Airbus A330

The Airbus A330 is a twin-engine, wide-body jet airliner developed by Airbus, a consortium of European aerospace companies currently owned by the European corporation Airbus Group. Different versions of the A330 have a range from 7,400 to 13,430 km and the capacity to accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class configuration, or carry up to 70 tonnes of cargo.

The origins of the A330 date back to the 1970s as one of several models derived from Airbus' first airliner, the A300. The A330 was developed in parallel with the four-engined A340, with which it shares many structural components, but differs in the number of engines. Both aircraft incorporated fly-by-wire flight control technology, a system first introduced by Airbus on the A320, as well as the A320's six-screen glass cockpit. In June 1987, after receiving orders from various customers, Airbus launched the A330 and A340. The A330 was the first Airbus aircraft offered with the option of mounting three types of engines: the General Electric CF6, the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 and the Rolls-Royce Trent 700.

The A330-300, the first version of this aircraft, made its maiden flight on November 2, 1992 and entered service with the French airline Air Inter in January 1994. In response to declining sales, Airbus It brought out a slightly shorter version, the A330-200, in 1998, with which it achieved greater sales success. Subsequently, other variants of the A330 were developed, including the A330-200F cargo aircraft, and the A330 MRTT military tanker aircraft. The A330 MRTT served as the basis for the KC-45 proposal as a candidate in the United States Air Force's KC-X program in collaboration with Northrop Grumman, where, after an initial victory, it lost the contract against the submitted competitor. by Boeing, based on the 767 model.

Since its launch, the A330 has allowed Airbus to expand its wide-body market share. Many airlines have chosen the A330 as a replacement for less economical triple jets against rival twins. Boeing has offered variants of the 767 and 777 as competitors, along with the 787, which entered service in late 2011. Airbus' A350 will also share this widebody twin-engine market. As of December 31, 2017, the A330 order book stood at 1,487 with a total of 1,390 units delivered. The largest operator of the model is Turkish Airlines with 61 aircraft. With the introduction of the A330neo (New Engine Option) on 14 July 2014, the program is expected to continue beyond 2020.

Development

Precedents

Airbus' first commercial aircraft, the A300, was designed as part of a diverse family of commercial aircraft. In order to achieve this goal, studies began in the early 1970s on variants of the A300. Following the A300 introduction, Airbus identified nine possible variations named A300B1 through B9. A tenth variant, the A300B10, was conceived in 1973 and developed into the long-range Airbus A310. Airbus then focused its efforts on studies of a narrow-body aircraft, thus conceiving a new family of commercial jets known as the Airbus A320 family, the first commercial aircraft with fly-by-wire digital controls. During studies of a narrow-body aircraft, Airbus refocused its attention on the wide-body market, working simultaneously on both projects.

In the mid-1970s, Airbus began development of the A300B9, a larger variant of the A300, which would later become the A330. The B9 was essentially a stretched A300 with the same wing profile, with two of the most powerful turbofan engines available. It was created by growing demand for transcontinental, medium-range, and high-capacity routes. Offering the same range and payload as the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, but with a 25 percent improvement in fuel consumption, it the B9 was seen as a replacement for the three-engined DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. It was seen as the successor to the A300 on medium-range routes.

At the same time, a four-engine, 200-seat version, the B11 (later to become the A340) was also in development. This aircraft was originally intended to take the place of the narrow-body Boeing 707. and Douglas DC-8 then in commercial use, but their focus later evolved to fill the replacement market for long-range three-engined aircraft. To differentiate them from the narrow-body series, the B9 and B11 were renamed the TA9. and TA11 (twin aisle, double aisle). Development costs were reduced by the use of the same fuselage and wings in both aircraft, with an expected saving of $500 million. Another factor that affected its development were differences in preference within Airbus and, more importantly, between the different companies that might acquire it; twin-engines were popular in North America, four-engines were of choice in Asia, and operators had different visions in Europe. Airbus eventually discovered that more potential customers were in favor of four-engine aircraft due to the fact that four-engine aircraft, unlike twins, they were not subject to restrictions on range and their ability to fly with one engine inoperative. As a result, development plans prioritized the four-engined TA11 over the twin-engined TA9.

Design Efforts

The first specifications for the TA9 and TA11, aircraft that could accommodate 410 passengers in a single-class configuration, came out in 1982. These showed a large cargo area at the bottom of the aircraft that could carry five pallets cargo or sixteen LD3 cargo containers in the front, and four pallets or fourteen LD3s in the rear cargo area, twice the capacity of the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar or DC-10, and was 8.46m longer longer than the A300. By June 1985, the TA9 and TA11 had received further improvements, including the adoption of the A320's flight deck, the fly-by-wire digital control system, and control with the side stick control. Airbus had developed a common flight deck for its model aircraft that allowed quick transitions between aircraft for pilots. Flight crews could switch from one type of aircraft to another after only a week of training, which reduced operator costs. The two TAs would use the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and circular fuselage sections of the A300. -600, extended into two sections.

Airbus quickly considered the possibility of a variable wing angle of attack, a concept that requires modifying the wing profile for each phase of flight. The studies were carried out by British Aerospace (BAe), now part of BAE Systems, at Hatfield and Bristol. Airbus estimated that this venture would bring about a two percent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency, but the advance was rejected due to the cost and difficulty in developing it. A laminar flow wing (a technology that reduces drag by producing an improvement in fuel consumption), but was also rejected.

