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135-539: The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body , commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus . The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of 3,700 nmi (6,900 km; 4,300 mi). Final assembly of the aircraft takes place in Hamburg , Germany and Tianjin , China . The A319 is a shortened-fuselage variant of

270-678: A 3.5% fuel burn reduction on flights over 2,800 km (1,500 nmi; 1,700 mi), saving approximately US$ 220,000 and 700 t of CO 2 per aircraft per year. The 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) tall wingtip devices are manufactured by Korean Air Aerospace Division. 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

405-817: 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. 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. By January 2019, Mobile

540-577: 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. 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). The engines were to be two Rolls-Royce BR715s, CFM56-9s, or the Pratt & Whitney PW6000 ; with

675-417: A basis for the creation of Swiss . By preventing the complete collapse of Swissair, the other airline-related businesses of the group were likewise spared collapse. Following another federal repayable funding commitment of one billion francs, each of the 26 long-haul aircraft ( MD-11s and A330s ) and 26 medium-haul aircraft ( A321s , A320s and A319s ) were able to be transferred to Crossair / Swiss at

810-494: A company based in Wichita , Kansas , USA. 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 . Despite the anticipated efficiency gains and development work, Airbus announced that those winglets would not be offered to customers, claiming that

945-817: A company that initially used older Swissair aircraft to fly to holiday destinations. As the first European customer, Swissair bought the Douglas DC-7 C which enabled the company to provide non-stop flights to the United States. For shorter-range routes, the Convair Metropolitan was used. In 1957, the Far East was added to the route network. Direct flights to Tokyo had intermediate stops in Athens , Karachi , Bombay , Bangkok and Manila . That same year, Swissair helped Aristotle Onassis form

1080-551: A design called the HS.134 "Airbus" in 1965, an evolution of the HS.121 (formerly DH.121) Trident , which shared much of the general arrangement of the later JET3 study design. The name "Airbus" at the time referred to a BEA requirement, rather than to the later international programme. In June 1977 a new Joint European Transport (JET) programme was set up, established by British Aerospace (BAe), Aerospatiale , Dornier and Fokker . It

1215-512: A dispute between the French, who claimed the move would incur $ 150 million (€135 million) in unnecessary expenditures associated with the new plant, and the Germans, who argued that 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

1350-437: A full glass cockpit, rather than the hybrid versions found in previous airliners. It is also equipped with an Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) with side-stick controllers. The A320 has an Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) to give the flight crew information about all of the systems on the aircraft. The only analogue instruments were the radio-magnetic indicator and brake pressure indicator. Since 2003,

1485-715: 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). 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). The UK, France and West 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

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1620-634: A modularized cabin version of the ACJ319, known as "Elegance", is also available. It is said to be able to lower cost and ease reconfiguration. The A319LR is the longer-range version of the A319. The typical range of the A319LR is increased up to 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km) compared to the standard A319. Qatar Airways was the launch customer, receiving two A319-100LRs, PrivatAir received two A319LRs in 2003, and Eurofly acquired two in 2005. The A319neo

1755-629: A national referendum held on 6 December 1992, Swiss citizens rejected taking part in the European Economic Area (EEA). This referendum was a significant disservice to Swissair, an airline with a tiny domestic market: its planes were not allowed to take up passengers during intermediate landings in EEA countries (e.g., Zürich-Frankfurt-New York), and Swissair was not allowed to offer tickets for sections that fully lie in EEA member countries (e.g., Zürich-Frankfurt-Paris). See also freedoms of

1890-453: A new air purifier with filters and a catalytic converter , removing unpleasant smells from the air before it is pumped into the cabin, as well as LEDs for mood lighting and a new passenger service unit (PSU). 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. The flight crew controls

2025-455: A production rate of 63 aircraft per month by 2021, which would result in the 10,000th delivery occurring early that year. 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. In October 2020, the 500th A320 built in Tianjin, an A320neo, was delivered to China Southern , twelve years after

2160-629: A quality airline and from the fact that the political neutrality of Switzerland allowed the company to fly to exotic and lucrative destinations in Africa, the Middle East, South America and the Far East. In geographic terms, the central position of Switzerland in Europe helped it generate revenue from transfer passengers. By the early 1970s, Swissair was becoming known as "the flying bank", appealing to

2295-609: A reduction of nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emissions by at least 10% compared to the A320 series, as well as an increase in range of approximately 500 nautical miles (900 km). The A319neo is the least popular variant of the Airbus A320neo family, with total orders for only 61 aircraft placed as of 30 September 2023, compared with 4,234 for the A320neo and 5,422 for the A321neo. The Airbus A319 MPA (Maritime Patrol Aircraft)

2430-414: A retractable tricycle landing gear and 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 for the empennage with a conventional tail configuration, centre-of-gravity control using fuel, a glass cockpit ( EFIS ) with side-stick controllers and

2565-536: A shorter-range twinjet rather than a longer-range quadjet wanted by the West Germans, particularly Lufthansa . However, works proceeded, and the German carrier would eventually order the twinjet. In February 1981 the project was re-designated A320, with efforts focused on the blueprint formerly designated SA2. During the year, Airbus worked with Delta Air Lines on a 150-seat aircraft envisioned and required by

2700-460: 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. A 150-seat A320 burns 11,608 kg (25,591 lb) of jet 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. Its wing

2835-648: A wider European market. Finally, after deregulation, Swissair tried to expand beyond its home market; after the Alcazar project was cancelled, Swissair aimed to be a major force in European aviation. In the mid-1990s, Swissair initiated the disastrous "Hunter Strategy", a major expansion programme devised by the US consulting firm McKinsey & Co . Using this strategy, Swissair aimed to grow its market share by acquiring small airlines rather than entering into alliance agreements. Swissair decided to acquire 49.5 per cent of

