claimed the move would incur $150 million (€135 million) in unnecessary expenditures associated with the new plant,[8] and the Germans, who argued that it would be more productive for Airbus in the long run. The second production line was located atHamburg, which would also subsequently produce the smaller Airbus A319 and A318. For the first time, Airbus entered thebond market, through which it raised $480 million (€475 million) to finance development costs.[25] An additional $180 million (€175 million) was borrowed from theEuropean Investment Bank and private investors.[8]
The maiden flight of the Airbus A321 came on 11 March 1993, when theprototype, registration F-WWIA, flew with IAE V2500 engines; the second prototype, equipped with CFM56-5B turbofans, flew in May.Lufthansa andAlitalia 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 toSwissair 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.[8] After healthy sales of the A320/A321, Airbus focused once more on what was then known as theA320M-7, meaning A320minus seven fuselage frames.[13] It would provide direct competition for the737-300/-700.[8] 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 (12 ft 3 in).[27][30][31] 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 heightLD3-45 containers.[30] Minorsoftware 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 98 kN (22,000 lbf), with option for 105 kN (24,000 lbf) thrust.[32]
Airbus began offering the new model from 22 May 1992, with the actual launch of the $275 million (€250 million) programme occurring on 10 June 1993;[30][8][5] the A319's first customer wasILFC, 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.[13] 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.[8]
Delivery of the first A319, toSwissair, occurred on 25 April 1996; it entered service by month's end.[8] In January 1997, an A319 broke a record during a delivery flight by flying the 3,588 nautical miles (6,645 km; 4,129 mi)great circle route toWinnipeg, Manitoba from Hamburg in 9 hours and 5 minutes.[8] The A319 has proven popular with low-cost airlines such asEasyJet, which purchased 172 of them.[1]
The A318 was born out of mid-1990 studies betweenAviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC),Singapore Technologies Aerospace,Alenia and Airbus on a 95- to 125-seat aircraft project. The programme was called theAE31X, and covered the 95-seat AE316 and 115- to 125-seat AE317.[8] The former would have had an overall length of 31.3 m (102 ft 8 in), while the AE317 was longer by 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in), at 34.5 m (113 ft 2 in).[33] The engines were to be two Rolls-Royce BR715s, CFM56-9s, or thePratt & Whitney PW6000;[8][33] with the MTOW of 53.3 t (118,000 lb) for the smaller version and 58 t (128,000 lb) for the AE317, the thrust requirement were 77.9–84.6 kN (17,500–19,000 lbf) and 84.6–91.2 kN (19,000–20,500 lbf), respectively.[33] Range was settled at 5,200 km (2,800 nmi; 3,200 mi) and 5,800 km (3,100 nmi; 3,600 mi) for the high gross weights of both variants.[33] Both share a wingspan of 31.0 m (101 ft 8 in)[33] and aflight deck similar to that of the A320 family. Costing $2 billion (€1.85 billion) to develop, aircraft production was to take place in China.[8]
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[8] at that year's Farnborough Airshow.[5] 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, theAirbus A380. First calledA319M5 in as early as March 1995, it was shorter by 0.79-metre (2 ft 7 in) ahead of the wing and 1.6 metres (5 ft 3 in) behind.[5] These cuts reduced passenger capacity from 124 on the A319 to 107 passengers in a two-class layout.[34] Range was 5,700 kilometres (3,100 nmi; 3,500 mi), or 5,950 kilometres (3,210 nmi; 3,700 mi) with upcomingSharklets.[34]
The 107-seater was launched on 26 April 1999 with the options and orders count at 109 aircraft.[5] After three years of design, the maiden flight took place at Hamburg on 15 January 2002.[35] Tests on the lead engine, the PW6000, revealed worse-than-expected fuel consumption.[36] 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 shrank to 80, largely because of switches to other A320 family members.[36] 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.[36] On 22 July 2003, first delivery for launch customerFrontier Airlines occurred,[5] entering service before the end of the month.