The A330 was the first Airbus plane for which Rolls-Royce provided engines, with its Trent 700 turbofan.

From the beginning of development of the TA9, consideration was given to offering engines from all three major engine manufacturers, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, and GE Aviation. GE Aviation first offered the General Electric CF6-80C2. However, subsequent studies indicated that more thrust was required and that initial power capacity needed to be increased from 267 kN to 289 kN. GE lengthened the CF6-80C2's fan from 236 cm to 244 cm to create the CF6-80E1, which provided a new output thrust of 300 to 320 kN. Rolls-Royce initially wanted to use the 267 kN Trent 600 as a power contributor to the new Airbus twin-engine and future McDonnell Douglas MD-11. However, the company later agreed to design an engine exclusively for the A330, the Trent 700, with a larger bore and 311 kN of thrust. Similarly, Pratt & Whitney signed an agreement that included the development of a unique engine for the A330, the PW4168. The company increased the size of the fan to increase power, allowing the engine to provide 311 kN of power.

On January 27, 1986, the Supervisory Office of Airbus Industrie held a meeting in Munich, West Germany. Following it, the director, Franz Josef Strauß, issued a press release stating: "Airbus Industrie is now in a position to finalize the detailed technical definition of the TA9, which is now officially designated as the A330, and the TA11, will now be called the A340., already having potential launch client airlines, and we are discussing with them the conditions and prerogatives of their launch committee.” The designations were originally backwards; but it was decided that the four-engine would carry the "4" in her name. Airbus waited for five airlines to sign on for both the A330 and A340 aircraft, and on May 12 sent sales proposals to leading bidders including Lufthansa and Swissair.

Production and testing

In preparation for the production of the A330 and A340, Airbus partner companies bet heavily on new facilities. In England, Filton was the site of BAe's £7 million three capacity technical center covering 15,000 square metres. BAe also spent £5 million adding a new production line to its plant wing production facility in Chester. In Germany, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) invested DM 400 million ($225 million) in various manufacturing facilities on the Weser estuary, including Bremen, Einswarden, Varel, and Hamburg France saw the largest investment, with Aérospatiale beginning construction of a new 2.5 billion francs ($411 million) final assembly plant adjacent to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in Colomiers; by November 1988, the foundations of the new Clément Ader assembly center were in place. The assembly process featured increased automation, such as cavity-polishing robots and faster installations during the assembly process. wing-to-fuselage assembly.

A330 final assembly area, next to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport.

On March 12, 1987, Airbus received the first orders for the twin-engine. Domestic French airline Air Inter executed five firm orders and fifteen options, while Thai Airways International ordered eight aircraft, split equally between firm orders and options. Airbus announced the following day that it would start the A330 and A340 programs at mid-April 1987, with deliveries of the A340 expected in early May 1992 and the first delivery of the A330 in 1993. Northwest Airlines signed a letter of intent for twenty A340s and ten A330s on 31 March 1987.

BAe received £450 million from the UK government fund, well below the £750 million it had initially requested for the design and construction of the wings. The French and German governments also provided funding. Airbus awarded subcontracts to companies in Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Greece, Italy, India, Japan, South Korea, Portugal, the United States, and the former Yugoslavia. With all available funds, Airbus began the A330 and A340 on June 5, 1987, just before the Paris Air Show. At that time, the order book had 130 aircraft from ten customers, including lessor International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). Of the total order, forty-one were A330s. In 1989, the Asian company Cathay Pacific entered the list of buyers, ordering nine A330s and later increasing the order to eleven.

The wing-to-fuselage assembly of the first A330, the tenth aircraft in the A330 and A340 line, began in mid-February 1992. This aircraft, fitted with anti-corrosion paint, was presented on March 31 without its General Electric CF6-80E1 engines, which were installed in August. During a static test, the wing failed just below that required, but BAe engineers later fixed the problem. At that year's Farnborough Airshow, Northwest delayed delivery of sixteen A330s to 1994, following the cancellation of your A340 orders.

The first operational A330 took off on October 14, 1992, with the maiden flight taking place on November 2. Weighing 181,840 kg, which included 20,980 kg of test equipment, the A330 became the largest twin-engined aircraft to date, although it was later eclipsed by the Boeing 777. The flight lasted five and fifteen hours. minutes during which speed, altitude, and other flight configurations were tested. Airbus finally completed the test flight program consisting of six aircraft flying a total of 1,800 hours. On October 21, 1993, the Airbus A330 simultaneously received certifications from the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) and the Joint Aviation Administration. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after 1,114 hours in 426 test flights. At the same time, weight tests were favourable, showing the aircraft to be 500 kg underweight.

On June 30, 1994, it suffered a problem during its certification by the Pratt & Whitney when an A330 crashed near Toulouse. Both pilots and all five passengers were killed. The flight was scheduled to test the autopilot in response to an engine failure case scenario with the center of gravity near its rear limit.. Shortly after takeoff, the pilots had trouble setting the autopilot, and the plane lost speed and crashed. The accident was investigated by an internal inquiry committee of the Direction General d'Aviation, which concluded that the accident occurred due to slow response and incorrect actions by the crew during recovery. This led to a review of the A330 operating procedures.

