Airbus A318

Airbus A318

Company type	Commercial aircraft model
Industry	Aerospace
Predecessor	Airbus AE31X (concept)
Founded	January 15, 2002 (2002-01-15)
Successor	Airbus A220
Headquarters	Hamburg , Germany
Products	Narrow-body airliner
Parent	Airbus

The Airbus A318, often referred to as the "Baby Bus," represents the smallest and least manufactured model within the Airbus A320 family. It accommodates between 107 and 132 passengers and offers a maximum range of . The aircraft's final assembly took place in Hamburg, Germany. Its primary market focus is on short-haul flight routes.

Pilots benefit from a unified type rating across all A320 family variants, allowing operation of the A318 without needing additional certification. It stands as the second largest commercial plane certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency for steep approach capabilities, granting access to airports such as London City Airport.

The A318 entered operational service in July 2003 with Frontier Airlines. Despite this, only 80 units were sold before production ceased in 2013. The model has since been succeeded in Airbus's portfolio by the Airbus A220. The largest operator remains Air France. Throughout its service history, the A318 has maintained an impeccable safety record with no accidents reported.

Background

The inaugural member of the Airbus A320 series, the A320, completed its first flight on 22 February 1987 following the program's initiation in March 1984. Subsequent expansions introduced the lengthened A321 (delivered starting in 1994), the shortened A319 (1996), and ultimately the further truncated A318 (2003). This family was groundbreaking for integrating digital fly-by-wire flight controls and side stick controllers into commercial aviation.

The Airbus A318 project emerged from a cooperative effort involving manufacturers from China, Singapore, and Europe. In May 1997, Aviation Industries of China (AVIC), Singapore Technologies Aerospace (STAe), Airbus, and Alenia entered into a framework agreement to develop a 100-seat aircraft. Known as the AE31X project, it sought to strengthen Sino-European commercial collaboration with development expenses projected to exceed $2 billion. Ownership stakes were divided with AVIC holding 46%, STAe 15%, and Airbus Industrie Asia (a joint venture between Airbus and Alenia) 39%. The plan was to conduct final assembly in China.

However, this endeavor did not progress beyond preliminary stages. It involved two clean-sheet designs—the AE316 measuring 31.3 meters and the AE317 at 34.5 meters—with maximum takeoff weights of 49.9 tons and 54.2 tons respectively. Both variants were powered by turbofan engines from BMW Rolls-Royce, CFM International, or Pratt & Whitney. Seating was arranged five abreast for up to 105 passengers in the AE316 and 125 in the AE317; both shared a cockpit design and fly-by-wire system akin to other A320 family members, supporting a range near 3,700 kilometers.

Market analysis conducted in 1997 revealed airline preferences for smaller aircraft seating between 70 and 80 passengers. Disputes arose concerning aircraft size, technology sharing, production responsibilities, and overall commercial feasibility. STAe exited the project in 1998 due to concerns over financial returns amid unsuccessful negotiations between AIA and AVIC; Airbus and AVIC officially terminated the initiative that July. The A318 is widely considered to have evolved from the AE31X concept as an Airbus-exclusive project—initially designated A319M5 in March 1998—prior to AE31X’s cancellation.

Design phase

The internal designation A319M5 appeared as early as March 1998, describing an A319 variant shortened by ahead of the wing and behind it. The finalized configuration offered seating for 107 passengers in a two-class arrangement with a range of . Manufacturing incorporated laser welding techniques that minimized reliance on heavy rivets and bolts.

Development hurdles included waning aircraft demand following the September 11 attacks and higher fuel consumption than anticipated from initial Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines. By the time CFM International introduced an improved engine variant, several customers such as Air China and British Airways had canceled their orders. Meanwhile, America West Airlines converted its A318 orders to larger A319 or A320 models, while Trans World Airlines canceled fifty A318 units after being acquired by American Airlines, which at that time did not operate any A320 family aircraft. Additionally, regulatory classifications within both U.S. and European markets restricted the A318’s attractiveness as a regional jet substitute due to fees aligned with larger aircraft categories.

The aircraft is equipped with two engines—either CFM56-5 or Pratt & Whitney PW6000—providing thrust ranging between . Launch customers Frontier Airlines and Air France began receiving deliveries in 2003, with Frontier taking delivery of its first unit in July. Pricing ranged from $56 million to $62 million per aircraft, while operational costs averaged between $2,500 and $3,000 per flight hour.

Although sales figures for the A318 have been modest, they surpassed those of its direct competitor—the Boeing 737-600. By September 30, 2017, Airbus had secured orders totaling 80 units compared to Boeing’s 69 for this model. Competition from regional jets such as the Bombardier CRJ900 and Embraer E-Jet family influenced market performance. As of that date, key operators included government and private jet users (20 aircraft), Air France (18), Avianca Holdings (15), lessor GE Capital Aviation Services (12), and Frontier Airlines (9).

Subsequent advancements

On 10 November 2005, Airbus unveiled the A318 Elite, designed for medium-range travel with a maximum flight distance of . This model features two cabin configurations accommodating up to 18 passengers and is equipped with CFM engines. The launch customer was Comlux Aviation, placing an initial order for three A318 Elite jets.

In September 2010, Airbus announced that starting in 2013, the A318 would be offered with Sharklets, wingtip devices engineered to decrease lift-induced drag and enhance fuel economy. Produced by the Korean Air Aerospace Division, these wingtip extensions extend the aircraft's range to , representing an increase of over the standard A318 configured with 107 seats in a two-class layout.

When Airbus introduced its re-engined A320neo series, the A318 stood out as the sole variant without a new engine option. Airbus stated that development of an A318neo could proceed if sufficient market interest arises.