TheToulouse Blagnac final assembly line builds A320s, whereas theHamburg Finkenwerder final assembly line builds A318s, A319s, and A321s. The Airbus factory inTianjin, China, assembles A319s, A320s, and A321s; A320s and A321s are also assembled at the Airbus Americas factory inMobile, Alabama.[37] Airbus produced a total of 42 A320s per month in 2015, and expected to increase to 50 per month in 2017.[38]
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.[39]
In June 2018, along a larger and modernised delivery centre, Airbus inaugurated its fourth Hamburg production line, with two seven-axisrobots to drill 80% of fuselage upper side holes andautonomous mobile tooling platforms, followingDesign Thinking principles.[40] By January 2019, Mobile was outputting 4.5 A320s per month, raising to five by the end of the year.[41]
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.[42] 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.[43]
Due to theimpact 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.[44] In October 2020, the 500th A320 built in Tianjin, an A320neo, was delivered toChina Southern, twelve years after the final assembly line start in 2008.[45]
In 2006, Airbus started the A320 Enhanced (A320E) programme as a series of improvements targeting a 4–5% efficiency gain, with largewinglets (2%), aerodynamic refinements (1%), weight savings and a newaircraft cabin.[46]Engine improvements that reduced fuel consumption by 1% were made to the A320 in 2007 with theCFM56 Tech Insertion[47] and in 2008 with theV2500Select (One).[48]
Wingtip sharkletComparison of wing tip designs on the A320 family. Left: Sharklet wing tip. Right: Wing Fence wingtip. Aircraft pictured are easyJet A320s.
In 2006, Airbus tested three styles of winglets intended to counteract the wing'slift-induced drag andwingtip vortices more effectively than the previouswingtip fence. The first design type to be tested was developed by Airbus and based on work done by theAWIATOR programme.[49] The second type of winglet incorporated a more blended design and was designed by Winglet Technology, a company based inWichita, Kansas, US. 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 toJetBlue.[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.[50] On 17 December 2008, Airbus announced it was to begin flight testing an existing blended winglet design developed byAviation Partners Inc. as part of an A320 modernisation programme using the A320 prototype.[51]
Airbus launched thesharklet blended winglets during the November 2009Dubai Airshow. Installation adds 200 kg (440 lb) but offers a 3.5%fuel burn reduction on flights over 2,800 km (1,500 nmi; 1,700 mi),[52] saving approximately US$220,000 and 700 t ofCO2 per aircraft per year.[53] The 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) tall wingtip devices are manufactured byKorean Air Aerospace Division.[54]
In December 2011, Airbus filed suit in thewestern district of Texas overAviation Partners' claims of infringement of itspatents on winglet design and construction which were granted in 1993. Airbus' lawsuit seeks to reject responsibility to payroyalties to Aviation Partners for using its designs, despite work performed together with both parties to develop advanced winglets for the Airbus A320neo.[55]
The first sharklet-equipped Airbus A320 was delivered toIndonesia AirAsia on 21 December 2012, offering a 450 kg (990 lb) payload and 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) range increases over the original aircraft specifications.[56]
In 2007, Airbus introduced a new enhanced, quietercabin 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.[57] It offered a newair purifier with filters and acatalytic converter, removing unpleasant smells from the air before it is pumped into the cabin, as well asLEDs for mood lighting and a newpassenger service unit (PSU).[58]
Offering 10% moreoverhead bin volume, more shoulder room, a weight reduction, a newintercom andin-flight entertainment system, noise reduction and slimmer PSU, the enhanced cabin can be retrofitted.[59] The flight crew controls the cabin through touchscreen displays.[60]
The A320neo (neo fornew engine option) is an incremental development launched on 1 December 2010, making itsfirst flight on 25 September 2014 and introduced byLufthansa on 25 January 2016.Re-engined withCFM International LEAP-1A orPratt & 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, forcurrent engine option. As of July 2024,IndiGo has 173 Airbus A320neos under service, making it the largest operator of this type of aircraft.
In 2006, Airbus was studying a future replacement for the A320 series, tentatively dubbed asNSR or "New Short-Range aircraft".[61] The follow-on aircraft to replace the A320 was to be namedA30X. In 2007, Airbus North America President Barry Eccleston stated that the earliest the aircraft could have been available was 2017.[62] 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.[63]
Airbus claimed the 737-300 burns 35% more fuel and has a 16% higher operating cost per seat than theV2500-powered A320.[64] A 150-seat A320 burns 11,608 kg (25,591 lb) ofjet fuel over 2,151 nmi (3,984 km; 2,475 mi) (between Los Angeles and New York City), or 2.43 L/100 km (97 mpg‑US) per seat with a 0.8 kg/L fuel.[65] Its wing is long and thin, offering better aerodynamic efficiency because of the higheraspect ratio than the competing 737 and MD-80.