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2970-500: A wingspan of 31.0 m (101 ft 8 in) 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. 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

3105-749: Is based on an A319CJ from Lufthansa Technik. This aircraft is designed for the German Air Force which uses it to perform surveillance missions as part of the Treaty on Open Skies . Twenty missions are planned every year by the German Air Force, and it is offered for lease by to other countries who want to conduct such mission without the appropriate equipment. As of October 2024, 1,279 Airbus A319 aircraft (1,257 ceo+22 neo) were in service with 87 operators, with American Airlines , United Airlines , EasyJet and Delta Air Lines operating

3240-622: 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. The Airbus Corporate Jets are modified business jet versions of the standard commercial variants. In December 2010, Airbus announced the re-engined A320neo ( new engine option ), which entered service with Lufthansa in January 2016. With more efficient turbofans and improvements including sharklets , it offers up to 15% better fuel economy . The previous A320 generation

3375-566: Is a military derivative of the Airbus A319. Development was announced in 2018 by Airbus Defence and Space to compete against the Boeing P-8 Poseidon , which is a derivative aircraft of the Boeing 737 manufactured in the United States. The new observation platform A319 OH which means "Offener Himmel" (meaning " Open Sky" ) is equipped with electro-optical sensors, an EO-S/digital camera and an infrared sensor (IR-S). It

3510-459: Is long and thin, offering better aerodynamic efficiency because of the higher aspect ratio than the competing 737 and MD-80. The Airbus A320 family are low-wing cantilever monoplanes with a conventional empennage with a single vertical stabiliser 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, compared to

3645-692: Is now called A320ceo ( current engine option ). American Airlines is the largest A320 operator with 479 aircraft in its fleet, while IndiGo is the largest customer with 930 aircraft on order. In October 2019, the A320 family surpassed the Boeing 737 to become the highest-selling airliner. As of October 2024 , a total of 18,994 A320 family aircraft had been ordered and 11,707 delivered , of which 10,803 aircraft were 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

3780-700: Is powered by the same engine types as the A320. The A319CJ was used by the Escadron de Transport, d'Entraînement et de Calibration which is in charge of transportation for France's officials and also by the Flugbereitschaft of the German Air Force for transportation of Germany's officials. An ACJ serves as a presidential or official aircraft of Albania , Armenia , Azerbaijan , Bulgaria , Czech Republic , Germany , Hungary ( Hungarian Air Force 604, 605), Italy , Malaysia , Slovakia , Thailand , Turkey , Ukraine , and Venezuela . Starting from 2014,

3915-524: Is the largest operator with 133 A319ceo in its fleet. The first member of the A320 family was the A320 which was launched in March 1984 and first flew on 22 February 1987. The family was extended to include the stretched A321 (first delivered 1994), the shortened A319 (1996), and the further shortened 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. The A319

4050-466: Is the shortest variant of the Airbus A320neo family of airliners developed since December 2010 by Airbus , with the suffix "neo" meaning "new engine option". It is the last step of the A320 Enhanced (A320E) modernisation programme, which was started in 2006. The A319neo replaces the original A319, which is now referred to as A319ceo, for "current engine option". In addition to the new engines,

4185-449: Is up to 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 km). 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, or Airbus Corporate Jet , while starting with 2014 it has the marketing designation ACJ319. The aircraft seats up to 39 passengers, but may be outfitted by

Airbus A319 - Misplaced Pages Continue

4320-577: The 737 Classic and the MD-80 , then their successors, the 737 Next Generation (737NG) and the MD-90 respectively, while the 737 MAX is Boeing's response to the A320neo. When Airbus designed the A300 during the late 1960s and early 1970s, it envisaged a broad family of airliners with which to compete against Boeing and Douglas (later McDonnell Douglas ), two established US aerospace manufacturers. From

4455-649: The A320neo (new engine option). The similarly shortened fuselage A319neo variant offers new, more efficient engines, combined with airframe improvements and the addition of winglets , named "sharklets" by Airbus. The aircraft promises fuel savings of up to 15%. The A319neo sales are much lower than other A320neo variants, with around 1% of orders by June 2020. As of October 2024, a total of 1,506 Airbus A319 aircraft have been delivered, of which 1,279 are in service. In addition, another 37 airliners are on firm order (comprising 2 A319ceo and 35 A319neo). American Airlines

4590-738: The Curtiss Condor beginning in 1934. Nelly Diener , the first flight attendant in Europe, became world-famous. She was killed after just 79 flights in a crash near Wurmlingen, Germany, on 27 July 1934. The cause of the crash was material fatigue . In 1936, Douglas DC-2s were acquired, and London was added to the route network. In 1937, the bigger Douglas DC-3 was bought. In the same year, both founding fathers died: Walter Mittelholzer died while mountaineering in Steiermark , Austria, and Balz Zimmermann succumbed to an infectious disease. On 27 August 1939, days before World War II broke out,

4725-650: The EUROPLANE , a 180- to 200-seat aircraft. It was abandoned after intruding on A310 specifications. VFW-Fokker , Dornier and Hawker Siddeley worked on a number of 150-seat designs. 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

4860-705: The Magadino Plains in Ticino . Operations were suspended in August 1944, when a Swissair DC-2 was destroyed in Stuttgart during an American bombing raid. On 30 July 1945, Swissair was able to resume commercial aviation. In 1947, the rise of shareholder capital to SFr 20 million (equivalent to SFr 95.61 million or US$ 105.06 million in 2021) enabled long-haul flights to New York, South Africa, and South America with Douglas DC-4s . The modern Convair 240 ,

