Airbus A310
Role
|
Wide-body jet airliner
|
National origin
|
Multi-national
|
Manufacturer
|
Airbus
|
First Flight
|
April 3, 1982
|
Introduction
|
April 1983
|
Status
|
Out of production, in service
|
Primary Users
|
FedEX Express, Air Transat, Air India, Pakistan International
|
Developed from
|
Airbus A300
|
Number built
|
255
|
The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engined widebody jet airliner. Launched in July 1978, it was the second aircraft to enter production by Airbus Industrie, mthe consortium of European aerospace companies which is now owned by EADS. The A310 is a shortened derivative of the A300, the first twin-engined widebody airliner.
The range of the A310 exceeds that of the A300-series with the exception of the A300-600R, which surpasses the A310-200. The A310's greater range has led to the aircraft being used extensively on transatlantic routes. The A300 and A310 introduced the concept of commonality: A300-600 and A310 pilots can qualify for the other aircraft with one day of training.
Sales of the A310 continued and by the time the prototype A310-200 aircraft made its first flight on 3 April 1982, orders and options for 181 aircraft had been placed by 15 airlines worldwide, a somewhat better start than that of the original A300. It was clear that the longer-range series −200 aircraft was the more popular aircraft and Airbus decided in 1979 to stop offering the low gross weight series A310-100 (originally proposed for Lufthansa), none of which were built.
Demand for the aircraft began to slacken and there were no new A310 passenger orders during the late 1990s, due to the introduction of the advanced technology Airbus A330. The A310 (along with the A300) ceased production in July 2007, though five orders from Iraqi Airways remained on the books until July 2008. The remaining freighter sales were to be fulfilled by the new A330-200F derivative.
The A310 was marketed as an introduction to widebody operations for developing airlines. The A310 was replaced in Airbus' lineup by the highly successful A330-200, which shares its fuselage cross-section. Between 1983 and the last aircraft produced in 1998, 255 A310s were delivered.
The A300 and A310 established Airbus as a competitor to Boeing and allowed it to go ahead with the more ambitious A320 and A330/A340 families.
The A310 and the A300 officially ceased production in July 2007 although the last A310 delivery was in June 1998. As of August 2010, 255 A310s have been delivered, 193 of which are still in operation.
