A320Familie

The A320Familie, commonly known as the Airbus A320 family, is a series of narrow-body airliners designed and built by Airbus. The family comprises four main members—A318, A319, A320, and A321—that share a common fuselage cross-section and cockpit layout to enable a single-pilot type rating and streamlined maintenance. They are used on short- to medium-haul routes worldwide and form the backbone of many fleets.

Development and design: Development began in the 1980s, and the first A320 entered service in 1988. The family is notable for introducing fly-by-wire electronic flight controls with sidestick controllers, a fully digital cockpit, and common systems across variants. Later versions feature improved aerodynamics and more efficient engines, along with wingtip devices.

Variants and performance: The A318 is the smallest member, followed by the A319, A320, and the largest A321. Seating and range vary by variant and configuration, ranging roughly from around 100 to over 240 passengers and from several thousand to more than 6,000 kilometers of range depending on version and setup. The A321 typically offers higher capacity and longer range than the A319 and A320.

Neo family and engines: The A320neo (new engine option) family, launched in 2014, adds more efficient engines (CFM LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM) and larger winglets, delivering substantial fuel savings. Extended-range versions include the A321LR and A321XLR, expanding transatlantic and other long-haul capabilities within a single-aisle platform.

Production and operators: Airbus manufactures A320 family aircraft at facilities in Toulouse and Hamburg, with additional production in Tianjin for the Chinese market. The family is widely operated by airlines worldwide and competes primarily with the Boeing 737. It remains one of the best-selling commercial aircraft families.