Why Did Airbus Build The A320 Family?

The Airbus A320 is the most ubiquitous aircraft flying in the sky and has become the main rival of the Boeing 737. But why did Airbus build it?
In the early 80s, there were only a few single-aisle, twin-jet aircraft that suited travel within Europe. The BAC One-Eleven, while highly praised, was ready for replacement. Options on the market were limited to the American made Boeing 737-200 or DC-9.
Article link: simpleflying.com/airbus-a320-...
Video source links:
A300 Historical Doc • A300 Birth of a Saga E...
Airbus formation flights • History of Airbus fami...
Airbus historical first flights • Airbus historical firs...
747 Historical Boeing • The 'Incredible' Story...
A320 Germanwings • Germanwings Airbus A32...
A320 Delta • Delta Air Lines N371NW...
A319 Germanwings • Close-Up: D-AGWM taxii...
A321 Aeroflot • Aeroflot - Airbus A321...
A320 family lineup Airbus • The A320neo Family: Un...
Photo source links:
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo...
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly-by-...
www.norebbo.com/2013/08/airbu...
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[@theskyline1425]

Lets all agree on one fact. The Airbus A320 is what made Airbus beat all the other rivals of Boeing and is largely responsible for what Airbus is today. The A320 NEO even boosted Airbus further

[@sorin_ea6]

The Skyline it’s the reason that Airbus has a huge backlog in current times

[@theskyline1425]

Yes. Exactly

[@petitben5240]

Absolutely. I was student in Paris during it madden flight. I remember also the aircraft first crash on the inaugural flight with France Air Inter. Wonderful aircraft. Vraiment superbe.

[@theskyline1425]

@@petitben5240 couldn't agree more

[@theskyline1425]

@Error 404 po twojej stampylonghead you can't compare it to the a320 but its also a success

[@nightmar3941]

0:38 i didnt know RYANAIR had an airbus

[@kleeblattchen38]

lol 😂

[@fralucalii]

Ahahahah

[@gamersiddheshtamil8796]

Lol

[@stevensaviationspotting]

I love their whistling sounds

[@militaryav8r]

You should watch this… kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKbYc6tvl998p6M He explains where that whine, as well as a few other sounds, come from.

[@stevensaviationspotting]

Emerson Yeah it comes from a bottle

[@militaryav8r]

It comes from a hole… but if that’s what you got out of it… ok.

[@erojerisiz1571]

2:31 those planes look so cute together

[@kanishkkk]

Do u watch anime?

[@lordoftheflings]

With the exception of the 747, I love flying on airbus aircraft waaaay more than on boeing aircraft. They tend to be quieter and roomier.

[@abedrawas5692]

One of the most efficient bird in the skies.

[@Sacto1654]

Especially the A320neo with its super-quiet engines.

[@gkfujiwaraesquibel7998]

Boeing: **Cries in 737 MAX**

[@britishairways744]

A350?

[@haven216]

@@britishairways744 Twin aisle aircraft are less efficient than single aisle aircraft. It's part of why the A321XLR is so attractive to airlines

[@Mercilessonion]

I read the title as 'Why Airbus killed the A320 Family' and I was like Airbus went mad or something lol

[@samernammari8785]

I always feel safe when I know the bird I will be flying on will be an A320Neo. Best single-aisle plane out there!

[@antbotsquad6769]

I agree

[@user-mm3oc5zf3c]

Agreed 😊

[@Flyby-1000]

I started my commercial aircraft maintenance tech career on the B737-200/300 series aircraft... The airline I worked for in the U.S. leased those birds and it was time to return them. F9 went to Boeing first, since they already flew 37's and asked for a deal from Boeing, they wouldn't make any deals... So, F9 went to Airbus and they made sweet deals on their planes. We got our first A320 in Jun of 2001. All us mechanics were like a kid in a candy store with this new plane. I remember stepping into the cockpit for the first time. It was like I stepped into a Star Trek movie. The flight deck was laid out so clean and nice, a big difference from the 737's. I remember old timer Boeing fanatic mechanics saying "I'll never work on the piece of shit French plastic one time use throw away plane!" Well, after about 2 years of working on them, they changed their tune and started saying they'll never go back to working on Boeing's' (at least the 37's). Personally, as an avionics tech, I love working on the A320 family of aircraft. I'm one of the few that actually say that I've work on all the members of that family, including the A318. F9 was the launch customer for the A318. And, we found out that the 5th A318 we got of our fleet of 12, A/C 805, N805FR, was the second prototype A318 and was used by Airbus to fly around the world when they were trying to demonstrate and sell the airframe. The A318's didn't last long in America. They started scrapping them when some of the airframes were only 5 years old. Our 318's only sat 114 passengers. The Embraer 190's came out around the same time, seating 124 and way more efficient.

