Airbus A318

Development

Background

The first member of the A320 aircraft family was the A320, which had its maiden flight on 22 February 1987 after the program was launched in March 1984. The family was soon extended to include the stretched A321 (first delivery 1994), the shortened A319 (first delivery 1996), and the further shortened A318 (first delivery 2003). The A320 family pioneered the use in commercial aircraft of digital fly-by-wire flight control systems, as well as side stick controls.

The Airbus A318 project had its origins in the collaboration among Chinese, Singaporean and European manufacturers. In May 1997, during the visit of French President Jacques Chirac to China, Aviation Industries of China (AVIC), Singapore Technologies Aerospace (STAe), Airbus and Alenia signed a framework agreement that outlined the development of aircraft in the 100-seat range. The AE31X, as it was tentatively dubbed, besides being a global industrial programme would have significantly deepened Sino-European commercial ties. With development costs estimated to be upwards of $2 billion, AVIC would have a 46 percent stake in the project, STAe 15 percent, and Airbus Industrie Asia 39 percent, the latter of which comprised Airbus and Alenia. Final assembly would have taken place in China.

The project never went past the exploratory phase. It comprised two clean-sheet designs – the AE316 and the AE317. The AE316 would have had a length of 31.3 metres (102 ft 8 in), and the AE317, 34.5 m (113 ft 2 in). The standard versions of both variants had a maximum take-off weight of 49.9 tonnes (110,000 lb) for the smaller version and 54.2 t (119,000 lb) for the AE317, and would have been powered by either BMW Rolls-Royce, CFM International, or Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines. Range was settled at 3,700 kilometres (2,000 nmi; 2,300 mi) for both standard variants, although there was a higher-gross weight version which had greater range and engine power. The AE316 and AE317 would have seated a maximum of 105 and 125 passengers in five-abreast seating, respectively. Both would share a flight deck and fly-by-wire flight control system similar to that of the A320 family.

Market research conducted during 1997 revealed that airlines wanted a smaller aircraft in the 70–80-seat range. As the project proceeded, there were increasing disagreements between the Chinese side and Airbus. China wanted a larger aircraft than originally envisioned. In addition, there were difficulties arising out of negotiations about technology transfer and production workshare, and a weak business case. STAe, having previously expressed doubts about returns on the project, in 1998 withdrew from the project out of the failure between AIA and AVIC to reach an agreement; Airbus and AVIC would cancel the project in July that year. The A318 is believed to have emerged from the AE31X project though an Airbus-only project, named the A319M5 in March 1998, began before the AE31X cancellation.

Design phase

The internal corporate designation, A319M5, was used as early as March 1998, as an A319 derivative with fuselage shortening of 0.79 metres (2 ft 7 in) ahead of the wing and 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) behind. The final proposal was for an aircraft seating 107 passengers in a two-class layout with a range of 3,350 kilometres (1,810 nmi; 2,080 mi). The aircraft's production took advantage of laser welding, eliminating the necessity for heavy rivets and bolts.

During the design process, the A318 encountered several problems. The first one was the decline in demand for new aircraft following the September 11 attacks. Another was the new Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines, which burned more fuel than expected. By the time CFM International (CFM) had a more efficient engine ready for market, many A318 customers had already backed out, including Air China and British Airways. America West Airlines, which had selected the Pratt & Whitney engines, amended its A318 orders, opting instead for A319 or A320 aircraft. Trans World Airlines cancelled a significant order for fifty A318s after being acquired by American Airlines, which did not operate any A320 family aircraft at the time (although neither did TWA when the order was originally placed). While Airbus was hoping to market the A318 as a regional jet alternative, laws in both the U.S. and Europe have kept it in the same class as larger aircraft for calculating charges such as landing fees, limiting the type's market potential.

The aircraft is powered by two CFM56-5 or Pratt & Whitney PW6000 engines with maximum thrust ratings of between 96 and 106 kilonewtons (21,600 and 23,800 lbf). Launch customers Frontier Airlines and Air France took deliveries in 2003, with Frontier receiving its aircraft in July of that year. The list price of an A318 ranges from $56 to $62 million, and operating costs are between $2,500 and $3,000 for each flight hour.

Orders for the A318 have been relatively slow, but slightly better than for its direct competitor the Boeing 737-600. By 30 September 2017, Airbus had received 80 orders for this model compared to 69 for the 737-600.