The Smallest Original Airbus is the A318 ‘Baby Bus’

There’s this little Airbus plane that we call the “baby bus.” It’s none other than the Airbus A318. It’s even smaller than the A220-100 but holds the same capacity. It’s essentially part of the A320 family; the only difference is that its length has been shortened. So why did Airbus create the A318 variant of the A320 family?

To those wondering why I said “original” in the title, the current Airbus A220-100, which is now the smallest Airbus plane, began as a project of Bombardier as the CS100. The A318 was a member of the A320 family.

Design and Features

The Airbus A318 is a narrow-body, single-aisle aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear. It’s powered by two wing pylon-mounted turbofan engines. You’ll find two types of engines on the A318: one from CFM International called the CFM56-5B and another from Pratt & Whitney known as the PW6000. The aircraft has a conventional tail unit with a single vertical stabilizer and rudder.

Compared to the A320, the A318 is six meters shorter and around 3 tons lighter. To balance this out, it has a larger vertical stabilizer. Initially, the aircraft was conceptualized with a dorsal fin extension similar to the Boeing 737-300. However, the final design features a fin tip extension, making it 75 centimeters taller than other A320 variants.

Versatility in Take-Off Weights and Routes

The A318 offers different maximum take-off weights (MTOW), ranging from 59 tons for a base model with a range of 2,750 kilometers to 68 tons for a version that can fly up to 6,000 kilometers. Depending on the engine type, the MTOW can vary between 56 to 68 tons. This flexibility allows the A318 to operate both regional and marginal routes effectively.

The aircraft’s lighter weight gives it a 10% greater operating range than the A320. This enables it to serve unique routes like London to New York, Perth to Auckland, and Singapore to Tokyo. However, most airlines use the A318 for short, low-density flights between medium-sized cities.

Steep Approach Capability

One of the standout features of the Airbus A318 is its steep approach capability. It’s the largest commercial aircraft certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for such operations. This feature comes in handy at airports like London City, where steep approaches are a requirement.

The aircraft underwent a test flight in May 2006 at London City Airport to demonstrate this capability. It was a success, and in August 2009, the first A318 with steep approach capability was delivered to British Airways. The airline began using it for its Club World London City service, flying between London City Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Due to the short runway at London City Airport, a stopover at Shannon Airport, Ireland, is required for refueling on the westbound leg from London. However, the eastbound leg from New York doesn’t have this limitation.

A Brief History and Background

The A318 has an interesting history. It’s a descendant of the A320 family, which began with the A320 aircraft that first flew in 1987. The family expanded to include the A321, A319, and eventually the A318, which had its first delivery in 2003. These aircraft were pioneers in using digital fly-by-wire flight control systems and side-stick controls in commercial planes.

The A318 project initially started as a collaboration between Chinese, Singaporean, and European manufacturers. However, the project never went past the exploratory phase due to disagreements and a weak business case. Eventually, Airbus took it over, and the A318 as we know it today emerged.

However, Airbus no longer manufactures the A318. Production ended in 2013. As for the smallest aircraft in the Airbus lineup, it’s now the A220-100, formerly known as the Bombardier CS100. As of July 2023, there are only 50 A318s still operational. Out of that number, 8 are with Air France and 4 are with TAROM. The remaining aircraft must be private planes with unknown owners.