Definition
The Airbus A310 is a medium‑ to long‑range, twin‑engine, wide‑body commercial airliner developed and manufactured by Airbus Industrie. It is a shortened and weight‑reduced derivative of the Airbus A300, intended to provide airlines with a more economical option for routes requiring lower passenger capacity or longer range.
Overview
- Development and production: The A310 program was launched in 1978, with the first prototype rolling out in 1982 and its maiden flight on 3 April 1982. Commercial entry into service occurred in 1983 with Swissair as the launch customer. Production continued until 1998, after which the type was succeeded by newer Airbus models such as the A330.
- Variants: Two primary passenger variants were produced: the A310‑200, offering a typical range of about 5,200 km (2,800 nmi), and the A310‑300, equipped with additional fuel capacity for a maximum range of approximately 9,600 km (5,180 nmi). Cargo and corporate‑jet conversions were also undertaken, most notably the A310‑200F freighter and various business‑liner configurations.
- Operational history: Over 255 A310 aircraft were built and operated by a wide range of airlines, charter operators, and governmental users worldwide. By the early 2020s, the type had largely been retired from major passenger service, though some remained in cargo and special‑mission roles.
Etymology/Origin
The designation “A310” follows Airbus’s alphanumeric naming convention, where “A” denotes Airbus and the numeric component reflects the aircraft’s lineage. The “3” indicates the aircraft’s origin in the A300 family, while the trailing “10” identifies it as a distinct model within that series. The name therefore signifies a derivative of the A300 platform with a reduced fuselage length.
Characteristics
| Feature | Specification (typical) |
|---|---|
| Crew | 2 (pilot and co‑pilot) |
| Passenger capacity | 200 – 220 (two‑class) or up to 280 (high‑density) |
| Length | 46.66 m (153 ft) |
| Wingspan | 43.90 m (144 ft) |
| Height | 13.10 m (43 ft) |
| Maximum take‑off weight (MTOW) | 155 t (A310‑200) – 164 t (A310‑300) |
| Engines | • Rolls‑Royce RB211‑524 (or RB211‑535) • Pratt & Whitney JT9D‑59A (or JT9D‑70) |
| Range | 5,200 km (2,800 nmi) for A310‑200; 9,600 km (5,180 nmi) for A310‑300 |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.78 (≈ 840 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 12,200 m (40 000 ft) |
| Landing gear | Tricycle, retractable, dual‑wheel main gear |
Key design features include a shortened fuselage relative to the A300, a common wing design with leading‑edge slats and trailing‑edge flaps, and a reinforced landing gear to accommodate higher take‑off weights in the long‑range variant. The aircraft utilizes a two‑crew glass cockpit (later retrofitted in some operators) and was among the first Airbus models to incorporate fly‑by‑wire control augmentation in later upgrades.
Related Topics
- Airbus A300 – the predecessor wide‑body from which the A310 was derived.
- Airbus A330 – a later, larger twin‑engine wide‑body that succeeded the A310 in Airbus’s product line.
- Boeing 767 – a competing American twin‑engine wide‑body aircraft of similar capacity and range.
- Airbus A340 – a four‑engine long‑range aircraft developed concurrently with the A310 for higher‑capacity routes.
- Airbus corporate aircraft program – includes business‑jet conversions of the A310 airframe.
This entry reflects information available from established aerospace references and manufacturer data up to the early 2020s.