The Airbus A320 is a short- to medium-range 150-passenger aircraft that was developed to compete with the Boeing 737. To date, over 2,800 of these aircraft have been built. The A320 pioneered the use of fly-by-wire technology in commercial aircraft. It is the first commercial aircraft to use side stick controllers and a fully digital cockpit with six large LCDs. It is the first narrow body airliner that utilizes composites in much of the main aircraft structure. The A320 has the option of adding two additional centerline tanks fitted in the rear cargo hold for extra range.
The A320 is the main aircraft in a family of models that have been developed since. They all share the common design of the A320 but vary in size and passenger capacity. The A318 and 319 are smaller, the A320 is slightly larger.
The A320 first flew in 1987, followed by deliveries in 1988, and is currently still in production. It is powered by a choice of either two CFM56-5 or IAE V2500 engines.
The ACJ320 is the corporate version of the A320 airliner. The ACJ320 is meant to go head-to-head with Boeing’s BBJ range.