Airbus A300 Family
The Airbus A300 is the foundational aircraft that launched the European consortium, making aviation history as the world's first twin-engine widebody airliner. Debuting in 1974, the A300 proved that twinjets could safely and profitably transport 250+ passengers across medium-to-long haul networks, laying the engineering groundwork for every Airbus airliner that followed.
A300 Family Technical Matrix
| Specification | A300B2 | A300B4 | A300-600 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical Passenger Capacity | 250–270 (Max 320) | 250–270 (Max 345) | 266 (Max 361) |
| Overall Length | 53.62 m / 175 ft 11 in | 53.62 m / 175 ft 11 in | 54.08 m / 177 ft 5 in |
| Wingspan | 44.84 m / 147 ft 1 in | 44.84 m / 147 ft 1 in | 44.84 m / 147 ft 1 in |
| Tail Height | 16.53 m / 54 ft 3 in | 16.53 m / 54 ft 3 in | 16.67 m / 54 ft 8 in |
| Max Takeoff Weight (MTOW) | 142,000 kg / 313,000 lbs | 165,000 kg / 363,760 lbs | 171,700 kg / 378,500 lbs |
| Max Range (Typical Payload) | 1,900 nm / 3,500 km | 3,400 nm / 6,300 km | 4,050 nm / 7,500 km |
| Engines | 2× GE CF6-50A / PW JT9D | 2× GE CF6-50C2 / PW JT9D | 2× GE CF6-80C2 / PW4158 |
| Cockpit Crew | 3 (Captain, F/O, Flight Engineer) | 3 (Captain, F/O, Flight Engineer) | 2 (Digital Glass EFIS) |
Program History & Milestone Timeline
French Minister Jean Chamant and German Minister Karl Schiller signed the historic agreement at the Paris Air Show to jointly develop the world's first widebody twinjet, giving birth to Airbus Industrie.
The prototype A300B1 (F-WUAB) took to the skies over Toulouse-Blagnac for a successful 1 hour and 25 minute maiden flight, proving twin-engine widebody viability.
Launch customer Air France operated the first commercial passenger service between Paris Orly and London Heathrow, ushering in the twin-aisle regional revolution.
Airbus modernized the A300 with a two-crew glass cockpit adapted from the A310 and increased cargo capacity, securing major freight orders from FedEx, UPS, and DHL.
Airbus concluded the A300/A310 production run after 35 years with a total of 561 A300 aircraft delivered, with hundreds remaining in active frontline cargo service worldwide.