Design

The Airbus A318 is a compact, narrow-body airliner featuring retractable tricycle landing gear and powered by two turbofan engines mounted on the wings, sourced from either CFM International (CFM56-5B) or Pratt & Whitney (PW6000). Its structure includes a low-wing cantilever monoplane layout paired with a traditional tail assembly consisting of a single vertical stabilizer and rudder.

Compared to the A320, the A318 is over six metres shorter and roughly lighter. To compensate for the shorter moment arm, it incorporates a larger vertical stabilizer with an extended fin tip, increasing height by compared to other members of the A320 family. Pilots certified on other A320 variants can operate the A318 without additional type rating or training due to a shared flight deck design. The aircraft is also designated as the A318-100.

Maximum take-off weights (MTOW) are available from , supporting base ranges between and , allowing for up to . When fitted with CFM56-5B8/P engines, MTOW choices include , whereas CFM56-5B9/P engines permit MTOWs up to . The lower MTOW options favor fuel-efficient regional services at the expense of range; higher MTOW settings enable operation on marginal routes alongside other A320 family aircraft. Its lighter build grants approximately 10% more operational range than the A320, facilitating unique routes such as London–New York, Perth–Auckland, and Singapore–Tokyo. Airlines predominantly utilize the A318 on short-haul, low-demand sectors connecting medium-sized urban centers.

Capability for steep approaches

In March 2006, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved a control software upgrade for the Airbus A318 that permits steep approach operations. This certification made the A318 the largest commercial airplane authorized by EASA for steep approaches. The software modifies control laws and automatically deploys spoilers during landing configuration to increase drag, enabling descent angles up to 5.5°, compared with the usual 3°.

During a May 2006 test flight at London City Airport, the A318 demonstrated its ability to perform steep approaches and operate on short runways, confirming suitability within constrained maneuvering environments. In August 2009, Airbus delivered the first A318 certified for steep approaches to British Airways, which soon initiated its Club World London City service connecting London City Airport with John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Due to London City’s runway length limitations, westbound flights require refueling stops at Shannon Airport, Ireland, while eastbound flights from New York can depart fully fueled. As of November 2017, British Airways operated one A318 on this route configured exclusively with 32 business-class seats. The second aircraft was retired on 31 July 2020 following economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which rendered continued operation unviable.

Operational history

The Airbus A318 was uniquely assembled in Hamburg, Germany, setting it apart from other members of the A320 family, which were constructed across Toulouse, Hamburg, Tianjin, and Mobile. Its inaugural flight took place on 15 January 2002, departing from Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport. The initial aircraft was delivered to Frontier Airlines on 22 July 2003.

By 30 September 2017, there were 67 A318s actively flying with five commercial airlines, in addition to various government, executive, private jet, and undisclosed users. Frontier Airlines had phased out its entire A318 fleet by 2013.

Operators

As of the latest data, the Airbus A318 is operated by the following entities:

Operator	In service
Air France	6
Government, executive, and private jet operators	18
Undisclosed operators	30
Total	54

Orders and deliveries

	Orders	Deliveries
Type	Total	2013	2012	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003
A318	81	2	3	2	2	6	13	17	8	9	10	9

Information updated through September 2017.

Specifications

Airbus A318 technical details

Cockpit crew	Two pilots
Maximum certified passengers	136
Maximum seating (single class)	132 seats with a pitch of 29–30 in (74–76 cm)
Typical single-class layout	117 seats at 32 in (81 cm) pitch
Typical two-class configuration	107 seats (8F at 38 in (97 cm) pitch and 99Y at 32 in (81 cm))
Cargo volume capacity	21.2 m3 (750 cu ft)
Overall length	31.44 m (103 ft 2 in)
Wingspan	34.10 m (111 ft 11 in)
Wing surface area	122.4 m2 (1,318 sq ft)
Wing sweep angle	25°
Tail height	12.56 m (41 ft 2 in)
Cabin width	3.70 m (12 ft 2 in)
Fuselage diameter	3.95 metres (13.0 ft)		Operating empty weight	39,500 kg (87,100 lb)
Maximum zero-fuel weight (MZFW)	54,500 kg (120,200 lb)
Maximum landing weight (MLW)	57,500 kg (126,800 lb)
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW)	68,000 kg (150,000 lb)
Cruise speed	Mach 0.78 (829 km/h; 447 kn; 515 mph)
Maximum speed	Mach 0.82 (871 km/h; 470 kn; 541 mph)
Range with typical payload	3,100 nmi (5,740 km; 3,570 mi)
ACJ variant range	4,200 nmi (7,780 km; 4,830 mi)
Takeoff distance (MTOW, sea level, ISA)	1,780 m (5,840 ft)
Landing distance (MLW, sea level, ISA)	1,230 m (4,040 ft)
Fuel tank capacity			Service ceiling altitude range			Engines (two units)	"CFM56-5B" fan diameter: "PW6000" fan diameter:		Thrust per engine (×2)

Engines

Aircraft variant	Date of certification	Engine type
A318-111	23 May 2003	CFM56-5B8/P
A318-112	23 May 2003	CFM56-5B9/P
A318-121	21 December 2005	PW6122A
A318-122	21 December 2005	PW6124A

References

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

• "World Airliner Census". Flight International, Volume 184, Issue 5403, 13–19 August 2013, pp. 40–58.
• Gunston, Bill. Airbus: The Complete Story. Haynes Publishing, 2009. ISBN 978-1-84425-585-6.
• Norris, Guy and Mark Wagner. Airbus. MBI Publishing, 1999. ISBN 978-0-7603-0677-2.

External links

• Official Airbus website for the A320 family