IATA 330

Airbus A330

Airbus

TravelerPulse profile

Versatile twin-engine widebody serving medium and long-haul routes.

First flight

1992

Category

Wide-body jet

Seating

250–440 passengers depending on variant and configuration

Range

Up to 13,400 km (A330-200)

Engines

Two high-bypass turbofans; options include GE CF6, P&W PW4000, or RR Trent 700/7000

Status

In production

The Airbus A330 is a wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner developed by Airbus and introduced into service in 1994. Designed as a fuel-efficient alternative to four-engine long-haul aircraft, the A330 shares a common fuselage cross-section with the A340 and benefits from a high degree of cockpit commonality with other Airbus fly-by-wire aircraft. The A330 family includes the shorter A330-200 and the longer A330-300 variants, as well as the freighter A330-200F. A military tanker/transport derivative, the A330 MRTT, has also been widely adopted by air forces worldwide. The A330neo (New Engine Option), featuring Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and aerodynamic improvements, entered service in 2018 offering significantly improved fuel efficiency. With over 1,800 aircraft ordered and operators spanning six continents, the A330 has become one of the most commercially successful wide-body airliners in history. It remains in production and continues to be a preferred choice for medium- to long-haul operations by major carriers worldwide.

Notable operators

Major operators include Emirates, Air France, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, China Eastern, and Vietnam Airlines.

Notable facts

›The A330-300 entered service with Air Inter in January 1994.
›The A330neo features Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and sharklet winglet technology.
›The A330 shares significant systems and cockpit commonality with the A320 and A340 families.
›The A330 MRTT military derivative is operated by over a dozen air forces worldwide.
›Over 1,800 A330s have been ordered since the program launched.