[@herbertmoshesh7448]

It's always nice to hear from people who are closer to the aviation environment, you narrate such good stories that puts us there with you "Old timer..."😂😂😂

[@sarthsingh3271]

The best of Airbus: a320 family!

[@80sfreak14]

A320 is my favourite plane, my most flown plane, I've flown on every A320 in the Aer Lingus fleet ☘

[@ThePointsGuyDepartures]

Great channel! ✈️

[@SimpleFlyingNews]

Thanks for the feedback! - TB

[@a320family6]

The best avition channel

[@juliansprott90]

Having flown on both the A320 and the later Boeing 737’s, I’d have to say there not much difference in the passenger experience, but on the pilot’s side, not having to qualify for each individual aircraft type has saved a huge amount in training costs.

[@SombraPiloto]

An A320 type rating only covers the 319, 320, and 321 so it's not really any different than a 737 type.

[@steinwaldmadchen]

@@SombraPiloto I don’t think that’s between A320 models, but between Airbus' aircraft families. Conversion between A320 across A380 is much shorter than let's say, 737 to 787.

[@calvinnickel9995]

But in reality it rarely makes a difference. Often fleets are mixed, or have a single type, or have a culture where pilots don’t migrate from one plane to another very often.

[@hodb3906]

Frank Bama also neo series and the a330. Right?

[@fauzirahman3285]

I like that the limited layout means airlines can't squeeze any more seats width-wise so they're actually more comfortable in economy than many wide-bodied jets.

[@MSRTA_Productions]

The A320 is my favorite aircraft. Not too short. Not too long. Juuuuuuuuuust right

[@mgsaviation9292]

That's what she said

[@MSRTA_Productions]

@@mgsaviation9292 😂😂😂

[@chrislohphotography]

@@mgsaviation9292 lol beat me to it. I've been watching The Office all week.

[@mgsaviation9292]

@@chrislohphotography but I only watched the office by the meme templates

[@teddytheyorkielowellpenner777]

If you fly in an A320 and then go directly into a 737 you will find out just how great Airbus really is .The comfort level in the A320 is soon much better

[@SombraPiloto]

It's even more apparent up at the pointy end.

[@RamakrishnanSRM]

Why Airbus built A320? Ans: To save people from dying in Boeing 737 accidents.

[@calvinnickel9995]

The hull lost rates for the A320 and 737 NG are nearly identical at 0.26 and 0.27 respectively per one million flights.

[@austina6456]

Airbus made American airlines to buy thier a320neos and this forced boeing to make the 737 max. If airbus didn't made American airlines to buy their a320 neos, we would have a 797 instead of the Max

[@RamakrishnanSRM]

Calvin Nickel Do the calculation for Max and the Neo.

[@RamakrishnanSRM]

Austin A That’s not Airbus’ fault.

[@nightmar3941]

@@austina6456 im sure you are a begginer at aviation but im confused if you srent a begginer at all. airbus "made" a move and they created the A320neo and after that Boeing needs to create another aircraft that can compete against it so they made the 737max also if you didnt know Airbus and Boeing are the top 2 on making aircrafts but boeing is NO.1 so boing really had to make a move and created the MAX so its literally nobodies fault except for boeing everything would be fine if they tested the MCAS properly instead of making the MAX not stall it made it NOSEDIVE and killed a lot of people to be honest i really think the MAX will be the one to make me a BOEING guy Because im a Airbus Fan but when it failed it made not "trust" the MAX but i have trust on other boeing planes but i can understand that nobody is always RIGHT at aviation thank you if you completed to read the message

[@TheTriumfAnt]

1:25 On a side note, Dassault is pronounced da-so.

[@jaws10278]

As a former flight attendant, I loved working Airbus aircraft better than Boeing. The cabin made so much more sense, and I loved the Airbus doors.

[@GsG23161]

Things you forgot are the winglets

[@Cliptalks12]

Cool Video

[@PrograError]

this plane is actually the most common type in my region (SE Asia)

[@sarthsingh3271]

Even in my region- India

[@marcohenriquezmh]

Also in chile

[@MrBerlinPark]

Also here - Germany

[@williamdavis9471]

Same here in China,

[@eliastravelvlog6517]

All carriers in the PH is all A320 family for their short to medium haul flights

[@Luluperco]

I don’t like the a320, I LOVE it !!