4995-530: The V2500Select (One) . In 2006, Airbus tested three styles of winglets intended to counteract the wing's lift-induced drag and wingtip vortices more effectively than the previous wingtip fence . The first design type to be tested was developed by Airbus and based on work done by the AWIATOR programme. The second type of winglet incorporated a more blended design and was designed by Winglet Technology,

5130-646: The bond market , through which it raised $ 480 million (€475 million) to finance development costs. An additional $ 180 million (€175 million) was borrowed from the European Investment Bank and private investors. 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

5265-479: 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. The A320 is the world's first airliner with digital fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system : input commands through

5400-496: 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 . At its introduction, fly-by-wire and flight envelope protection was a new experience for many pilots. Swissair Swissair

5535-657: The $ 275 million (€250 million) programme on 10 June 1993. On 23 March 1995, the first A319 underwent final assembly at Airbus's 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. The certification programme took 350 airborne hours involving two aircraft; certification for the CFM56-5B6/2-equipped variant was granted in April 1996, and

Airbus A319 - Misplaced Pages Continue

5670-400: The 3,588 nautical miles (6,645 km; 4,129 mi) great circle route to Winnipeg , Manitoba from Hamburg in 9 hours and 5 minutes. The A319 has proven popular with low-cost airlines such as EasyJet , which purchased 172 of them. The A318 was born out of mid-1990 studies between Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), Singapore Technologies Aerospace , Alenia and Airbus on

5805-496: The 3.8 m (148 in) of the Boeing 737 or 757 , and larger overhead bins. Its cargo hold can accommodate unit load device 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. Its tail assembly is made almost entirely of such composites by CASA, which also builds the elevators , main landing gear doors, and rear fuselage parts. The A320 flight deck features

5940-543: The A318 at that year's Farnborough Airshow. 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, 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. These cuts reduced passenger capacity from 124 on

6075-405: The A319 to 107 passengers in a two-class layout. Range was 5,700 kilometres (3,100 nmi; 3,500 mi), or 5,950 kilometres (3,210 nmi; 3,700 mi) with upcoming Sharklets . The 107-seater was launched on 26 April 1999 with the options and orders count at 109 aircraft. After three years of design, the maiden flight took place at Hamburg on 15 January 2002. Tests on the lead engine,

6210-464: The A319ceo (current engine option) model have been delivered. The A319CJ (rebranded ACJ319 "Elegance") is the corporate jet version of the A319. It incorporates removable extra fuel tanks (up to six additional Center Tanks) which are installed in the cargo compartment, and an increased service ceiling of 12,500 m (41,000 ft). Range with eight passengers' payload and auxiliary fuel tanks (ACTs)

6345-527: The A320 has featured liquid crystal display (LCD) units on the flight deck instead of the original cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays. These include both main displays and the backup artificial horizon , which also previously had an analogue display. Airbus offers an avionics upgrade for older A320 aircraft, the In-Service Enhancement Package, to keep them updated. Digital head-up displays are also available. The A320 retained

6480-563: The A320 overall. The length increase required enlarged overwing exits, which were repositioned in front of and behind the wings. The centre fuselage and undercarriage were reinforced to accommodate an increase in maximum takeoff weight of 9,600 kg (21,200 lb), for a total of 83,000 kg (183,000 lb). Final assembly for the A321 would be, as a first for any Airbus, carried out in Germany (then West Germany). This came after

6615-408: The A320 was to be named A30X . In 2007, Airbus North America President Barry Eccleston stated that the earliest the aircraft could have been available was 2017. 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. The Airbus A320 family are narrow-body (single-aisle) aircraft with

6750-539: The A320 was to be supplied by two CFM56-5-A1s rated at 111 kN (25,000 pounds-force). It was the only engine available until the arrival of the IAE V2500 , offered by International Aero Engines , a group composed of Rolls-Royce plc , Pratt & Whitney , Japanese Aero Engine Corporation , Fiat and MTU . The first V2500 variant, the V2500-A1, has a thrust output of 110  kN (25,000 pounds-force ), hence

6885-508: 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". The A319's wingspan is wider than the aircraft's overall length. Airbus began offering the new model from 22 May 1992, and the A319's first customer was ILFC, who signed for six aircraft. Anticipating further orders by Swissair and Alitalia, Airbus launched

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7020-525: The Airbus A320 and entered service in April 1996 with Swissair , around two years after the stretched Airbus A321 and eight years after the original A320. The aircraft 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. In December 2010, Airbus announced a new generation of the A320 family ,

7155-532: The Airbus A320neo. The first sharklet-equipped Airbus A320 was delivered to Indonesia 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. In 2007, Airbus introduced a new enhanced, quieter cabin 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. It offered

7290-646: The Airbus Americas factory in Mobile, Alabama . Airbus produced a total of 42 A320s per month in 2015, and expected to increase to 50 per month in 2017. 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. As Airbus targets

7425-503: The British wanted the major responsibilities to be swapped around to give partners production and research and development experience. In the end, British work-share was increased from that of the two previous Airbuses. France was willing to commit to launch aid, or subsidies, while the Germans were more cautious. The UK government was unwilling to provide funding for the tooling, requested by BAe and estimated at £ 250 million; it

7560-491: The CFM56/ PW6000 powered A318. The family pioneered the use of digital fly-by-wire and side-stick flight controls in airliners. Variants offer maximum take-off weights from 68 to 93.5 tonnes (150,000 to 206,000 lb), to cover a 5,740–6,940 kilometres ; 3,570–4,320 miles (3,100–3,750 nmi) range . The 31.4 m (103 ft) long A318 typically accommodates 107 to 132 passengers. The 124-156 seat A319

