Airbus has long been one part of the dominant duopoly with Boeing in the commercial
aircraft market. As a major manufacturer of narrowbody and widebody commercial aircraft,
it has competed directly with Boeing since the 1970s. But what makes Airbus
successful where so many others have failed? Here are 10 interesting things about the
planemaker that you may not have known... Number 10. Airbus started as a
collaboration between European countries. Boeing was one of the world's first aircraft
manufacturers - starting over 100 years ago as a military supplier during the First World War
and then expanding into mail services. Airbus, however, was formed in 1970 as a consortium - with
several European manufacturers coming together to take on the larger US manufacturers,
which at that time included Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas as well as Boeing. The
company’s first aircraft, the A300, was created to compete directly with Boeing's popular jets.
It was a true Europe-wide effort, with... France leading construction of the
cockpit and central fuselage Wings manufactured in the UK
Other fuselage sections made in West Germany Flaps and spoilers made in Holland,
And the tailplane built in Spain. This collaboration continues today.
Number 9. Airbus has entered the regional market with the A220.
In most markets, Airbus and Boeing are closely matched. However, Airbus has set itself apart in
the smaller aircraft market. The A318 and A319 (as the smallest members of the A320 family)
offered a similar capacity to Boeing's smallest 737 models up to the Next Generation series.
Boeing has moved larger with the 737 MAX. Conversely, Airbus has gone further into
the 100-150 seat market with the A220 – a result of its acquisition of the Bombardier
CSeries in 2018. The smaller CS100 became the A220-100, and the larger CS300 the A220-300.
Boeing made a similar move to smaller aircraft when it rebranded the MD-95 as the Boeing 717
after its merger with McDonnell Douglas. However, the 717 has been out of production since 2006.
The A220 has seen particular success during the slowdown of 2020 and into 2021. With its lower
capacity and excellent efficiency, it has been put back into service much faster than other aircraft.
To learn more about the A220 and how it is changing Airbus’ standing,
check out our previous video “The Pandemic Winner: The Rise of the Airbus A220.”
Number 8. Airbus has built the largest ever commercial aircraft.
This is one fact we all know, but it is worth reinforcing its significance.
Airbus conceived the A380 as a competitor to the popular Boeing 747 - the only manufacturer
to attempt to take on the Queen of the Skies. Boeing had considered two full-length decks for
the 747 but could not make it work under safety requirements. Airbus was able to achieve two
full decks - and offered a typical three-class capacity of 544. It could have gone up to 868 in
an all-economy layout. For comparison, the 747-8 offers a typical three-class capacity of 467.
While it has not been as successful as hoped, the A380 is an amazing engineering achievement
and an important aviation milestone. With the move to twin engine aircraft
and the reduced demand anticipated post-2020, it seems unlikely we will
see anyone looking to repeat an aircraft of this size in the foreseeable future.
Number 7. The A300 was the first twin-engine widebody aircraft.
Speaking of engines, Boeing's first jet, the 707, had four of them. The 727 was a trijet,
and the 747, of course, was a quadjet. It launched the 737 as the first two-engine aircraft in 1967.
Airbus chose a different route after its formation and developed a two-engine widebody.
The A300 entered service in 1974 with Air France.
Boeing's first twin widebody, the 767, did not enter service until nearly a decade later in 1982.
The A300 was initially intended for European flights, although there was also interest
from North America. With two engines, it was more economical. And with the introduction
of ETOPS rules in the 1980s, the A300 would soon operate transatlantic routes as well.
Number 6. All Airbus cockpits are the same... Well, almost.
Commonality between aircraft is an important selling point for manufacturers,
enabling simpler cross-training of crew and lower cost of maintenance.
Since the A320's introduction, Airbus has used an almost identical cockpit
layout (and handling procedures) across both narrowbody and widebody cockpits.
