Many might wonder why the names of Airbus aircraft start with an “A3” such as A300, A310, A320, A330, A340, A350, and A380. Let’s delve into the naming conventions of Airbus aircraft and uncover the meanings behind these letters and numbers.
The Philippines predominantly operates Airbus aircraft, with the exception of Skyjet and Air Swift that fly ATR aircraft (which are 50% owned by Airbus). These airlines, ranging from Philippine Airlines to Royal Air, utilize a variety of Airbus models, from the A320 family to the ultra-modern A350 (operated by PAL).
So, what do the names of Airbus aircraft like A320, A330, A350, and A220 signify?
Airbus names their commercial planes with an “A3,” and two additional digits.
To start, the “A” in the Airbus model names stands for Airbus itself – that’s fairly straightforward. But what about the number “3”?
To understand this, we need to travel back in time to the inception of the Airbus A300. In the 1970s, prior to the A300, no widebody aircraft had only two engines. Models like the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, Boeing 747, and DC-10 all featured three or four engines. The A300 revolutionized this when it launched in the early 1970s. It was a unique widebody aircraft of its time, having only two engines and a seating capacity for 250 to 300 passengers.
After conducting market research, Airbus found that no airline would place an order for a twin-engine aircraft that could carry 300 passengers. Consequently, they decided to reduce the seating capacity to 250.
In order to avoid any confusion among potential customers, Airbus decided to retain the name “A300”.
Airbus wanted to maintain consistency in the naming of their new aircraft for branding purposes. Consequently, the next two smaller aircraft models were dubbed “A310,” and the first narrowbody produced by the company was labeled “A320.” All other models, including the A330, A340, and A350, followed suit.
Why did Airbus decide to name their superjumbo “A380” directly, skipping A360 and A370? The company wanted a distinct name due to the aircraft’s substantial size, which made it the largest passenger aircraft in the world at the time. This decision also leaves room for Airbus to introduce the A360 and A370, which are anticipated to be smaller aircraft than the A380.
The origin of the Airbus A220 name
The A220 represents a unique case. Originally, this aircraft was part of Bombardier’s C Series jets, and Airbus has never explicitly stated why it opted for the name “A220.” When Airbus acquired the C Series program, the CS100 was rebranded as the A220-100, and the CS300 became the A220-300. As such, the A220 was not originally an Airbus design.
In sum it up, every Airbus aircraft carries the “A3XX” designation because the company’s first model, the A300, had a seating capacity close to 300 passengers. Thereafter, Airbus chose to apply the “A3XX” format to all of its commercial aircraft to maintain a consistent brand identity.
Boeing also has a unique way of naming their aircraft which can be found here.
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I thought it was metric measurement. 300 was approximately 30 meters long and so on