From industry disruptor to industry leader, Airbus has been at the forefront of aviation

Born of an idea in the 1960s to create a viable European aviation partnership, Airbus pooled the resources, talents and expertise of its partner nations to form a consortium capable of successfully competing in the competitive global market for civil jetliners. Air travel was booming with more people wanting to fly less expensively, and Airbus positioned itself to meet that demand.

Airbus was formally launched on 18 December 1970, and from the beginning, its founders recognised that in order to differentiate itself, the company would need to embrace a philosophy bringing together innovation with operational efficiency in a new generation of airliners. The company’s initial offering, the A300, did just that.

A300 and A310: widebody size with the benefits of commonality

In an era when three engines were considered the minimum for widebody aircraft, Airbus made the bold decision to go with only twin-jet configuration. Choosing an optimised airframe cross-section, the A300 was smaller, lighter and more economical than its three-engine rivals. Not only did the A300B variant become the world’s first twin-engine widebody jetliner, it also featured the pioneering use of high-tech composite materials on a passenger aircraft.

Combining the airframe design and powerful engines with an increased-lift wing also enabled the A300 to reach cruise altitude sooner. Demonstration tours around the world helped convince airlines that Airbus had created a real competitor with its economical, innovative and comfortable aircraft.

Airbus continued the momentum by developing the A310, which like the A300, was developed in direct consultation with airlines. This shorter-fuselage, longer-range version expanded the use of composite materials in the airframe, while retaining the same 222-inch fuselage cross-section that provided passengers with cabin space and comfort. It also incorporated an industry-changing concept that would become a cornerstone of Airbus’ success: maximum commonality. The A310 marked the beginning of the “Airbus family” in which variants of a base model share common parts and cockpit layouts, making different models easy and economical for airlines to bring into their fleets.