Airbus innovation in the past

                      Looking back...

               During the past 30 years, Airbus has continuously and progressively introduced composite technology as a consequence of successful experience accumulated.

                At a time when other manufacturers were concentrating on three or four-engine aircraft, Airbus entered the civil aviation scene in the 1970s by developing the first-ever widebody twin-engine: the A300. This aircraft featured low fuel consumption, highly efficient operating costs and reduced external noise levels, and incorporated Category 3 landing technology along with enhanced passenger comfort in the cabin and containerised cargo handling.

                During the early 1980s, Airbus improved the A300 with a new concept of forward-facing crew cockpits – bringing the crew to two pilots while also improving safety and introducing new standards for civil aircraft. The company then developed a shortened version of the A300: the A310. This was the first commercial widebody to be certified for two-man crew operations from the beginning, as well as the initial aircraft to use composites for primary structure components. Later in the decade, Airbus broke new ground with the A320 – which set standards for efficiency and cabin comfort, while introducing fly-by-wire flight technology and side-stick controls into civil aviation.

               Airbus introduced the ultra-efficient A330 and A340 aircraft for the medium and long-range markets in the early 1990s, well known throughout the industry for their very low operating costs per seat.