The Airbus A320 family arelow-wingcantilevermonoplanes with a conventionalempennage with a singlevertical stabiliser andrudder. Itswing sweep is 25 degrees. Compared to other airliners of the same class, the A320 features a wider single-aisle cabin of 3.95 metres (156 in) outside diameter,[27] compared to the 3.8 m (148 in) of the Boeing 737 or757, and larger overhead bins. Its cargo hold can accommodateunit load device containers.
The A320airframe includes composite materials andaluminium alloys to save weight and reduce the total number of parts to decrease the maintenance costs.[66] Itstail assembly is made almost entirely of such composites by CASA, which also builds theelevators, main landing gear doors, and rear fuselage parts.[8]
The A320 flight deck features a full glass cockpit, rather than the hybrid versions found in previous airliners. It is also equipped with anElectronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) with side-stick controllers. The A320 has anElectronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) to give the flight crew information about all of the systems on the aircraft. The only analogue instruments were theradio-magnetic indicator and brake pressure indicator.
Since 2003, the A320 has featuredliquid crystal display (LCD) units on the flight deck instead of the originalcathode-ray tube (CRT) displays. These include both main displays and the backupartificial horizon, which also previously had an analogue display.[67]
Airbus offers an avionics upgrade for older A320 aircraft, the In-Service Enhancement Package, to keep them updated.[68] Digitalhead-up displays are also available.[69]
The A320 retained thedark 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 byBernard Ziegler, first Airbus CEOHenri Ziegler's son.[70]
The A320 is the world's first airliner with digitalfly-by-wire (FBW)flight control system: input commands through theside-stick are interpreted by flight control computers and transmitted toflight control surfaces within theflight envelope protection; in the 1980s the computer-controlled dynamic system of theDassault Mirage 2000 fighter cross-fertilised the Airbus team which tested FBW on anA300.[71] 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. ForRoger 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."[71]
Early A320s used theIntel 80186 andMotorola 68010.[72] In 1988, the flight management computer contained sixIntel 80286 CPUs, running in three logical pairs, with 2.5 megabytes of memory.[73]
The suppliers providingturbofan engines for the A320ceo family were CFM International with the CFM56,International Aero Engines offering its V2500, andPratt & Whitney'sPW6000 engines available only for the A318,[74] while for the A320neo family are CFM International LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines.
TheCFM56, with unmixed exhaust, is available on all variants.
TheJoint Aviation Authorities (JAA) issued thetype 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.[75]
As of March 2024[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.[76]
The main competition of the A320 family (background) is theBoeing 737 Next Generation (foreground).737 vs A320 family deliveries per model 1967–2018
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 theBoeing 737 Next Generation (-600/-700/-800/-900) and the717 during its two decades in service. As of 2010, the A320 family also faced competition fromEmbraer'sE-195 (to the A318) and the CSeries being developed byBombardier[77] (nowAirbus A220) 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[78] since March 1988,[79] and has a further 4,763 on firm order (as of 31 December 2018).[79]
By September 2018, there were 7,251 A320ceo family aircraft in service versus 6,757 737NGs, while Airbus expected to deliver 3,174A320neos compared with 2,999Boeing 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.[80]
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,[34] to 220, on the A321.[28] They compete with the 737, 757, and717. Because the four A320 variants share the same flight deck, all have the same pilottype rating. Today all variants are available ascorporate jets. An A319 variant known asA319LR was also developed. Military versions likeA319 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-minuteETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) certification capacity since 2004 (EASA) and 2006 (FAA).[81]
The 31.44 m (103.1 ft) long A318 is the shortest variant, here in the livery ofBritish 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 3,100 nmi (5,700 km; 3,600 mi). 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 asLondon 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 31 October 2015[update].In 2018, the A318 list price was US$77.4 million.[82]
The A319, 3.73 m (12 ft 3 in) 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 thisEasyJet aircraft.[83]
The A319 is 3.73 m (12 ft 3 in) shorter than the A320.[27][30][31] 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 6,650 km (3,590 nmi), or 6,850 km (3,700 nmi) with the "Sharklets".[31] Four propulsion options available on the A319 are the 23,040–24,800 lbf (102.5–110.3 kN) IAE V2500, or the 22,000–27,000 lbf (98–120 kN) CFM56.[5] 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 ofILFC.[84] The A319's launch customer, in fact, was ILFC, which had placed an order for six A319s by 1993.[8] 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[13] and it was first introduced with Swissair in April 1996. The directBoeing competitor is theBoeing 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.[85]In 2018, the A319 list price was US$92.3 million.[82]
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 12,500 m (41,000 ft).[86] Range with eight passengers' payload and auxiliary fuel tanks (ACTs) is up to 11,000 kilometres; 6,900 miles (6,000 nmi).[87][88] 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, orAirbus Corporate Jet, while starting with 2014 it has the marketing designation ACJ319.