Enter into service

Cathay Pacific was one of the first A330 operators.

Air Inter became the first operator of the A330, putting the aircraft into service on 17 January 1994 between Paris Orly Airport, Paris, and Marseille. Deliveries to Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Thai Airways International were postponed to carry out the delamination of the composite materials in the reverse assembly of the PW4168 engines. Thai Airways took delivery of its first A330 aircraft during the second half of the year, operating on routes from Bangkok to Taipei and Seoul. Cathay Pacific took delivery of its A330s with Trent 700 engines following certification of this engine on 22 December 1994. MORE it received its first A330 on February 1, 1995, and then rescheduled its other ten orders.

Airbus intended the A330 to compete in the aircraft market with Twin Engine Long Flight Operating Performance Standards (ETOPS), specifically it was expected to compete with the Boeing 767. long-haul distances from an alternate airport for aircraft that have met special design and test requirements). Instead of the "ETOPS out of box" or "early ETOPS" Carried out by Boeing with its 777s, Airbus gradually increased ETOPS approval on the A330 using existing flight experience. Airbus suggested that the A340 and A330 were essentially identical except for the number of engines, and that the experience of the A340 could be applied to the ETOPS approval of the A330. Plans were for all three engine types to enter service with approval of 90 minutes, before increasing it to 120 minutes after the total A330 fleet accumulated 25,000 flight hours, and then increasing it to 180 minutes after passing 50,000 flight hours, in 1995. Aer Lingus and Cathay Pacific were two of the major airlines that assisted Airbus in this endeavor by establishing a transoceanic flight network that helped to quickly accumulate hours. In November 2009, the A330 became the first aircraft to receive an approval ETOPS–240 flight aircraft, which had been offered to Airbus as an option.

Additional developments

In response to declining sales of the A330-300, increasing market penetration of the Boeing 767-300ER, and requests from airlines for a smaller aircraft with longer range, Airbus developed the Airbus A330-200. Known as the A329 and A330M10 during development, the A330-200 would offer nine percent savings in operating costs than the Boeing 767-300ER. The aircraft was placed in the 11,900 sector km (6,425.5 nmi), where Airbus predicted a demand for 800 aircraft between 1995 and 2015. The project, with estimated development costs of $450 million, was approved by the Airbus Industrie Supervisory Office on 24 November from 1995.

A330-200 from Aeroflot after taking off from Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport in 2011.

The A330-200 first flew on 13 August 1997. The sixteen-month certification process included logging 630 hours of test flights. The first customer for the A330-200 was ILFC; this aircraft was leased by Canada 3000, who became the first operator of the type.

While Airbus was working on its A330-200, hydraulic pump problems were reported by operators of both the A330 and A340. This failure is believed to have been the triggering cause of the fire that destroyed an Air France A340-200 in January 1994. On 4 January of that year, a Malaysia Airlines A330-300, while undergoing maintenance regular at Singapore Changi Airport, was engulfed in flames that started in the right main gear of the plane. The incidents caused $30 million worth of damage, and the aircraft was grounded for six months for repairs. Consequently, the operators were advised to turn off the electric pump in January 1997.

Another problem reported was in-flight disconnections on A330-300s with Trent 700 engines. On November 11, 1996, engine failure on a Cathay Pacific flight forced it to return to Ho Chi Minh City. On April 17, 1997, Cathay Pacific subsidiary Dragonair experienced an engine shutdown on an A330, caused by a carbon clog in the oil filter. As a result, Cathay Pacific removed its 120-minute ETOPS authorization. Another engine failure occurred on May 6 during the climb of a Cathay Pacific A330. The problem was described as a gearbox mounting error built by Hispano-Suiza. Three days later, a Cathay Pacific A330 on climb out of the Bangkok–Hong Kong flight experienced a drop in oil pressure. The resulting loss of engine power forced the flight to return to Bangkok. The cause was later revealed to be metal contamination in the engine's circuit processor. Cathay Pacific and Dragonair voluntarily grounded their A330 fleets for two weeks following a fifth engine failure on 23 May. The fifteen grounded planes caused major problems because Cathay's eleven A330s accounted for fifteen percent of its passenger capacity. Rolls-Royce and Hispano-Suiza worked to resolve the issue, and a redesign of the system was implemented to lubricate the affected areas.

The load variant, the A330-200F, debuted at the Singapore Air Festival in 2010.

Airbus then worked on the cargo variant of the A330. Responding to demands resulting from sales of the A300-600F and A310F, the company began marketing the Airbus A330-200F, a variant of the A330-200, in 2001. The freighter has a range of 7,400 km (3,995, 7 nmi) with 65 kilograms (143.3 lb) on board, or 5,900 km (3,185.8 nmi) with 70 kilograms (154.3 lb). The aircraft features a longer nose gear than the A330. of passengers. Housed in a characteristic "blister fairing" bulb, the gear is the result of the need to raise the nose of the aircraft in order to have the cargo floor level during loading and unloading.

The A330-200F made its maiden flight on November 5, 2009. This marked the start of the fourth month of 180 certification hours. JAA and FAA certificates were due for March of the following year, although JAA approval was delayed until April. The first delivery was consequently made to Etihad Airways' cargo division, Etihad Crystal Cargo., in July 2010.