7695-743: The CV-990s during that time. Swissair was the second European airline to offer service to the People's Republic of China , introducing service to Beijing and Shanghai in 1975. In the same year, Swissair was the launch customer for the DC-9-51. In 1977, Swissair was the launch customer for the third DC-9 type, the DC-9-81 variant, now called the MD-80. Armin Baltensweiler had travelled to a meeting of

7830-566: The Czechoslovak operator CSA purchased a Ford Trimotor in 1930. The Orion was the fastest commercial aeroplane of its time and was put to use on the "Express Line", Zürich - Munich - Vienna . This led Lufthansa to ask Heinkel for a model that could top Orion's speed, leading to the Heinkel He 70 . The first trans-Alpine route was introduced in 1933: Zürich- Milan . For the first time in Europe, flight attendants were employed aboard

7965-529: The DC-4 on transatlantic routes. In 1948, the airport in Dübendorf, which had served as the base of Swissair, was relocated to Zürich-Kloten. Military aviation continued in Dübendorf. The next year, Swissair plunged into a financial crisis due to a sudden devaluation of the British pound because fares, except for traffic to the United States, were calculated in British currency. At that time, traffic to England made up 40 per cent of Swissair's revenue. In June 1950, Walter Berchtold, manager of Swiss Federal Railways,

8100-497: The French investments. For the first time, the board began to consider scenarios for phasing out its existing participation in other airlines as Swissair looked to withdraw from its foreign investments. In January 2001, Bruggisser was summarily dismissed. Moritz Suter, the founder of Crossair, was nominated as the new CEO of SAirLines and thus all Group airlines, including Swissair. After only 44 days in charge, Suter resigned. In March 2001, two studies by consultants were presented to

8235-420: 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. 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. Both share

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8370-424: The McDonnell-Douglas directorial board in St. Louis to convince them to further stretch the fuselage of the DC-9-51. Baltensweiler was called the "Father of the MD-80". In 1979, Swissair was the first company to order the Airbus A310 and the jumbo jet variant with a stretched upper deck, the Boeing 747-300 . Later on, the Fokker 100 short-range aircraft and the three-engined MD-11 were aircraft for which Swissair

8505-405: The PW6000, revealed worse-than-expected fuel consumption. 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. After 17 months of flight certification, during which 850 hours and 350 flights were accumulated, JAA certification

8640-545: The SAirGroup were handed over to the liquidation firm of Jürg Hoss and ceased operations on 31 March 2002. Crossair was renamed Swiss International Air Lines , or Swiss for short, and took over Swissair's intercontinental routes on 1 April 2002, officially ending 71 years of Swissair service. An investigation by the Zurich branch of Ernst & Young into factors behind the grounding revealed that "...in contradiction to representations made by SAir Group, not just 14.5 million Swiss Francs, but around CHF50 million were available at

8775-528: The Swiss Federal Government. The final Swissair flight landed in Zürich from São Paulo on 1 April 2002. On 1 April 2002, a former regional subsidiary Crossair renamed itself Swiss International Air Lines and took over most of Swissair's routes, planes , and staff. Swissair Group still exists and has since been liquidated. Swiss International Air Lines was taken over by the German airline Lufthansa in 2005. On 26 March 1931, Swissair – Schweizerische Luftverkehr AG (English: Swissair – Swiss Air Transport )

8910-424: The US Pullman railway cars . Two adjacent seats were moved towards each other and formed a lower berth. The wall panel could be folded downward, forming the upper berth in which the other person could sleep. A year later, a tourist class cabin was introduced on intra-European flights. In 1953, Swissair, with the city of Basel , founded a charter company called Balair , reusing the name of one of its predecessors,

9045-440: The air . Like other airlines based in smaller countries, Swissair was now under significant pressure. More and more national airlines have affiliated themselves with airline alliances to maintain a worldwide market presence. But to be interesting for American alliance partners, an airline must have a critical size in terms of passenger numbers. To meet that goal, in 1993, an alliance between Swissair, KLM, SAS, and Austrian Airlines

9180-401: The aircraft type. Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus . The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France . The first member of the family

9315-422: 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. The -200 had the centre tank activated, increasing fuel capacity from 15,590 to 23,430 L (3,429 to 5,154 imp gal). They would measure 36.04 and 39.24 m (118 ft 3 in and 128 ft 9 in), respectively. Airbus considered

9450-421: The airspace over Germany and France was closed. Swissair was forced to suspend service to Amsterdam, Paris, and London. Two days later, the Swissair service was closed completely. Of 180 employees, 131 had to serve in the army. Despite the war, some routes were later re-introduced, such as Munich, Berlin , Rome , and Barcelona . In 1940, an invasion of Switzerland was feared, and Swissair moved their operations to

9585-422: The bank's acronym, "UBS", as the United Bandits of Switzerland . Two large bridge loans from the Swiss government were required to finance the continuation of flight operations. This notwithstanding, with the resumption of flight service, it was necessary for flight crews to carry large sums of cash to purchase fuel at foreign airports. On 1 October 2001, Project "Phoenix" was announced, under which parts of

9720-831: The banks, with some hotels expelling the crew, and having them return home at their own expense. All tickets sold were voided. 4 October 2001 saw demonstrations by former Swissair employees before the UBS presentation held in Glattbrugg, and the following day saw demonstrations in Bern 's Federal Square. At around the same time, SAirGroup's stake in Crossair was sold to the Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse . Furthermore, Crossair took over various assets of former Swissair, including its employees, aircraft, and most European routes. Swissair and