On the A320 family, pilots can move between family aircraft. Between other types of Airbus aircraft,
training is significantly reduced. This means pilots can be rapidly trained to fly new types,
and can switch between aircraft for greater fleet flexibility.
Number 5. The A320 was the first fly-by-wire aircraft.
There have been many improvements in commercial jets since their introduction in the 1950s.
Today manufacturers are focussing on efficiency improvements, as well as technology and passenger
comfort. But looking back, one of the most significant advances was the switch to fly by wire
technology, which essentially replaces manual hydraulic controls with electronic controls.
Airbus was the first manufacturer to introduce this on a commercial plane, launching it on the
A320 in 1987. It has since used the technology on all aircraft, with Boeing rolling it out
more slowly (and retaining more manual overrides over computer-controlled actions than Airbus).
Number 4. The A320 overtook the 737 as the most sold modern aircraft.
Boeing and Airbus compete fiercely with the 737 and A320 families. Launched in 1967, Boeing has
had its narrowbody family in service much longer. The A320, meanwhile, was not launched until 1987.
However, even with a 20 year head start, in 2019, Airbus moved ahead in orders
(15,193 against Boeing's 15,136). With the 737 MAX problems, it is catching up on deliveries too,
but things could change as the MAX returns to service and the industry picks up post-COVID.
However, the title of “most built aircraft ever” belongs to neither Airbus nor Boeing. Douglas
Aircraft achieved this with the DC-3. With several military variants, over 16,000 aircraft were built
(but only 607 of these were DC3s for airline use). Number 3. Airbus also has extensive helicopter,
space, and military divisions. While we know and follow commercial
aircraft developments closely, Airbus is also active in other aviation sectors.
According to 2018 numbers, commercial aircraft represent 74% of revenues for the company.
It also has a significant helicopter production unit. According to its own data, it is the largest
helicopter producer globally, with products in civilian and military use in 150 countries.
And in defense, it has long been involved in military tankers and refueling,
with an A310 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), followed by an A330 MRTT.
It has also been a partner in the Eurofighter military jet development.
Number 2. It operates one of the largest cargo transport aircraft in the world.
Both Airbus and Boeing have large fuselage transport aircraft to move aircraft parts
from suppliers around the world. Boeing's Dreamlifter (based on a 747-400 airframe) is
the largest by length and wingspan. However, Airbus's BelugaXL beats it for cargo volume.
The BelugaXL is based on an A330-200 airframe (its smaller predecessor,
the Beluga, is based on the A300). It offers an incredible 2,209 cubic meters of fuselage space
compared to the Dreamlifter’s 1,840 cubic meters. Interestingly, the impressive six-engined Antonov
An-225 is also smaller in capacity. This only has cargo space of 1,300 cubic meters. But it can
carry the heaviest load of any transport aircraft - with a maximum take-off weight of 640 tonnes.
And the number 1 thing you might not know about Airbus... Is that it plans to launch
a new series of zero-emission aircraft by 2035 The move to carbon reduction and lower emissions
presents many challenges and opportunities for manufacturers. Airbus made a major move
in this area in 2020, announcing a project to develop hydrogen-powered zero-emission aircraft.
It has proposed three aircraft designs and plans to select the first to be developed by 2025.
This is likely to be either a regional turboprop or larger (up to 200 passenger capacity) turbofan
aircraft. It also has released a new concept of a blended wing aircraft. This is a big
move away from traditional aircraft design and gives an improved space for hydrogen
storage and distribution - as well as a whole new style of passenger cabin.
Along with this, there are plans to look at the overall concept and viability of hydrogen use.
This will include not just aircraft and engine technology but its cost and the development of
airport infrastructure. Another proposal in early 2021 seeks to gather support for developing Paris
airports as hydrogen hubs to spur initial use. With all this, Airbus remains a key player in
the commercial aviation market. While we’ve covered much here, what other
interesting facts do you know about Airbus? Feel free to highlight more interesting
details about the company and its products in the comments.