As of the end of August 2011, a total of 1,155 A330s had been ordered, with a total aircraft delivered of 807. The largest A330 operators are Cathay Pacific with 33 and Delta Air Lines. That it had a fleet made up exclusively of Boeing aircraft before it got the A330s in its merger with Northwest Airlines, with 32. Airbus announced in February 2011 that it intended to increase its rate of aircraft built from seven and a half to eight per month to about nine aircraft per month in 2012, and ten per month in 2013. Airbus expects the A330 to continue to be sold until at least 2015.

Design

Typical economic cabin configuration 2-4-2 (i.e. Qatar Airways).

Typical design of an Airbus A330-203.

Back of an economic cabin in super narrow configuration of high density 3-3-3 used by some airlines like Air Caraïbes. Fuselage is more narrow than a Boeing 787.

The A330 is a medium-sized, wide-body aircraft with two engines mounted on pylons under the wings. On the ground, the Messier-Dowty-built, two-tire, two-legged main nose gear with four-tire bogie supports a maximum ramp weight (MRW) of 230,900 kilograms (509,048 lb), while the maximum ramp weight take-off (MTOW) for which they are designed is 230,000 kilograms (507,064 lb) in the A330-200 variant. An option allows a maximum ramp weight of 233,900 kilograms (515,662 lb) with a maximum takeoff weight of 233,000 kilograms (513,677 lb).

The airframe of the A330 features a low cantilever monoplane wing with a wing virtually identical to that of the A340. The wings were designed and manufactured by BAe, who developed a long wing tail with a high angulation ratio that provided high aerodynamic efficiency. The wing features a thirty degree downdraft and, together with other design elements, allows for maximum operating speed of Mach 0.86. The wing has a very high body-to-chord ratio of 12.8 percent, which means it can be fitted with a long span and high airfoil angle without significant penalties. in weight. For comparison, the rival MD-11, had a body-to-chord angle of 8–9 percent. Each wing also features a large 2.74 m (8.99 ft) winglet instead of the arrowheads that could be found on early Airbus aircraft.

The wing design shared with the A340 allowed the A330 to incorporate aerodynamic improvements developed for previous aircraft. The failure to develop the V2500 "SuperFan" which International Aero Engines had promised would reduce fuel consumption by around 15 percent for the A340, led to multiple fixes including a few wing updates to compensate. Originally designed with a 56 m (183.73 m) wingspan ft), the wing was later extended to 58.6 m (192.26 ft) and finally to 60.3 m (197.83 ft). At 60.3 m (197.83 ft), the wingspan is similar to that of the Jumbo Boeing 747-200, but with only 65 percent of the wing area.

The A330 and A340 fuselage is based on that of the Airbus A300-600, with many parts in common, and has the same exterior width and cabin width appearance: 5.64 m (18.5 ft) and 5.28 m (17.32 ft). Allows rows of six seats in a 2–2–2 configuration in First and Business Class, and rows of eight seats in a 2–4–2 configuration in economy. The vertical stabilizer and rudder are made primarily of composite materials. On the ground, the A330 uses the Honeywell 331–350C Auxiliary Power Unit (APU).

The A330 shares the same liquid crystal display flight deck configuration as the A320 and A340, and features electronic instrument devices in place of mechanical sticks. Instead of a conventional flight column, the cockpit The flight features side controllers, six main displays, and the Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS), which covers the navigation and flight displays, as well as the Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor (ECAM). Apart from the cockpit flight, the A330 also has the fly-by-wire system common to the A320 family, the A340, the A380, and the A350. It also features three primary and two secondary flight control systems, as well as a flight development limit protection system that prevents maneuvers that exceed the aircraft's aerodynamic and structural limits.

A330neo Components

GermanyGermany - United States - France - United KingdomUnited Kingdom

Electronics

The A330/A340 flight cabin uses the design of six A320 family screens.

MCDU in an A330-300.

DCDU in an A330.