[@steinwaldmadchen]

Am I the only one preferring the CEO with wingfence? Yes the sharklet and later NEO is marvelous, but I just find the old one cute lol

[@SombraPiloto]

Going full reverse on a NEO sounds like a giant vacuum cleaner though so it's more fun than a CEO. Downside is that the NEO takes twice as long to start and is slower to respond to power changes.

[@aarondynamics1311]

I also like the pivoting door thrust reversers on the CFM56s powering A320ceos

[@EmilioGameair]

I think the only bad thing of this channel it's that the videos end cause the videos are so good that i want they to be infinite hehe

[@itsfromlawrence]

would rather fly on an A320 than a B737. A much more comfortable plane.

[@ethansaviation2672]

Nice opinion

[@Voyager.2]

@@ethansaviation2672 Its not an opinion, it's a fact.

[@ethansaviation2672]

@@Voyager.2 hell no

[@Sacto1654]

European airlines _desperately_ needed a plane for shorter routes because the BAC 1-11, the Hawker Siddeley Trident and the Sub-Aviation Caravelle weren't sufficient for shorter range passenger growth. The result, especially when the CFM56 engine became available by 1979, was something that could match the Boeing 727-200 but with way lower noise, fuel burn and emissions. The result was the A320, which became operational in 1988. And unlike the Boeing 737 models, the A320, using fly-by-wire control, could "grow" with larger versions (A321) and new engines like the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G and CFM International LEAP-1A (A320neo Family).

[@guezwho67]

My favorite aircraft the A320 family. I enjoyed working on this at UAL.

[@cskvision]

Always preferred flying the a320 series over the 737. Wider cabin and wider seats

[@jantschierschky3461]

Well would not be the simplest answer be.. because there is a market for it ? Interesting video so

[@janpieterwagenaar1608]

It is a smart design philosophy the fly by wire concept. next step is to decouple more aspects in the architecture to create commonality in maintenance and use.

[@CaptainHarukaDani]

A320: The original, much more beautiful, loved by many. (I wanna add more for the A220, but i think i might trigger the fans of that adopted child.)

[@senabecool7232]

Question: what airlines livery looks good on the A320, mine is United airlines Blue Tulip livery

[@martinhartono3319]

i love it

[@ScottRothsroth0616]

At 1:16 perfect competitor to the Airbus A220 (formally, Bombardier CSeries).

[@robertpartington1383]

Have always loved the A320 series over the 737 even before the MAX fiasco. If it's a Boeing, I'm not going!

[@banchnotok]

Only thing are the small windows on 320s.

[@robertpartington1383]

@@banchnotok That's agreed but the cabin is wider. More elbow room.

[@RamakrishnanSRM]

Banch but when flying in Boeing, chances of getting the entire fuselage as window is pretty high. 😂😂

[@banchnotok]

@@RamakrishnanSRM 360° A/C

[@koltleo]

Why is this a question, So there is another plane after A310

[@mercybalones4670]

Maybe the A318 or A321 or A321 neo

[@A.S379]

The best in its category.

[@Voyager.2]

By far.

[@Jet-Pack]

The A320 is my favorite aircraft :)

[@user-mm3oc5zf3c]

I love the A320 series the regular one and the Neo

[@lordoftheflings]

0:37 Ryanair pilots showing how its done.

[@eliastravelvlog6517]

I really ❤️ the A320 family

[@connorwalters9854]

Gotta love Airbus

[@droneshotsantoine1805]

One of the most efficient birds in the sky

[@zenixlo]

bruh copy

[@zenixlo]

COPY

[@droneshotsantoine1805]

@@zenixlo no

[@goodfella2400]

I think it should have been noted that Delta Air Lines eventually selected the McDonnell Douglas MD-88. And that the MD-80 series was just as viable a competitor, as the 737, in the early days of the A320 program. i.e. EIS-1992.

[@johnfeliciano585]

I like it

[@fareehafarooqui8382]

One of the first

[@joshuaeriktespoer3375]

I always fly on an A320 family aircraft. When I first saw it with PAL, it became my favorite aircraft up to this day

[@mercybalones4670]

Just saying Pal is using also A321

[@joshuaeriktespoer3375]

@@mercybalones4670 Yes, they do have the A321. But their A320 is the one that started my love for the A320 family, which varies from the A318 to A321.

[@mercybalones4670]

@@joshuaeriktespoer3375 wanna talk about random stuff i have two accounts Ryle The Game Explorer and this Im so lonely im sad

[@joshuaeriktespoer3375]

@@mercybalones4670 why are you sad?