9855-410: The board, which showed the financial difficulties of SAirGroup. At this point, the directors resigned, with only Mario Corti , the former CFO of Nestlé , remaining. From April to August 2001, the group's Moody's credit rating was gradually downgraded from A3 to B1 (it was downgraded further to B2 on September 18th). The buying spree created a major cash flow crisis for parent company SAirGroup and

9990-421: The cabin through touchscreen displays. The A320neo ( neo for new engine option ) is a development launched on 1 December 2010, making its first flight on 25 September 2014 and introduced by Lufthansa on 25 January 2016. Re-engined with CFM International LEAP -1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines and with large sharklets, it was designed to be 15% more fuel efficient. Its three variants are based on

10125-681: The company struggled with severe turbulence: a currency crisis, collective chaos, an air traffic controllers' strike, the October War and the first oil crisis were weathered without significant damage. In the same year, the regional representative of Swissair in Buenos Aires was kidnapped by the Montoneros . After 38 days in captivity, he was released after the payment of SFr12.35 million (equivalent to SFr29.69 million or US$ 32.63 million in 2021) ransom. The airline also phased out

10260-495: The company's disposal on the morning of October 2, 2001". The report further stated that "Without the administrative inadequacies connected with the release of an escrow account , an additional CHF 73 million would have been available. Thus, overall some CHF 123 million would have been available at SAirGroup, SAirLines and Swissair." Former Crossair executive André Dosé, who also served as the first CEO of successor airline Swiss International Air Lines , stated in 2004 that this meant

10395-553: The consortium focused on its bigger siblings. After healthy sales of the A320/A321, Airbus focused once more on what was then known as the A320M-7 , meaning A320 minus seven fuselage frames . It would provide direct competition for the 737-300 / -700 . 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). Consequently,

10530-413: The customers into any configuration. Tyrolean Jet Service Nfg. GmbH & CO KG, MJET and Reliance Industries are among its users. The A319CJ competes with other ultralarge-cabin corporate jets such as the Boeing 737-700 -based Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) and Embraer Lineage 1000 , as well as with large-cabin and ultralong-range Gulfstream G650 , Gulfstream G550 and Bombardier 's Global 6000 . It

10665-485: The desire to partner with Air France instead. During the European airline deregulation transition, Jeffrey Katz served as CEO of Swissair from 1997 to 2000, a period of increased fuel prices and industry overcapacity . In the summer of 2000, SAir's CEO Philippe Bruggisser came under public pressure as the press published the group's financial situation. Swissair and Sabena were each losing one million francs per day, and another million were lost every day at LTU and

10800-521: The end of that year, kerosene prices had doubled , and fuel costs had increased from 12% to 16% of total costs. Swissair was the first to order the Airbus A310 designed with a two-man cockpit for more traffic-tight short distances and on shorter medium distances, and accepted options for 10 more units. Another Boeing 747 was ordered. Dublin was added to the route network as a new destination, but service to Beirut had to be discontinued in mid-July due to

10935-757: The end of the winter schedule of 2001/02. On Easter Monday, 1 April 2002, the last flight of Swissair, flight SR145 from São Paulo, landed in Zürich. A 71-year-long chapter of Swiss aviation history thus came to an end. Between 1931 and 2002, Swissair transported more than 260 million passengers. The SwissairGroup (the name change from SAirGroup to SwissairGroup was announced in 2001 but never officially implemented) still existed as 'SAirGroup in Nachlassstundung' ( German : Swissair in Administration ) for several years until all assets were liquidated, including

11070-601: The expense of the core business of Swissair: commercial aviation. Due to a 12-day global flight ban for the DC-10 imposed by the US Federal Aviation Administration after the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 on 25 May 1979, a sizable portion of the long-haul fleet was on the ground. On October 7, after landing in Athens, a DC-8 overran the runway and caught fire , killing 14 passengers. By

11205-478: The federal government, cantons, municipalities, the Swiss Federal Railways, and the Swiss postal services, took over 30.6% of the shares and enabled Swissair to get a credit of 15  million Swiss Francs to purchase the airline's first two Douglas DC-6 B airliners for delivery in 1951. By that act, Swissair became Switzerland's national flag carrier . The new pressurised aircraft was to replace

11340-535: The final assembly line start in 2008. 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 . Engine improvements that reduced fuel consumption by 1% were made to the A320 in 2007 with the CFM56 Tech Insertion and in 2008 with

11475-550: The first European airline to do so, Swissair signed in 1989 a cooperation treaty with Delta Air Lines and Singapore Airlines to create the alliance "Global Excellence". In 1990, together with SAS, Austrian Airlines and Finnair , the "European Quality Alliance" was founded. The last alliance was later renamed "The Qualiflyer Group". Because of the weak economy, the Gulf War and its aftermath, and rising operational costs, many airlines lost money in 1990 and 1991. Additionally,

11610-465: The first Swissair plane with a pressurised cabin, was used for short and medium-range flights starting in late 1948. The first Swissair DC-4 flight to New York was routed via Shannon , Ireland, and Stephenville, Newfoundland , on 2 May 1947. However, it ended in Washington, D.C. , due to fog at New York's LaGuardia Airport . The total elapsed time was 20 hours and 55 minutes. The public, including

11745-521: The first morning flights. During the morning, fuel suppliers refused to fuel the waiting aircraft. At 15:45 CEST , CEO Mario Corti announced a cessation of flight operations due to the security risks caused by the crossing of the Flight Duty Regulations. This led to the cancellation of over 230 flights, and thousands of passengers, as well as flight crews, were stranded around the world. Flight crew corporate credit cards were blocked by