System	Country	China	Notes
Programming language		Airbus France	SAO
Data networks			ARINC 429, CAN
Primary flight control computers (FCPCs)		Aérospatiale ADL	3
FCPC Software		Aérospatiale
Programming language of the control FCPC module			(generated)
Programming language of the monitoring FCPC module			PL/M (generated)
CPUs of the FCPC		Intel	80386
Secondary flight control computers (FCSC)		Sixth Avionique	2
FCSC Software		Aérospatiale
Programming language of the control FCSC module			Shredder (by hand)
Programming language of the monitoring FCSC module			Pascal (by hand)
ADIRUs (option)		Honeywell	3
ADIRUs (option)		Northrop Grumman	3
Sensors AoA (option)		Thales	3
Sensors AoA (option)		Goodrich Corporation	3
CPUs of the FCSC		Intel	80286
Flight Warning Computer Software (FWC)		Aérospatiale
FWC programming language			Ada
FWC CPUs		Intel	80386
Flight control data concentrators (FCDC)			2
FCDC Software		Aérospatiale
FCDC programming language			Ada (generate or HOOD)
CPUs of FCDC		Motorola	68 000
Screen management computers (DMC) of the electronic instrument system (EIS1, CRT, original)		Diehl Aerospace	3
Screen management computers (DMC) of the electronic instrument system (EIS2, LCD, option 2003)		Diehl Aerospace	3
Weather radar (option 2002)		Honeywell	RDR-4B
Weather radar (option 2005)		Collins Aerospace	Multiscan WXR-2100
Weather radar (option 2010)		Honeywell	RDR-4000
Weather radar (option 2015)		Collins Aerospace	Multiscan WXR-2100 V2
Weather radar (option 2015)		Honeywell	RDR-4000 V2
TAWS (option)		Honeywell	EGPWS
TAWS (option 2004)		ACSS	T2CAS
TAWS (option 2010)		ACSS	T3CAS
RAAS (option 2004)		Honeywell	EGPWS
SmartLanding (option)		Honeywell	EGPWS MK V
SmartRunway (option)		Honeywell	EGPWS MK V
ROPS+ (option 2015)		Airbus	T3CAS
Landing Surveillance+ (option 2019)		Airbus
ATSAW (option 2010)		ACSS	T3CAS
ATSAW (option)		Honeywell	CAS-100
ACAS II (option 1997)		ACSS	TCAS 2000
ACAS II (option 2004)		ACSS	T2CAS
ACAS II (option 2007)		ACSS	TCAS 3000
ACAS II (option 2010)		ACSS	T3CAS
ACAS II (option)		Honeywell	CAS-81 (obsolete in 2017)
ACAS II (option)		Honeywell	CAS-100
ACAS II (option)		Rockwell Collins	TTR-2100
Transponder (option 1996)		ACSS	XS-950 (obsolete in 2017)
Transponder (option 2010)		ACSS	T3CAS
Transponder (option 2016)		ACSS	NXT-800
Transponder (option 2007)		Rockwell Collins	TPR-901
Transponder (option 2017)		Honeywell	TRA-100B
Flight Management Steering Enveloping Computers (FMGEC)		Thales	2
Flight Management Systems (FMS, original)		Honeywell	Honeywell FMS1
Programming languages of the Honeywell FMS1			Pascal, Ada, C++, Ensamblador
Flight Management Systems (FMS, option 2000)		Honeywell	Pegasus
Pegasus programming languages			Ada
Pegasus CPUs		AMD	29050
Flight Management Systems (FMS, option 2002)		Smiths Aerospace Thales	TopFlight FMS
Programming language of the TopFlight FMS			Ada
TopFlight FMS CPUs		Motorola	68040
Flight Management Systems (FMS, option 2013)		Honeywell	Pegasus II
Pegasus II CPUs		Honeywell	29KII

Propulsion

Trent 772B-60 in an A330-243F from EgyptAir.

System	Country	China	Notes
Verification and validation of the fuel system		MathWorks	MATLAB
Programming languages (V fakeV of the fuel system)		I-Logix	Statemate
Motor (option)		Rolls-Royce Holdings	2 × Trent 772
Motor (option)		General Electric	2 × CF6-80E
Motor (option)		Pratt & Whitney	2 × PW4000-100

Variants

A330-200

Un Airbus A330-200 de Airlines Argentinas

The A330-200 is the reduced long-range variant, which entered service in 1998. Typical range with 253 passengers in a three-class configuration is 13,400 km (7,235 nmi). The A330-200 is ten fuselage modules shorter than the original -300, and enjoys a length of 58.82 m (192.98 ft). To compensate for the small moment of force of the reduced fuselage, the vertical stabilizer height of the -200 it was increased by 104 cm (40.94 in). The wings of the -200 were also modified; stiffening the wing which allowed the maximum takeoff weight of the -200 to be increased to 229,800 kilograms (506,623 lb). The -200 is offered with three types of engines similar to those found for the - 300: General Electric CF6-80E, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or Rolls-Royce Trent 700. Airbus also increased fuel capacity with the use of a 139,100-litre fuel tank in the center section, standard on all A340s.

As of December 2011, there have been 572 orders for the -200, 444 of which have already been delivered, with 440 aircraft in operation. The 2011 list price is $200.8 million. The changes made to the -200 significantly improved the economy of the aircraft making this variant more popular than its four-engined sibling, the A340-200. The -200 competes with the Boeing 767-300ER and to a lesser extent with its sibling. The largest, the 767-400ER. The 787 Dreamliner represents its strongest competitor today. The A330-200 is also available as an ultra-long-range business jet marketed by Airbus Executive and Private Aviation, known as the A330-200 Prestige.

A330-300

An A330-300, the original variant of US Airways taking off.

The A330-300 is based on a 63.69 m (208.96 ft) long A300 fuselage extension, but with new wings, stabilizers and fly-by-wire systems. The -300 carries 295 passengers in a three-class cabin configuration, 335 in two classes, or 440 in a single-class configuration. It has a range of 10,500 km (5,670 nmi). It has a greater cargo capacity, compared to the first Boeing 747. Its power is provided by a choice of engines to choose between two General Electric CF6-80E, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or Rolls-Royce Trent 700, all ratified for ETOPS-180. The -300 entered service in January 1994.

As of December 2011, 554 -300 had been ordered, 384 of them had been delivered, with 382 in operation. The 2011 list price is $222.5 million. Its direct competitors are the Boeing 777-200 and the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, the latter already out of production. Airbus plans a two-tonne increase in the maximum gross weight of the -300.

