IATA 330

Airbus A330

Airbus

TravelerPulse profile

Versatile wide-body twin-engine jet for long-haul routes.

First flight

1992

Category

Wide-body jet

Seating

250–440 passengers (variant and configuration dependent)

Range

Up to 13,400 km (A330-200)

Engines

Two turbofan engines; options include GE CF6, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or Rolls-Royce Trent 700 (ceo); Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 (neo)

Status

In production

The Airbus A330 is a wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner developed by Airbus and first flown in 1992. Designed to serve medium- to long-haul routes, it competes primarily with the Boeing 767 and 777, offering operators a fuel-efficient and flexible platform in two main passenger variants: the A330-200 and A330-300. The aircraft shares its fuselage cross-section with the A340 and incorporates fly-by-wire flight controls, a common feature across the Airbus wide-body family. This commonality reduces pilot training requirements for operators of multiple Airbus types. An updated variant, the A330neo (New Engine Option), entered service in 2018, featuring Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and aerodynamic improvements that significantly reduce fuel consumption. The A330 family has proven commercially successful, with over 1,800 orders placed across all variants.

Notable operators

Major operators include Delta Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, China Eastern, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Air France, and Lufthansa.

Notable facts

›The A330 shares its fuselage and wing design heritage with the four-engine A340.
›The A330-200F is a freighter variant capable of carrying up to 70 tonnes of cargo.
›Airbus has converted retired A330s into MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) military aircraft.
›The A330neo features new Airspace cabin interior and winglets, reducing fuel burn by around 14% versus the ceo.
›The A330-300 is among the longest twin-aisle aircraft in its class, accommodating up to 440 passengers in high-density seating.

Read more on Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Specifications may be inaccurate or vary by variant/operator — verify with the manufacturer before relying on them.

Encyclopaedia

The Airbus A330 is a wide-body airliner developed and produced by Airbus. Airbus began developing larger A300 derivatives in the mid–1970s, giving rise to the A330 twinjet as well as the Airbus A340 quadjet, and launched both designs along with their first orders in June 1987. The A330-300, the first variant, took its maiden flight in November 1992 and entered service with Air Inter in January 1994. The A330-200, a shortened longer-range variant, followed in 1998 with Canada 3000 as the launch operator.

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