11880-486: 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 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

12015-477: The following day. 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. Delivery of the first A319, to Swissair , occurred on 25 April 1996; it entered service by month's end. In January 1997, an A319 broke a record during a delivery flight by flying

12150-536: The grey-blue ones of the Swiss Women's Army Corps , so Berchtold introduced ones in a modish marine blue. Swissair initiated a veritable fashion competition among European airlines. In 1952, the cabin layout on northern trans-Atlantic routes was changed to one with a first and a tourist (economy) class. The first-class cabin had comfortable chairs in which one could sleep, given the name "Slumberettes". Those sleeping chairs were soon succeeded by beds, modelled after

12285-424: The grounding was not necessary and that Swissair could have likely continued flying until the financing for a successor airline would have been finalized, a view he reiterated in a 2021 interview. In his 2004 statement, Dose voiced the view that Corti and then-CFO Jacqualyn Fouse had lost oversight of Swissair's finances, accounting for this mismatch in perception of available funds. Mario Corti vehemently rejected

12420-430: The group sought a payment delay. The Swiss federal authorities were willing to pay back half of the loan, so they secured the continuation of service. 2 October 2001 saw an increased necessity for strong liquidity, as all suppliers insisted on cash payments of outstanding invoices following a request for payment delay announced the day before. The company's cash reserves filed on that day were barely sufficient to carry out

12555-674: The large hidden assets and the huge liquidity Swissair had. Second, "flying bank" was the designation for a corporate group that cared more about financial management than about flying aeroplanes. With the beginning of deregulation and liberalisation in the late 1970s, airlines felt growing financial pressure. In 1978, Moritz Suter founded a regional airline named Crossair , which put Swissair under additional stress. To counter these changes, Swissair invested their large financial reserves into takeovers and into flight-related trades like baggage handling, catering, aircraft maintenance, and duty-free stores. This strategy diversified economic risks at

12690-496: The largest A319 fleets of 133, 81, 80 and 57 aircraft respectively. The A319 is the most popular variant of the Airbus A320 family to be operated by governments and as executive and private jets, with 82 aircraft (77 ceo+5 neo) in operation in these capacities as of 2024. Data as of October 2024. As of May 2022, there have been 23 aviation accidents and incidents involving the Airbus A319, including five hull-loss accidents. No fatal accidents have been recorded involving

12825-444: The long-range Airbus A310 . Airbus then focused its efforts on the single-aisle market, which was dominated by the 737 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9 . Plans from a number of European aircraft manufacturers called for a successor to the relatively successful BAC One-Eleven , and to replace the 737-200 and DC-9. Germany's MBB ( Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm ), British Aircraft Corporation , Sweden's Saab and Spain's CASA worked on

12960-595: The modernisation programme also included such improvements as: aerodynamic refinements, large curved winglets (sharklets), weight savings, a new aircraft cabin with larger hand luggage spaces, and an improved air purification system. Customers will have a choice of either the CFM International LEAP-1A or the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines. These improvements in combination are predicted to result in 15% lower fuel consumption per aircraft, 8% lower operating costs, reduced noise production, and

13095-611: The moment of formation, Airbus had begun studies into derivatives of the Airbus A300B in support of this long-term goal. 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. A 10th variation, conceived in 1973, later the first to be constructed, was designated the A300B10. It was a smaller aircraft which would be developed into

13230-557: The most significant orders occurred when Northwest Airlines placed an order for 100 A320s in October 1986, powered by CFM56 engines, later confirmed at the 1990 Farnborough Airshow . During A320 development, Airbus considered propfan technology, which was backed by Lufthansa . At the time unproven, the technology essentially consisted of a fan placed outside the engine nacelle , offering turbofan speeds and turboprop economics; ultimately, Airbus stuck with turbofans . Power on

13365-737: The name. It is 4% more efficient than the CFM56, with cruise thrust-specific fuel consumption for the -A5 at 16.3 and 16.9 g/kN/s (0.58 and 0.60 lb/lbf/h) for the CFM56-5A1. In the presence of then- French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac and the Prince and Princess of Wales , the first A320 was rolled out of the final assembly line at Toulouse on 14 February 1987 and made its maiden flight on 22 February in 3 hours and 23 minutes. The flight test programme took 1,200 hours over 530 flights. European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) certification

13500-540: The new Greek airline, Olympic Airways . While competitors first looked at turboprop aeroplanes to replace their piston-engined craft, Swissair introduced jet aeroplanes. Together with SAS, Swissair bought Douglas DC-8s , which were delivered beginning in 1960. For medium and short-range routes, the Sud Aviation Caravelle was purchased. The aircraft were maintained in concert with SAS, and manuals for operation and maintenance were co-written. Swissair

13635-403: The new model from 22 May 1992, with the actual launch of the $ 275 million (€250 million) programme occurring on 10 June 1993; the A319's first customer was ILFC , 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

13770-470: The notion that Swissair and SAirGroup bank accounts together held more than 14 million Swiss francs in a public statement after the Ernst & Young report came out. On 5 October, commercial flights on most routes were gradually resumed thanks to a federal emergency loan of over CHF 450 million. This occurred, in part, to ensure Switzerland's continued accessibility as a business location and to establish

13905-544: 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 . Minor software 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. Airbus began offering

14040-495: The older and smaller DC-9. In addition, modern, fuel-saving aircraft, such as five new Boeing 747s with extended upper decks and two DC-10-30s with a longer range, were ordered. With the connection of Zurich Airport to the national railway network, bus delivery services from Zürich were discontinued. Air passengers were already able to check their luggage at the rail station. The route network was expanded with service to Jakarta, but flights to Tehran and Baghdad had to be suspended after