A330neo

The Airbus A330neo is an update to the A330 family, with new Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and other enhancements.

A330-800neo

The Airbus A330-800neo will directly replace the Airbus A330-200. It will feature next-generation Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engines and A350-style winglets. The aircraft is scheduled to enter service in early 2020 with Kuwait Airways having purchased 8 units.

A330-900neo

The Airbus A330-900neo uses 14% less fuel than the A330-300 on a per-seat basis, in addition to having 10 more seats (310 seats in total) obtained with interior reconfiguration to save space. Like the -800neo, it will be powered by Trent 7000 engines. The -900neo is expected to enter service in late 2017. AirAsia X became the launch customer by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 50 of the A330-900neo at the 2014 Farnborough International Airshow. Delta Air Lines has ordered a total of 25 A330-900neo from Airbus to replace its medium-long-range fleet and will be the launch airline for the type. The leasing company ALC has purchased 25 units valued at 6.89 billion dollars.

A330-200F

The first Airbus A330-200F during the promotion, with the train still folding. The bulb under the morre serves to accommodate the nose train that is higher, which was added to correct the inherent “nose down” attitude of the passenger versions.

The A330-200F is a freighter aircraft derived from the A330-200 capable of carrying up to 65,000 kg (143,301 lb) at around 7,400 km (3,996 nmi) or up to 70,000 kilograms (154,324 lb) at around 5,900 km (3186 nmi). To overcome the standard "nose down" body angle of A330s on the ground, the A330F used a revised nose gear configuration to provide a level floor during cargo loading and unloading. The normal A330-200 gear is used, but as the distance to the fuselage has been increased, it requires the distinctive nose blister pack to accommodate the nose gear. Power is provided by two Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce Trent 700. General Electric does not plan to offer an engine for the A330-200F.

As of December 2011, Airbus had delivered nine of the fifty-one aircraft ordered to date. The list price is $203.6 million. As well as new freighters built, Airbus has proposed the passenger-to-freighter conversion on existing -200 aircraft. The A330-200F is an intermediate size between the 767-300F and 777F.

A330-200HGW

In 2008, Airbus presented plans for a higher gross weight version of the A330-200 that could compete more effectively against the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The A330-200HGW to be built has a five-tonne increase in maximum weight at takeoff, allowing a range increase of 560 kilometers (302 nmi) and a payload increase of 3,400 kilograms (7,496 lb). Korean Air became its first customer on February 27, 2009, making an order for six -200HGWs. Deliveries of the first aircraft took place in 2010.

A330 conversion to freighter

In 2012, Airbus announced plans to create a passenger-to-cargo conversion program with ST Aerospace. The A330-300 (first) and -200 (one year later) will be part of the P2F programme. The conversion work will be carried out mainly in Dresden, Germany. Qatar Airways has shown interest in the programme. The aircraft are expected to start entering service in 2016.

The A330-300P2F variant has a payload capacity of 60 tonnes with a range of 2,200 nautical miles (4,000 km) or 61 tonnes with a range of 3,600 nautical miles (6,600 km) for the higher takeoff weight variants. Airbus estimates the market demand for conversions at about 900 units over the next twenty years.

A330-700L (Beluga XL)

The Airbus Beluga XL (Airbus A330-700L) is a large transport aircraft that entered service in 2019. It is based on the A330-200 (nose section), A330-300 (tail section) and the A330-200F (cargo compartment floor) to be the successor to the Airbus Beluga ST. The XL has a 1 meter extension at the top of the fuselage like the Beluga. It is being designed, built and operated by Airbus to move the oversized aircraft components they make.

Military variants

Airbus A330 MRTT

A team of Iberia Maintenance engineering staff gathered in front of an A330 MRTT converted from an A330-200.

The Airbus A330 MRTT is the version of the aircraft dedicated to multi-role transport and tanker operation (in English: Multi-Role Transport and Tanker/MRTT) of the A330 -200, designed for in-flight refueling and strategic transport. As of June 2011, a total of 28 orders had been placed for the A330 MRTT by the air forces of Australia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Arab Emirates. UK.

EADS/Northrop Grumman KC-45

The EADS/Northrop Grumman KC-45 was a proposed version of the A330 MRTT for the United States Air Force (USAF) KC-X aerial refueling program. In February 2008, the USAF chose the aircraft to replace the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. The replacement process was called into question, with allegations of corruption, and allegations of favoritism. In July 2010, EADS filed a tanker contract to the USAF without Northrop Grumman as a partner. However, on February 24, 2011, the USAF chose the Boeing KC-767 proposal, later renamed the KC-46, as the winner for cost lower.

Undeveloped variants

A330-200Lite

To compete with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus offered a minimally changed derivation called the A330-200Lite in 2004. As the name suggests, this proposed variant would have a lower maximum takeoff weight of 202 000 kilograms (445,334 lb), powered by the same engines, giving it a range of 7,400 km (3,996 nmi). The aircraft was supported by Singapore Airlines, which was looking to replace its Airbus A310-300. The variant would also serve to replace the Airbus A300-600R and early Boeing 767s. Airlines, however, were not satisfied with the compromised aircraft; the company therefore decided to embark on a project for a completely new aircraft, the A350 XWB.

