Aircraft overview

The Airbus A320 is a single aisle, twin engine commercial jet built by Airbus for short and medium haul airline operations. The A320 first flew in 1987 and entered service in 1988, with production continuing through the A320ceo generation and into the A320neo. It is important in the used aircraft market because it introduced full fly by wire flight controls to mainstream narrowbody airline service and established a common cockpit philosophy across the Airbus A320 family. For buyers, the A320 is best understood as the baseline family member, larger than the A319 and smaller than the A321, with a balance of capacity, range and airport compatibility.

Performance & specifications

Typical long range cruise is about Mach 0.78, commonly expressed around 450 knots depending on conditions. Published range varies by variant, weight option and cabin configuration, with many A320ceo aircraft in the roughly 3,000 nautical mile class and A320neo aircraft published up to about 3,400 nautical miles. Service ceiling is 39,100 feet. Payload capability depends on certified weights and layout, but the A320 is generally in the high 30,000 lb to low 40,000 lb class for commercial payload. A320ceo aircraft use CFM56-5B or International Aero Engines V2500 engines, while A320neo aircraft use CFM LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan engines.

Cabin & avionics

The A320 typically seats around 150 passengers in a two class airline layout, or up to 180 passengers in a high density configuration, subject to certification and operator layout. The cabin has a standard six abreast economy cross section, with overhead bin, galley and lavatory arrangements varying by airline specification and retrofit history. Avionics are Airbus integrated systems rather than Garmin Perspective or G1000 suites. Typical equipment includes electronic flight instrument displays, flight management and guidance computers, ECAM, autopilot and autothrust, with capability varying by build standard, navigation approvals and later upgrades.

Buying & value

Used A320 evaluation should focus on exact variant, A320-200, A320neo or earlier A320-100, engine type, thrust rating, maintenance status, airframe cycles, landing gear life, cabin condition and compliance with current navigation and communication mandates. Sharklets, cabin refreshes, weight upgrades, ADS-B, FANS and other avionics updates can materially affect suitability. The A320ceo often appeals where acquisition cost and available support matter, while the A320neo typically commands stronger pricing because of lower fuel burn and newer production years. Current PlaneFox listing data shows an average asking price of about EUR 72,710,000, with listed aircraft ranging from EUR 71,420,000 to EUR 74,000,000.