The aircraft seats up to 39 passengers, but may be outfitted by the customers into any configuration.Tyrolean Jet Services Mfg. GmbH & CO KG,MJET andReliance Industries are among its users. The A319CJ competes with other ultralarge-cabin corporate jets such as the Boeing 737-700-basedBoeing Business Jet (BBJ) andEmbraerLineage 1000, as well as with large-cabin and ultralong-rangeGulfstream G650,Gulfstream G550 andBombardier'sGlobal 6000. It is powered by the same engine types as the A320. The A319CJ was used by theEscadron de Transport, d'Entraînement et de Calibration which is in charge of transportation for France's officials and also by the Flugbereitschaft of theGerman Air Force for transportation of Germany's officials. An ACJ serves as a presidential or official aircraft of Armenia,[89] Azerbaijan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy,[90] Malaysia, Slovakia, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
The A320 series has two variants, theA320-100 andA320-200. Only 21 A320-100s were produced.[8] These aircraft, the first to be manufactured, were delivered toAir Inter – later acquired by Air France – andBritish Airways as a result of an order from British Caledonian made prior to its acquisition. The primary differences from the -100 were the -200'swingtip fences and increased fuel capacity, providing increased range.
Powered by two CFM56-5s or IAE V2500s with thrust ratings of 98–120 kN (22,000–27,000 lbf), the A320's typical range with 150 passengers is 3,300 nmi (6,100 km; 3,800 mi).[27] 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 the737-800.[91]
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 theinflation, 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.[92] In 2018, its list price was US$101.0 million.[82]
The A321 is 6.93 m (22 ft 9 in) 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.[8] The A321 fuselage is stretched by 6.93 metres (22 ft 9 in), with a 4.27 m (14 ft 0 in) front plug immediately forward of wing and a 2.67 m (8 ft 9 in) rear plug.[5] The A321-100 maximum takeoff weight is increased by 9,600 kg (21,200 lb) to 83,000 kg (183,000 lb).[8] To maintain performance, double-slotted flaps were included, in addition to increasing the wing area by 4 m2 (43 sq ft), to 128 m2 (1,380 sq ft).[26] The maiden flight of the first of two prototypes came on 11 March 1993.[13] 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 2,990 L (790 US gal) tanks in the rear underfloor hold.[5] Its fuel capacity was increased to 30,030 L (7,930 US gal) and its maximum takeoff weight to 93,000 kg (205,000 lb). It first flew in December 1996 and entered service withMonarch Airlines in April 1997.