A330-300HGW

In 2000, it was announced that Airbus was studying a version of the A330-300 with a higher gross weight. It was called the A330-300HGW and would have a takeoff weight of 240,000 kilograms (529,110 lb), 7,000 kilograms (15,432 lb) above the weight of the standard -300. The version would have strengthened wings and additional fuel capacity with a 41,600-litre midsection fuel tank. The range of the A330-300HGW was thus increased to over 11,000 km (5,940 nmi). Among those who showed interest were the ILFC leasing company, since it was an aircraft that could fly from the west coast of the United States to Europe.

Power would be provided by the same three engines offered for the other two A330 passenger models. Airbus also considered using the new Engine Alliance GP7000 engine for the A330-300HGW, which was also to be the first application of the engine in a twin. The -300HGW was to enter commercial service in 2004. However, the program was not launched and it quietly disappeared. The 240-tonne A330 was to make a comeback years later when Airbus announced at the 2012 Farnborough Airshow that it would have such an option for both the A330-300 and A330-200.

A330-500

Also known as the A330-100, the A330-500 was a scaled-down version of the A330-200 launched in July 2000 at the Farnborough Air Show, with eight fuselage sections removed, four forward and four behind the wing. This would allow it to accommodate 222 passengers. The maximum takeoff weight of the -500 was to be 228,000 kilograms (502,654 lb), a decrease of 5,000 kilograms (11,023 lb) compared to the A330-200, giving it a range of 12,970 km (7,003 nmi).). A lighter sub-variant, at 195,000 kilograms (429,902 lb), could fly up to 8,060 km (4,352 nmi). The aircraft was to have a five percent better specific fuel consumption than the A300-600, whether with CF6-80G2, PW4000, or Trent 500 engines.

Planned customers included ILFC, CIT Aerospace, Lufthansa, and Hapag-Lloyd. The latter two, however, were not impressed with the long-range variant, preferring a shorter-range aircraft, which was a better fit for their route structure. Singapore Airlines was also a potential customer as it was looking for replacements for its A310s. Airbus attempted to finalize the design in 2001, with first flight scheduled for the third quarter of 2003 and entry into service within a year. The program was later abandoned as customer interest waned.

Operators

As of December 2019, there are a total of 1,301 units of all variants of the A330 in service. The main operators are: (does not include Airbus A330neo) Note: Avianca no longer operates the airbus 330, except Avianca cargo which does he operates them.

Civilian Operators

Air Greenland A330-223 at Zurich Airport.

A330-200 Air Mauritius approaching Chek Lap Kok Airport.

A330-200 by Libyan Airlines.

Middle East Airlines A330-243 landing at Heathrow Airport.

Military Operators

• Spanish Air Force (1) (two more to deliver, all will be converted into Airbus A330 MRTT) - ex-Iberia
• French Air and Space Army (4) (to convert to Airbus A330 MRTT)

Old Operators

Aircalin A330-202 at Tullamarine International Airport.

Condor A330-243 at Frankfurt Airport.

A330-223 from Edelweiss Air taking off Zurich Airport.

Swissair A330-223.

Airbus A330-223 by TAM Linhas Aereas with PW4168 engines.

Africa

EgyptEgypt

• AlMasria Universal Airlines (1)

NamibiaNamibia

• Air Namibia (2)

NigeriaNigeria

• Arik Air (3)

SeychellesSeychelles

• Air Seychelles (2)

TunisiaTunisia

• Syphax Airlines (1)

America

BoliviaBolivia

• Bolivian Aviation (1)

ChileChile

• LATAM Chile (2)

EcuadorEcuador

• TAME (1)

United States

• Ryan International Airlines (2)

Peru Peru

• Avianca Peru (1)

Mexico Mexico

• Mexicana de Aviación (2)

El SalvadorEl Salvador

• TACA (2)

ColombiaColombia

• Avianca (12)

Asian

Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia

• Midroc Aviation (1)

BangladésBangladés

• Biman Bangladesh Airlines (2)

BaréinBaréin

• Gulf Air (12)

United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

• Etihad Airways (42)
• Emirates (29)

India

• Air India (2)

IsraelIsrael

• Israir (1)

JapanJapan

• Skymark Airlines (5)

JordanJordan

• Royal Jordann (3)

Mongolia

• MIAT Mongolian Airlines (1)

PakistanPakistan

• Pakistan International Airlines (1)

Thailand

• Thai Lion Air (3)

VietnamVietnam

• Vietnam Airlines (13)

Oceania

Australia

• Jetstar Airways (11)
• Virgin Australia (8)

New CaledoniaNew Caledonia

• Aircalin (2)

Europe

GermanyGermany

• Eurowings (12)
• SunExpress Deutschland (7)

AustriaAustria

• Austrian Airlines (4)

BelgiumBelgium

• Sabna
• TUI fly Belgium (1)

BulgariaBulgaria

• BH Air (1)

SpainSpain

• Air Europa (17)
• World2fly (1)

France

• XL Airways France (15)
• Aigle Azur (2)
• French Bee (1)

GreenlandGreenland

• Air Greenland (1)

IcelandIceland

• Air Atlanta Icelandic (1)

ItalyItaly

• Alitalia (14)

LithuaniaLithuania

• GetJet Airlines (1)

