Stretching the A320: A321[edit]

Lufthansa was the first to receive the stretched A321 on 27 January 1994[16]

Main article: Airbus A321, Development

The first derivative of the A320 was the Airbus A321, also known as the Stretched A320, A320-
500 and A325.[11][25] Its launch came on 24 November 1988 after commitments for 183 aircraft
from 10 customers were secured.[11][26] The aircraft would be a minimum-changed derivative, apart
from a number of minor modifications to the wing, and the fuselage stretch itself. The wing would
incorporate double-slotted flaps and minor trailing edge modifications,[11] increasing the wing area
from 124 m2 (1,330 sq ft) to 128 m2 (1,380 sq ft).[27] The fuselage was lengthened by four plugs
(two ahead and two behind the wings), giving the A321 an overall length of 6.94 metres (22 ft
9 in) longer than the A320.[11][28][29] The length increase required the overwing exits of the A320 to
be enlarged and repositioned in front of and behind the wings.[16] The centre fuselage
and undercarriage were reinforced to accommodate the increase in maximum takeoff weight of
9,600 kg (21,200 lb), taking it to 83,000 kg (183,000 lb).[11]
Final assembly for the A321 would be, as a first for any Airbus, carried out in Germany (then
West Germany).[30] This came after a dispute between the French, who claimed the move would
incur $150 million (€135 million) in unnecessary expenditure associated with the new
plant,[11] and the Germans, arguing it would be more productive for Airbus in the long run. The
second production line was located at Hamburg, which would also subsequently produce the
smaller Airbus A319 and A318. For the first time, Airbus entered the bond market, through which
it raised $480 million (€475 million) to finance development costs.[26] An additional $180 million
(€175 million) was borrowed from European Investment Bank and private investors.[11]
The maiden flight of the Airbus A321 came on 11 March 1993, when the prototype, registration
F-WWIA, flew with IAE V2500 engines; the second prototype, equipped with CFM56-5B
turbofans, flew in May. Lufthansa and Alitalia were the first to order the stretched Airbuses, with
20 and 40 aircraft requested, 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.

Shrinking the A320: A319[edit]

The first A319 was delivered to Swissair on 25 April 1996

Main article: Airbus A319, Development

The A319 is the next derivative of the baseline A320. The design is a "shrink" with its origins in
the 130- to 140-seat SA1, part of the Single-Aisle studies.[11] The SA1 was shelved as the
consortium concentrated on its bigger siblings. After healthy sales of the A320/A321, Airbus re-
focused on what was then known as the A320M-7, meaning A320 minus seven fuselage
frames.[16] It would provide direct competition for the 737-300/-700.[11] 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).[28][31][32] 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 height LD3-45 containers.[31] Minor software changes were made to accommodate the
different handling characteristics; otherwise the aircraft is largely unchanged. Power is provided
by the CFM56-5A or V2500-A5, derated to 98 kN (22,000 lbf), with option for 105 kN (24,000 lbf)
thrust.[33]
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;[31][11][8] the A319's first
customer was ILFC, who signed for six aircraft. On 23 March 1995, the first A319 underwent final
assembly at Airbus' German plant in Hamburg, where the A321s are also assembled. It was
rolled out on 24 August 1995, with the maiden flight the following day.[16] The certification
programme would take 350 airborne hours involving two aircraft; certification for the CFM56-
5B6/2-equipped variant was granted in April 1996, after which qualification for the V2524-A5
started the following month.[11]
Delivery of the first A319, to Swissair, took place on 25 April 1996, entering service by month's
end.[11] In January 1997, an A319 broke a record during a delivery flight by flying 3,588 nautical
miles (6,645 km) the great circle route to Winnipeg, Manitoba from Hamburg, in 9 hours 5
minutes.[11] The A319 has proved popular with low-cost airlines such as EasyJet, who has orders
for 172, with 172 delivered.[3]

Second shrink: A318[edit]