[@mercybalones4670]

@@joshuaeriktespoer3375 lockdown lol

[@shelin0]

Please can you make a video on the potential of Durban’s King Shaka International Airport

[@sanjeevbhosale2142]

Classic Airplanes, B 737 & A320 Yes, i like this A320 series as similar as B 737 series.

[@AviaZou7A]

Boeing 737-200 and DC-9 *sad Dassault Mercure noises

[@EpicThe112]

In North America US and Canada you tend to see A320 family with B737MAX & B737NG. Note that some operators like American Airlines and Delta Airlines got theirs from Philadelphia Pennsylvania based US Airways and from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne Airport Northwest Airlines those are CFM56 versions since they have common parts to the ones on B737NG

[@tomstravels520]

And what about JetBlue, Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant?

[@EpicThe112]

@@tomstravels520 thanks for correcting me also United Airlines which has A319 & A320 IAE V2500. The reason to why AA DL & AS is first is that they use CFM56 & Leap-x on both B737 & A320

[@kacper_black5704]

The best plane

[@gkfujiwaraesquibel7998]

Airbus A320 (A319 Actually) is the first aiplane I ever rode. If tthey're gonna make the successor of this beautiful plane, hope it's a narrow body version of the A350.

[@murtazamehdi2154]

A320 was first plane I flew

[@airbus_a320neo]

same, my first flight was on a Germanwings A319

[@Transit-Gaming]

Surprisingly, I've only flown on two A320s- for HK Express...

[@pham3383]

Love their sound They are actual buses but in the air,offer cheap flights

[@erojerisiz1571]

The neo sounds like a mini dreamliner

[@f0nic348]

I love the airbus a320 family more than the 737 family.

[@Bobby_9538]

Bro forgot the a318 is in the family 💀

[@N0616JCProductions]

From a Boeing fan, where is the 318?

[@thomasmacken3152]

It's called A220

[@thomasmacken3152]

@@khoado2060 it will replace A318. I was being sarcastic. like saying Where's the MAX

[@bxcsf9408]

My local plane

[@andrewmiller6754]

I want to creat my own airline in the future 😍

[@mercybalones4670]

Call me crazy im a kid but im also imagining economy and Business and First lol

[@andrewmiller6754]

@British Airways Boeing 747-436 yeah

[@domenico1907]

I love the 737

[@nightmar3941]

Max

[@CaptainHarukaDani]

@@nightmar3941 Shut up for a while kid

[@JN-ug5ky]

@@CaptainHarukaDani Max

[@nightmar3941]

@@CaptainHarukaDani max

[@pikachoo]

@@CaptainHarukaDani Max

[@horiginsfs7561]

3:52 engine fire

[@girasicanfly.9336]

who invented the fly by wire system?

[@alangarland8571]

A320 and derivatives is close to perfect as a short haul aircraft design. 737 also, except that problem with fitting (big) modern fanjets on them. Why change or replace a design that is proven to be good?

[@129aslamnurfikrir4]

because new engines are more efficient than old ones. Allowing planes to fly further or using less fuel

[@alpinweiss]

These videos are always titled as questions, sometimes there isnt even an answer in the video and we are asked to comment the answers

[@chrislohphotography]

The first 30 seconds gives you the answer... were you not paying attention?

[@seamusrichard]

Why did u not include the a318 it’s part of the a320 family??

[@jackgoodman6976]

Because the A318 was a massive failure, with just around 80 or so units being sold. It wasn’t worth putting that in the video most likely

[@gteixeira]

It was an afterthought of the A319 and came much later than the A320 project itself.

[@seamusrichard]

Gabriel Teixeira o ok ty for letting me know

[@v12ts.gaming]

Long story short: to beat the hell outta B737s

[@feivelwilliamaudiestevianto]

The first plane i flew on was the A320 from Yogyakarta to Jakarta

[@airbus_a320neo]

Mine was the A319 from Vienna to Stuttgart

[@feivelwilliamaudiestevianto]

@@airbus_a320neo what airline did you fly in ?

[@airbus_a320neo]

@@feivelwilliamaudiestevianto Germanwings. And you?

[@feivelwilliamaudiestevianto]

@@airbus_a320neo Indonesia Air Asia

[@Timmygodcrafter]

Its da best plane

[@dufmor]

What little chance I get to fly,I must say I do feel much safer in an Airbus..

