Today marks 28 years since the Airbus A330 entered service with Air Inter. The dual-aisle aircraft was Airbus’ successor to the A330 and was set to challenge the growing dominance of Boeing in the widebody market. Here’s a look at the original and new variants of the aircraft.
Rollout
Airbus delivered the first A330 on January 17th, 1994, to French carrier Air Inter. The first variant to be developed was the larger -300, set to compete with the Boeing 767 and 777 families, which had led the dual-aisle market. The aircraft could seat up to a massive 440 passengers in an all-economy layout, with 300 in a more standard two-cabin configuration.
However, Airbus later shrunk the A330 to meet longer-range passenger needs. The A330-200 can fly 13,400 kilometers but seats up to 250 passengers in a two-class layout. The typed entered service with Korean Air in 1998.
These two variants are now known as the A330ceos and have seen great success, racking up over 1400 orders. However, as the market evolved, Airbus is now offering a newly engined variant of the A330, known as the A330neos.
New
To compete with the Boeing 787 family, Airbus re-engined the A330s and optimized cabin layouts. The A330-800 and A330-900 both feature the Rolls-Royce 7000 and curved wingtips for better efficiency. The neo has found varying success, with the larger variant far outpacing the smaller one.
As of today, over 350 A330neos have been ordered, but only 15 have been for the smaller -800 variant. The type competed directly with the Boeing 787, which dominates the medium-haul market globally.
Much more
While there have only been four major A330 variants, Airbus has been tinkering to meet customer needs in the last three decades. In 2013, the planemaker released the A330-300 ‘Regional’, which features a lower takeoff weight and range of 5,000km. Similarly, the A333HGW features a higher takeoff weight to boost the range.
The A330 also became the first Airbus aircraft to have a dedicated freighter program. The A330-200F sold 38 units, leaving it far behind the 767 and 777 programs. However, the P2F program means there are dozens of more units in the sky today.
Notably, the A330 serves as the base for the BelugaXL, the oversized freighter Airbus uses to move aircraft parts across the globe. While heavily modified, it has all the same features as a standard A330.
Finally, the A330 also comes in an ACJ (Airbus Corporate Jet) variant for passengers looking for a widebody experience. Seating only 50 passengers, it can fly over 15,400 kilometers.
Military
As with many passenger planes, the A330 also serves a base for military variants. The A330MRTT (Multi-Role Transport and Tanker) has seen orders from Air Force’s across the world and provide aerial refueling for military aircraft.
What do you think about the A330 family? Let us know in the comments!