14175-477: The ongoing liberalisation of the industry strengthened competition. Consequently, Swissair lost 99 million Swiss Francs in the first half-year and could not pay dividends to its shareholders. In 1991 and 1992, Swissair had to utilise financial reserves to cushion significant losses from the commercial aviation sector. On 1 January 1991, commercial aviation in Europe was completely liberalised, and existing capacities led to aggressive competition among airlines. In

14310-832: The outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war. By the end of 1980, Swissair was represented in 196 cities. New representations or points of sale were opened in Luxembourg, Ulm, Ottawa, Raleigh, Westchester, Valparaíso, Jubil, Sanaa, and Salisbury/Harare. Under the name Swissôtel , the hotels Président in Geneva, International in Zürich, Drake in New York, and Bellevue Palace in Bern were administratively combined. Regarding further liberalisation of Europe's airline market, Swissair focused more on commercial aviation and extended its partnerships. As

14445-542: The political turmoil in Lebanon. Swissair was able to outperform the competition in a year that experts deemed to be the worst in the history of civil aviation. In contrast to other airlines, which began to offer a second-tier executive class , the proven cabin division into first and economy classes was maintained. The short-haul fleet was renewed with the MD-81 (DC-9-81) introduction. This type of aircraft partially replaced

14580-466: 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, for current 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 as NSR or "New Short-Range aircraft". The follow-on aircraft to replace

14715-482: The qualification for the V2524-A5 started the following month. Delivery of the first A319, to Swissair , took place on 25 April 1996, entering service by month's end. In January 1997, an A319 broke a record during a delivery flight by flying 3,588 nautical miles (6,645 km) on the great circle route to Winnipeg , Manitoba from Hamburg, in 9 hours 5 minutes. The A319 has proved popular with low-cost airlines such as EasyJet , with 172 delivered. A total of 1,484 of

14850-407: The same year, the first Boeing 747-200 jumbo jet was acquired, and in the next year, the first McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 followed. Both types shaped the long-haul fleet until the 1990s. Again, the specifications of both aircraft were developed in collaboration with SAS. Also in 1972, Switzerland introduced a prohibition of night flights, which led to the cessation of cheaper night fares. In 1973,

14985-473: The short and medium-range routes, and, after convincing Douglas , which soon merged with McDonnell Aircraft to create McDonnell Douglas , ultimately merged with Boeing , offered a stretched variant: the DC-9-32. For the first time, Swissair was the launch customer of an aircraft type. In 1971, Armin Baltensweiler took over as president of the directorial board and ran the enterprise for over two decades. In

15120-465: The very successful Italian charter airline Air Europe, the unprofitable Belgian flag carrier Sabena , and significant stakes in the carriers Air Liberté , AOM , Air Littoral , Volare , LOT , Turkish Airlines , South African Airways , Portugália and LTU , and planned to acquire stakes in Aer Lingus , Finnair , Malév , as well as Brazilian carriers TAM and Transbrasil . By mid-2000, it

15255-492: The weight of the modifications required negated any aerodynamic benefits. 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. Airbus launched the sharklet blended winglets during the November 2009 Dubai Airshow . Installation adds 200 kg (440 lb) but offers

15390-635: Was awarded on 26 February 1988. The first A320 was delivered to Air France on 28 March, and began commercial service on 8 April with a flight between Paris and Berlin via Düsseldorf . In 1988, the clean-sheet aircraft program cost was 5.486 billion French francs . The first derivative of the A320 was the Airbus A321 , also known as the Stretched A320 , A320-500 and A325 . Its launch came on 24 November 1988 after commitments for 183 aircraft from 10 customers were secured. The aircraft

15525-470: Was based at the then BAe (formerly Vickers ) site in Weybridge , Surrey , UK. Although the members were all of Airbus' partners, they regarded the project as a separate collaboration from Airbus. This project was considered the forerunner of Airbus A320, encompassing the 130- to 188-seat market, powered by two CFM56s . It would have a cruise speed of Mach 0.84 (faster than the Boeing 737). The programme

15660-428: Was developed at the request of Steven Udvar-Hazy , the former president and CEO of ILFC according to The New York Times . The A319 design is a shortened fuselage, minimum change derivative of the A320 with its origins in the 130- to 140-seat SA1, part of the Single-Aisle studies. The SA1 was shelved as the consortium concentrated on its bigger siblings. After healthy sales of the A320/A321, Airbus re-focused on what

15795-416: Was elected to the directorial board of Swissair and served as the director. In 1971, he created the corporate culture of Swissair. He grasped the importance of corporate image and corporate identity and after the example of BOAC 's " Speedbird ", he introduced the arrow-shaped Swissair logo. Giving flight personnel a distinct uniform was also an important move. At the time, flight attendants' uniforms resembled

15930-624: Was exacerbated by the environment caused by the September 11 attacks . Unable to make payments to creditors on its large debt, and with the refusal of UBS to extend its line of credit, on 2 October 2001 the entire Swissair fleet was abruptly grounded. Many blamed UBS for the fiasco, causing demonstrators to take to the streets with signs referring to UBS chairman Marcel Ospel as " Bin Ospel ", quoting al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden , and redefining

16065-434: Was first deemed "un-Swiss". In the first operational year, 64 people were employed, including ten pilots, seven radio operators, and eight mechanics. Their planes offered 85 seats, and operation was maintained only from March to October. The route network had a length of 4,203 kilometres (2,612 mi). On 17 April 1932, Swissair bought two Lockheed Orions , making them the second European airline to use American planes after

