Affectionately called the 'Baby Bus,' the A318 shrank the A320 into the family's smallest member, taking flight in 2002. CFM56-5B8/3 engines carry 107 passengers in standard cabins and up to 136 when packed, over distances near 5,750 km. Just 31.44 metres long yet sharing the family's 34.10-metre wing, it cruises about 829 km/h and reaches a ceiling of 12,000 metres at weights to 68,000 kg. Certification for steep approaches let it serve tight, terrain-constrained fields such as London City Airport, where a sharper glidepath is required. Even so, the type filled only a narrow niche, and the production run stopped at just 80 aircraft. Air-traffic control identifies it as A318, under the IATA code 318.
A320系列中最小的成员，昵称"小巴士"。Airbus A318服务于利基市场，包括London City Airport的大坡度进近运营。仅生产了80架。
Frequently Asked Questions
The Airbus A318 typically seats 107 passengers in a two-class configuration. In a single-class layout, it can carry up to 132 passengers. At 31.4 m, it is the smallest member of the A320 family. The cabin width remains the same as the A320 at 3.70 m, so passengers get full A320 comfort in a shorter aircraft.
The Airbus A318 has a maximum range of approximately 5,750 km (3,105 nautical miles). Despite its small size, this range allows transatlantic operations — British Airways famously used A318s configured with 32 all-business-class seats on the London City to New York route, marketed as a premium transatlantic service. The aircraft uses CFM56-5B or Pratt & Whitney PW6000 engines.
The A318 offers a wider cabin (3.70 m vs 2.74 m) with 3-3 seating compared to the E195's 2-2 layout. Both carry around 100-120 passengers. The A318 has greater range (5,750 km vs 3,334 km) and benefits from cockpit commonality with the A320 family. However, the E195 has lower operating costs per flight, making it more economical for shorter regional routes. The A318 sold only 80 units, while the E-Jet family has been far more commercially successful.
The A318 looks like a stubby A320, with the same cockpit, wing, and tail but a significantly shorter fuselage. At 31.4 m, it is 6.2 m shorter than the A320. It has two overwing exits per side and the smallest door configuration of any A320 family member. The relatively large wing and tail compared to the short fuselage give it distinctive proportions.
No, Airbus effectively ceased marketing the A318 after the last delivery in 2013, with only 80 aircraft built — the fewest of any A320 family variant. The A220-100 (formerly Bombardier CS100) has taken over the 100-120 seat market with significantly better economics. Air France was the largest operator. British Airways' premium all-business A318 London City to New York service ended in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The type is among the rarest Airbus models.