Main article: Airbus A318, Development

Frontier Airlines received the first A318 on 22 July 2003

The A318 was born out of mid-1990 studies between Aviation Industries of
China (AVIC), Singapore Technologies Aerospace, Alenia and Airbus on a 95- to 125-seat
aircraft project. The programme was called the AE31X, and covered the 95-seat AE316 and 115-
to 125-seat AE317.[11] 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).[34] The engines were to be
supplied from two Rolls-Royce BR715s, CFM56-9s, or the Pratt & Whitney PW6000s;[11][34] 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.[34] Range was settled at 5,200 km (2,800 nmi) and 5,800 km (3,100 nmi)
for the high gross weights of both variants.[34] Both share a wingspan of 31.0 m (101 ft 8 in)[34] and
a flight deck similar to that of the A320 family. Costing $2 billion (€1.85 billion) to develop, aircraft
production was to take place in China.[11]
Simultaneously, Airbus was developing Airbus A318. In early 1998, Airbus revealed its
considerations of designing a 100-seat aircraft based on the A320. The AE31X project was
terminated by September 1998, after which Airbus officially announced an aircraft of its own,
the A318,[11] at that year's Farnborough Airshow.[8] The aircraft is the smallest product of Airbus's
product range, and was developed coincidentally at the same time as the largest commercial
aircraft in history, the Airbus A380. First called A319M5 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.[8] These cuts reduced
passenger capacity from 124 on the A319 to 107 passengers in a two-class layout.[35] Range was
5,700 kilometres (3,100 nmi), or 5,950 kilometres (3,210 nmi) with upcoming Sharklets.[35]
The 107-seater was launched on 26 April 1999 with the options and orders count at 109
aircraft.[8] After three years of design, the maiden flight took place at Hamburg on 15 January
2002.[36] Tests on the lead engine, the Pratt & Whitney PW6000, revealed worse-than-expected
fuel consumption.[37] 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
shrunk to 80 largely because of switches to other A320 family members.[37] 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.[37] On 22 July 2003, first delivery
for launch customer Frontier Airlines occurred,[8] entering service before the end of the month.

Production[edit]

An Airbus A321 on final assembly line 3 in the Airbus plant in Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport

The Toulouse Blagnac final assembly line builds A320s, whereas the Hamburg
Finkenwerder final assembly line builds A318s, A319s, and A321s. The Airbus factory in Tianjin,
China assembles A319s, A320s, and A321s; A320s and A321s are also assembled at the Airbus
Americas factory in Mobile, Alabama.[38] Airbus produced a total of 42 A320s per month in 2015,
and expects to increase to 50 per month in 2017.[39]
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.[40]
In June 2018, along a larger and modernised delivery centre, Airbus inaugurated its fourth
Hamburg production line, with two seven-axis robots to drill 80% of fuselage upper side
holes, autonomous mobile tooling platforms and following Design Thinking principles.[41] By
January 2019, Mobile was outputting 4.5 A320s per month, raising to five by the end of the
year.[42]
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.[43] 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.[44]
Due to the impact 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.[45] In October 2020, the 500th
A320 built in Tianjin, an A320neo, was delivered to China Southern, twelve years after the final
assembly line start in 2008.[46]
A320 Enhanced[edit]
Improvements[edit]
In 2006, Airbus started the A320 Enhanced (A320E) programme as a series of improvements
targeting a 4–5% efficiency gain with large winglets (2%), aerodynamic refinements (1%), weight
savings and a new aircraft cabin.[47] Engine improvements reducing fuel consumption by 1% were
fitted into the A320 in 2007 with the CFM56 Tech Insertion[48] and in 2008 with the V2500Select
(One).[49]
Sharklets[edit]

Wingtip sharklet

In 2006, Airbus tested three styles of winglet intended to counteract the wing's induced
drag and wingtip vortices more effectively than the previous wingtip fence. The first design type
to be tested was developed by Airbus and was based on work done by
the AWIATOR programme.[50] The second type of winglet incorporated a more blended design
and was designed by Winglet Technology, a company based in Wichita, Kansas. 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 to JetBlue.[citation needed]
Despite the anticipated efficiency gains and development work, Airbus announced that the new
winglets will not be offered to customers, claiming that the weight of the modifications required
would negate any aerodynamic benefits.[51] On 17 December 2008, Airbus announced it was to
begin flight testing an existing blended winglet design developed by Aviation Partners Inc. as part
of an A320 modernisation programme using the A320 prototype.[52]
Airbus launched the sharklet blended wingtip device during the November 2009 Dubai Airshow:
installation adds 200 kg (440 lb) but offers a 3.5% fuel burn reduction on flights over 2,800 km
(1,500 nmi).[53] They save US$220,000 and 700 t of CO2 per aircraft per year.[54] The 2.5 metres
(8 ft 2 in) tall devices are manufactured by Korean Air Aerospace Division.[55] The winglets
increase efficiency by decreasing lift-induced drag.
In December 2011, Airbus filed suit in the western district of Texas over Aviation Partners' claims
of infringement of its patents on winglet design and construction which were granted in 1993.
Airbus' lawsuit seeks to reject responsibility to pay royalties to Aviation Partners for using its
designs, despite work performed together with both parties to develop advanced winglets for the
A320neo.[56]
The first sharklet-equipped A320 was delivered to AirAsia on 21 December 2012, offering a
450 kg (990 lb) payload increase or 190 km (100 nmi) longer range at the original payload.[57]
Cabin[edit]
In 2007, Airbus introduced a new enhanced, quieter cabin with better luggage storage and a
more modern look and feel, and a new galley reducing weight, increasing revenue space and
improving ergonomics and design for food hygiene and recycling.[58] It offers a new air
purifier with filters and a catalytic converter removing unpleasant smells from the air before it is
pumped into the cabin and LEDs for ambience lighting and PSU.[59]
Offering 10% more overhead bin volume, more shoulder room, a weight reduction, a
new intercom and in-flight entertainment system, noise reduction and slimmer PSU, the
enhanced Cabin can be retrofitted.[60] The flight crew controls the cabin through touchscreen
displays.[61]