[@albertbgde2230]

And a318

[@jeno5591]

This video was sponsored by Indigo

[@SimpleFlyingNews]

This video was not sponsored. - TB

[@jeno5591]

@@SimpleFlyingNews Yeah ik, it was just a joke because indigo is on of biggest A320 user😹

[@rosaliedollente1651]

Simple Aviation: Why Did Airbus Build The A330: Also Simple Aviation: Why Did Airbus Build The A320: A320 And A330: Am I A Joke To You?

[@SimpleFlyingNews]

I'll have to check Simple Aviation out :) - TB

[@rosaliedollente1651]

Oh Ok

[@christopherstehn4456]

I like the a320 I take the a320 a319 a321 737 757 767 400 to Arizona

[@g-manonthego6678]

The simple reason why I think that Airbus constructed the A320 series and later the neo series was so that they could have a fighting chance in narrrow body jet sales and compete against Boeing's 737.

[@snakeplays3991]

go a320 neo and normal

[@truthful3777]

The A320 is spacious compare to 737. I prefer A320. However I am looking forward to the MC21 for the extra width in the cabin size.

[@oerrukhsfgkh1612]

I hate the design, but it is a good plane

[@nishantpanda9266]

A320 is an amazing look plane. I mean come on dude! 🤨

[@sorin_ea6]

Airbus A320 has a nice design. Its better than the 737.

[@austina6456]

@@sorin_ea6 nah the 737 looks cooler with its cool cockpit windows and beautiful winglets. The Max is even more beautiful! For me the a320 looks chubbish and the Neo varient looks a bit ugly with its winglets

[@sorin_ea6]

@@austina6456 airbus a320 looks great with sharklets, and i think the cockpit is much better than boeings.

[@austina6456]

@@sorin_ea6 I do agree that airbus cockpits are neater than boeing's. But IDK I love those old fashioned cockpits

[@1chish]

I see that Boeing has landed an order for 4 737 MAX aircraft from a Polish airline. I also see that Pompeo was in Poland agreeing to position thousands of US troops there providing $ Mns for the Polish economy. Some cynics might suggest there is a link. Me? I could not possibly comment.

[@Waddle_Dee_With_Internet]

I swear the name Europlane sounds a lot better than Airbus.

[@Chris58851]

Thankfully Airbus didn't consider to lower landing gear as part of the original design.

[@soseali537]

second!

[@razaelahi7257]

To make money

[@ishanlovessupercars5876]

1st

[@bxcsf9408]

Noice

[@damnbobthebuilders]

Who thinks the A320/A320neo is better than the 737ng/737max series? Vote below 1= A320, 2= 737

[@damnbobthebuilders]

1

[@damnbobthebuilders]

2

[@ethansaviation2672]

2

[@warplane334]

Roses are red Quench your thirst No one cares If your first

[@stevensaviationspotting]

Yes

[@sarthsingh3271]

Yes

[@caleblastname6969]

Yes

[@ant2312]

you cared enough to make up a rhyme. owned

[@a320family6]

Luftansa shut up u got the a380 and only Emrates Brtish airways and Qantas found it useful and Emriates in the lead

[@dubnationx86i]

third

[@girikchokhani2449]

The A320 should not go!

[@ant2312]

because 737's are crap to fly on

[@chrismckellar9350]

So is the B737, so what is your point.

[@whiteandnerdytuba]

Because Airbus can't make anything good unless it's copying Boeing

[@steinwaldmadchen]

Boeing didn’t produce any FBW commercial aircraft before A320, nor airframe with composite and supercritical wing before A300. MAX launches followed Airbus' decision to reengine their A320.

[@whiteandnerdytuba]

steinwaldmadchen Concorde was first with fbw, composite wings date back to ww1, updating the engines has been a thing with Boeing since the first 737 100 was replaced. Try again

[@steinwaldmadchen]

@@whiteandnerdytuba Do you know that Concorde is participated by the very same manufacturers that later involved in Airbus? And that in A320 is a digital FBW, first among commercial aircraft. Nevertheless that still doesn't change the fact that Boeing had no FBW frames before A320. Capable to use composite is one thing, applying to large commercial aircraft is another. In that sense A300 is the first widebody twinjet, first with composite materials and supercritical wing, way before Boeing did the same. Get your fact right, mate.

[@SombraPiloto]

@@whiteandnerdytuba how is the A320 copied from Boeing?

[@whiteandnerdytuba]

steinwaldmadchen my facts are correct. You didn't dispute them. You're grasping at straws. A300 is a 767 copy, 320 is a 737, 330/340 copied 777 although the 340 was a failure just like the a380. 350 copied the 787. Saying the same manufacturers made some parts for Concorde and 320 is nonsense, Ford made bombers. Name one successful aircraft Airbus made that didn't follow Boeing?