MaltaMalta

• Comlux Malta (1)

Norway Norway

• Norwegian Air Shuttle (1)

Portugal

• Azores Airlines (1)
• White Airways (1)

United KingdomUnited Kingdom

• Thomas Cook Airlines (16)
• Jet2.com (2)

Czech RepublicCzech Republic

• Czech Airlines (1)

Russia Russia

• Vladivostok Air (3)

Sweden Sweden

• Novair (6)

SwitzerlandSwitzerland

• Edelweiss Air (4)
• Swissair

TurkeyTurkey

• Onur Air (17)
• AtlasGlobal (6)
• Corendon Airlines (1)

Ukraine Ukraine

• Windrose Airlines (3)

Orders and deliveries

Data as of June 30, 2018 (table does not include Airbus A330neo data).

Accidents and incidents

Air France's A330 F-GZCP crashed during flight 447.

As of February 2012, different Airbus A330s had been involved in 13 incidents, of varying severity, in which at least six aircraft were completely lost or destroyed. In total, some 339 fatalities are estimated. Most of these correspond to Air France Flight 447, which crashed on June 1, 2009.

• On 30 June 1994, Airbus Industries Flight 129, an A330 crashed in Toulouse, France, during a test flight in which it was intended to simulate the failure of one of its two engines during the takeoff, dying the 7 people on board.

• On 15 March 2000, a 6-year-old A330-300 from Malaysia Airlines was severely damaged by a very corrosive chemical that was being transported on a flight from the Chinese capital of Beijing to the Kuala Lumpur Malaysian. Corrosive fluid (oxalilo chloride) had been incorrectly declared as the non-toxic hydroxyquinoline solid. Eighteen container cans of that substance were being transported via Kuala Lumpur to the Indian city of Chennai (Madrás). Five aeroports workers were sick as they were unloading suitcases from the plane in Kuala Lumpur, as some containers had lost part of their content, spreading over the cargo warehouse of the aircraft. This resulted in massive corrosion damage that spread to different parts of the fuselage, the elar structure and even the landing gear. The aircraft was consequently declared to be destroyed. Finally, on 12 June 2007, a Beijing court ordered the China National Chemical Construction Corporation, owner of the cargo transported, paid $65 million to Malaysia Airlines for the loss.

• On 25 May 2000, a man named Reginald Chua kidnapped the A330 from Philippine Airlines Flight 812. After the depressurization of the plane, Chua jumped from it, finally dying. However, all crew members and other passengers managed to land safely.

• On 24 July 2001, two A330-243 from Sri Lankan Airlines were destroyed on land by guerrillas from the independentist group Tigers de Liberación del Eelam Tamil, Sri Lanka, along with an AirbusA320-200, an Airbus A340-300 and a squadron of military aircraft. In the attack, which occurred at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, two more planes were also partially affected (another A320 and a second A340). However, the latter were subsequently repaired.

• On 24 August 2001, Air Transat Flight 236, an A330-243, carried out the largest plane recorded with a passenger plane, after being unexpectedly left with empty deposits due to a flight fuel leak over the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft flew powerless for 19 minutes, covering about 65 nautical miles (120 km), before landing on the Azores Islands (Portugal). No one was injured, but the plane suffered some structural damage and some tyre burst. For more information see Air Transat Flight 236.

• On July 18, 2003, an A330-342 B-HYA airline B-HYA was found with severe turbulences (associated to tropical storm Koni or Gilas) over the South China Sea, during flight 60 from Kota Kinabalu to Hong Kong. Twelve crew members (two of them seriously) and three passengers were injured, but there was no need to mourn fatalities. The aircraft eventually landed safely at Hong Kong International Airport.

• On 7 October 2008, Australian airline Qantas flight 72, a VH-QPA A330-303, suffered a rapid loss of altitude due to two involuntary sudden manoeuvres, causing several serious injuries. The aircraft had taken off the Learmonth base of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and was about 80 nautical miles (about 150 km) when unforeseen manoeuvres began. Having declared an emergency, the aircraft eventually landed at the starting point.

• On 1 June 2009 an Airbus A330 from Air France registration F-GZCP en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris with 228 people on board, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 640 kilometers (346 nmi)-800 kilometers (432 nmi) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, without leaving survivors. The malfunction of the pitot tubes was the first point in which the investigations were focused, since the plane involved had "-AA" models of Thales known for recording data from wrong air speeds during freezing conditions. In July 2009, Airbus warned A330 and A340 operators to replace Thales pitots with equivalent equipment manufactured by Goodrich. The researchers later revealed that the inappropriate response of the pilots to both the loss of air speed data and the subsequent disconnection of the autopilot had the fatal result that he claimed in flight 447 entering into aerodynamic loss.For more information see Air France Flight 447.

• On 12 May 2010, an Airbus A330-200 from Afriqiyah Airways licensed 5A-ONG with 104 people on board, from Johannesburg, South Africa, crashed at Tripoli Airport, Libya, killing one hundred three occupants and saving only one 10-year-old. For further information see Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771.

Specifications

Descriptive geometry of an A330-300.

View from below an A330-200 from Cyprus Airways.

Source: Airbus official specifications for the A330 sub-family: A330-200, A330-200F and A330-300

A330 Designated Aircraft Models