New Engine Option[edit]

A320neo with larger engines and sharklets

Main article: Airbus A320neo family

The A320neo (neo for new engine option) is a development launched on 1 December 2010, it
made its first flight on 25 September 2014 and it was introduced by Lufthansa on 25 January
2016. Re-engined with CFM International LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines and
with large sharklets, it should be 15% more fuel efficient. 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 is renamed A320ceo, for current engine option.

Design[edit]

The A320 is a low wing airliner with twin turbofans and a conventional tail

The Airbus A320 family are narrow-body (single-aisle) aircraft with a retractable tricycle landing
gear and are powered by two wing pylon-mounted turbofan engines. After the oil price rises of
the 1970s, Airbus needed to minimise the trip fuel costs of the A320. To that end, it
adopted composite primary structures, centre-of-gravity control using fuel, glass cockpit (EFIS)
and a two-crew flight deck.
Airbus claimed the 737-300 burns 35% more fuel and has a 16% higher operating cost per seat
than the V2500-powered A320.[62] A 150-seat A320 burns 11,608 kg (25,591 lb) of jet fuel over
3,984 km (2,151 nmi) (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.[63] Its wing is long and thin, offering better aerodynamic efficiency
because of the higher aspect ratio than the competing 737 and MD-80.

Airframe[edit]

Planform view with flaps still partly extended, showing the 10.3 wing aspect ratio and 25° wing sweep

The Airbus A320 family are low-wing cantilever monoplanes with a conventional empennage with
a single vertical stabilizer and rudder. Its wing 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,[28] compared to 3.8 m (148 in) of the Boeing 737 or 757, and larger overhead bins. Its
cargo hold can accommodate Unit Load Devices containers.
The A320 airframe includes composite materials and aluminium alloys to save weight and reduce
the total number of parts to decrease the maintenance costs.[64] Its tail assembly is made almost
entirely of such composites by CASA, who also builds the elevators, main landing gear doors,
and rear fuselage parts.[11]

Flight deck[edit]

The A320 glass cockpit has fly-by-wire controls

It includes a full glass cockpit rather than the hybrid versions found in previous airliners. The
A320's flight deck is equipped with Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) with side-stick
controllers. The A320 features an Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) which gives the
flight crew information about all the systems of the aircraft. The only analogue instruments were
the radio-magnetic indicator and brake pressure indicator.
Since 2003, the A320 features liquid crystal display (LCD) units in its flight deck instead of the
original cathode ray tube (CRT) displays. These include the main displays and the
backup artificial horizon, which was previously an analog display.[65]
Airbus offers an avionics upgrade for older A320, the In-Service Enhancement Package, to keep
them updated.[66] Digital head-up displays are available.[67]
The A320 retained the dark 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 by Bernard Ziegler, first Airbus
CEO Henri Ziegler's son.[68]
Fly-by-wire[edit]
The A320 is the world's first airliner with digital fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system: input
commands through the side-stick are interpreted by flight control computers and transmitted
to flight control surfaces within the flight envelope protection; in the 1980s the computer-
controlled dynamic system of the Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter cross-fertilised the Airbus team
which tested FBW on an A300.[69] 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. For Roger 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."[69]
Early A320s used the Intel 80186 and Motorola 68010.[70] In 1988, the flight management
computer contained six Intel 80286 CPUs, running in three logical pairs, with 2.5 megabytes of
memory.[71]

Engines[edit]
The suppliers providing turbofan engines for the A320 series are CFM International with
the CFM56, International Aero Engines offering its V2500, and Pratt &
Whitney's PW6000 engines available only for the A318.[72]