16200-538: Was followed by the stretched A321 (first delivered in January 1994), the shorter A319 (April 1996), and the even shorter A318 (July 2003). Final assembly takes place in Toulouse in France; Hamburg in Germany; Tianjin in China since 2009; and Mobile, Alabama in the United States since April 2016. The twinjet has a six-abreast economy cross-section and came with either CFM56 or IAE V2500 turbofan engines, except

16335-787: Was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero . For most of its 71 years, it was one of the major international airlines and known as the "Flying Bank" due to its financial stability, causing it to be regarded as a Swiss national symbol and icon. It was headquartered at Zurich Airport , Kloten . In 1997, the Swissair Group was renamed SAirGroup (although it was again renamed Swissair Group in 2001), with four subdivisions: SAirLines (to which Swissair, regional subsidiaries Crossair and Balair, and leasing subsidiary FlightLease belonged), SAirServices, SAirLogistics, and SAirRelations. Due to its so-called "Hunter Strategy" of expanding its market by acquiring smaller airlines, Swissair

16470-403: Was founded through the fusion of the airlines Ad Astra Aero (founded in 1919) and Balair (1925). Balz Zimmermann and the Swiss aviation pioneer Walter Mittelholzer were the founding fathers. In contrast to other airlines, it did not receive support from the government. The name "Swissair" was the proposal of Dr Alphonse Ehinger, president of the directorial board of Balair, although "Swissair"

16605-431: Was its first customer to sign a "letter of intent" for 25 A320s and options for 25 more at the 1981 Paris Air Show . In October 1983, British Caledonian placed seven firm orders, bringing total orders to more than 80. Cyprus Airways became the first customer to place an order for V2500-powered A320s in November 1984, followed by Pan Am with 16 firm orders and 34 options in January 1985, and then Inex Adria . One of

16740-537: Was later transferred to Airbus, leading up to the creation of the Single-Aisle (SA) studies in 1980, led by former leader of the JET programme, Derek Brown. The group looked at three different variants, covering the 125- to 180-seat market, called SA1 , SA2 and SA3 . Although unaware at the time, the consortium was producing the blueprints for the A319, A320 and A321, respectively. The single-aisle programme created divisions within Airbus about whether to design

16875-634: Was obtained for the CFM56-powered variant on 23 May 2003. On 22 July 2003, first delivery for launch customer Frontier Airlines occurred, entering service before the end of the month. 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

17010-574: Was one of the few companies to order the Convair 990 Coronado for its medium and long-range routes. Although the aircraft did not initially fulfil contractual specifications, they were liked by employees and customers. They operated on the airline's routes to South America, West Africa, and the Middle and Far East. 1966 saw the introduction of the Douglas DC-9 . That aircraft became the backbone of

17145-441: Was outputting 4.5 A320s per month, raising to five by the end of the year. 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. Production rates continue to rise, and Airbus aims to reach

17280-444: Was postponed for three years. 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. In 1984, the program cost was then estimated at £2 billion ($ 2.8 billion) by Flight International, equivalent to £8 billion today. The programme was launched on 2 March 1984. At the time, Airbus had 96 orders. Air France

17415-694: Was predicted that Swissair would lose between SFr3.25 billion (equivalent to SFr3.51 billion or US$ 3.86 billion in 2021) and SFr4.45 billion (equivalent to SFr4.81 billion or US$ 5.29 billion in 2021) over the next three fiscal years. The management, however, maintained classical restructuring, and the Board approved the reorganisation of LTU for approximately SFr500 million (equivalent to SFr540.41 million or US$ 593.86 million in 2021) . Also, there were plans to take over Alitalia . In October 1999, Delta Air Lines cancelled its transatlantic Atlantic Excellence alliance with Swissair and Sabena , citing

17550-434: Was proposed. This project bore the name " Alcazar " to create a single Central European airline. However, in various countries, this project was criticised. In Switzerland itself, it was thought that the huge financial assets were too precious to sacrifice to merge Swissair with the other airlines. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Swissair tried to merge with Air France , Lufthansa , and British Airways to get access to

17685-412: Was replaced by an aft container door, which can take in reduced height LD3-45 containers . 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. With virtually the same fuel capacity as

17820-435: Was suffering from over-expansion by the late 1990s. The crash of Swissair Flight 111 in 1998, which killed all 229 people on board, generated a costly lawsuit and negative publicity for the airline. After the economic downturn following the September 11 attacks , Swissair's assets dramatically lost value, grounding the already-troubled airline in October 2001. The airline was later revived and kept alive until 31 March 2002 by

17955-505: Was the launch customer. 1983 saw the replacement of the older DC-9s with MD-83s. Since the 1960s, Swissair has been a world leader in the development of cargo reservation systems (CRS). PARS and CARIDO were examples of systems enabling the booking of passenger seats and freight space. After the 1960s, air traffic increased quickly and allowed many airlines—many of which were quasi-monopolists on their routes—to yield high revenues. Swissair profited from its well-established reputation as

18090-487: Was then known as the A320M-7 , meaning A320 minus seven fuselage frames . It would provide direct competition for the 737-300 / -700 . The shrink was achieved through the removal of four fuselage frames fore and three aft the wing, cutting the overall length by 3.73 metres (12 ft 3 in). Consequently, the number of overwing exits was reduced from four to two. High-density A319s, such as 156-seat aircraft used by EasyJet , retain four overwing exits. The bulk-cargo door

18225-448: Was to be a minimally changed derivative, apart from minor wing modifications and the fuselage stretch itself. The wing would incorporate double-slotted flaps and minor trailing edge modifications, increasing wing area from 124 m (1,330 sq ft) to 128 m (1,380 sq ft). 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

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