The A321's closest Boeing competitors are the737-900/900ER,[91] and the757-200.[26] In 2018, the A321 list price was US$118.3 million.[82] A total 1,784 units of the A321ceo model have been delivered, with seven remaining on order as of 30 September 2023.[1]
A programme to convert A320 and A321 aircraft intofreighters was set up by Airbus Freighter Conversion GmbH. Airframes were to be converted byElbe FlugzeugwerkeGmbH (EFW) inDresden, Germany, andZhukovsky, Russia. Launch customerAerCap 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.[93] Finally, on 17 June 2015ST Aerospace signed agreements with Airbus and EFW for a collaboration to launch the A320/A321 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion programme.[94]
A321P2F
In August 2019,Qantas was announced as launch operator for the A321P2F converted freighter.[95]Titan Airways received its first of three A321P2F in January 2021.[96][97]
The initial converted aircraft first flew on 22 January 2020, to be delivered to Vallair, and secured EASAsupplementary type certificate in February. It was to replace older converted Boeing 757s with 14 main deck and 10 lower deck positions, carrying up to 27.9 t (62,000 lb) over 2,300 nmi (4,300 km; 2,600 mi). Airbus sees a market for 1,000 narrowbody conversions over the 2020-2040 period.[98] On 27 October 2020, the first A321P2F was delivered to Qantas Airways, with windows and exit doors removed, and a large hydraulically actuated main cargo door installed.[99]
A320P2F
After EFW began the first A320 conversion in March 2021, the A320P2F made its maiden three-hour flight on 8 December from Singapore.[100]The aircraft was first delivered in 2006, and its first cargo operator was to be Nairobi-basedAstral Aviation from the second quarter of 2022, leased from Middle Eastern lessor Vaayu Group.[101] The A320P2F received its supplemental type certification at the end of March 2022.[102]
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 10LD3-type containers on the lower deck.[76]
As of September 2025[update], there are 11,275 A320 family aircraft in commercial service with over 375 operators. The five largest operators areAmerican Airlines (486),China Eastern Airlines (390),IndiGo (360),easyJet (357) andChina Southern Airlines (345). Aircraft in operation include 41 A318s, 1,259 A319s (1,223 ceo, 36 neo), 6,418 A320s (4,156 ceo, 2,262 neo) and 3,558 A321s (1,699 ceo, 1,859 neo) aircraft. In addition, 982 A320ceo family aircraft consisting of 39 A318s, 261 A319s, 596 A320s and 85 A321s were out of service through retirement or write-off.[1]
Air France, British Airways, andFrontier 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.[108] Eight years later, on 9 October 2020, the airline received MSN 10,000, an A321neo, at the celebration of its 75th anniversary.[109][110] 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][76]
The A320ceo family was the fastest-selling airliner from 2005 to 2007.[111] Its successor, the A320neo family, improved on this with 1,420 orders and commitments in less than a year in 2011.[112]In November 2013, the A320 family aircraft reached 10,000 orders.[113]As of 2017, there were 6,965 A320 Family aircraft in service, more than the 6,864 Boeing 737s, making it the most-operated airliner ever.[114]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.[115]In August 2021, the A320 family passed the 10,000 delivery mark,[116] 33 years after its introduction, versus 50 years for the Boeing 737, which passed the 10,000 delivery mark in March 2018.[117]On 16 December 2021, the last member of the A320ceo family, an A321ceo (MSN 10315), was delivered from theAirbus Mobile assembly line inAlabama toDelta Air Lines, registered N129DN.[118]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][119] In July 2023, total orders for the A321neo reached 5,259, surpassing the record 5,205 orders for the Boeing 737-800, making it the most ordered variant of any airliner in history.[1][79][120]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]In September 2025, the A320 family surpassed the Boeing 737 as the most-delivered jet aircraft and thus the best-selling airliner ever.[1][79][121]
As of October 2025[update], a total of 12,321 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 2025, Airbus delivered 456 A320neo family aircraft, comprising 12 A319neos, 157 A320neos and 287 A321neos. The A320 family backlog remains over the 7,000 mark, of which A321s comprise 60%, and total orders have reached 19,472,[1][76] while total orders for the competing Boeing 737 have increased slightly to 17,072 aircraft, of which 12,295 have been delivered.[79]
As of 2015, the Airbus A320 family had experienced 0.12 fatal hull loss accidents for every milliontakeoffs and 0.26 total hull loss accidents for every million takeoffs.[130]
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 milliontakeoffs and 0.14 (0.17 for A320ceo and 0.11 for A320neo) total hull loss accidents for every million takeoffs.[131]
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This sectionmay contain an excessive amount of intricatedetail that may only interest a particular audience.Specifically, perWP:AIRMOS, this section should cover the specifications of only a single variant. Please help by removing excessive detail that may be againstWikipedia's inclusion policy.(June 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
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