Airbus A320

Finnair- Airbus A320

The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industry. The family includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, as well as the ACJ business jet. Final assembly of the family in Europe takes place in Toulouse, France and Hamburg, Germany; since 2009, a plant in Tianjin, People's Republic of China has also started producing aircraft for Chinese airlines. The aircraft family can accommodate up to 220 passengers and has a range of 3,100 to 12,000 km (1,700 to 6,500 nmi), depending on model.

The first member of the A320 family—the A320—was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was first delivered in 1988. The family was soon extended to include the A321 (first delivered 1994), the A319 (1996), and the A318 (2003). The A320 family pioneered the use of digital fly-by-wire flight control systems, as well as side stick controls, in commercial aircraft. Although there has been a continuous improvement process since introduction, the proposedA320neo is to offer new, more efficient engines.

New wing tip devices called “Sharklets” will be available on the A320 Family beginning in late 2012, adding more than 3.5 per cent savings in overall fuel consumption on long route sectors, while also improving takeoff performance and increasing payload by 500 kg. – allowing for additional range or more passengers to be carried.

More info:

http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/passengeraircraft/a320family/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A320_family