In 1965, a British government study, known as the Plowden Report, had found British aircraft production costs to be between 10% and 20% higher than American counterparts due to shorter production runs, which was in part due to the fractured European market.
{| |} The Airbus A300 is a wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Airbus. In September 1967, aircraft manufacturers in the United Kingdom, France, and West Germany signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a large airliner. West Germany and France reached an agreement on 29 May 1969 after the British withdrew from the project on 10 April 1969. European collaborative aerospace manufacturer Airbus Industrie was formally created on 18 December 1970 to develop and produce it.
In July 1967, during a high-profile meeting between French, German, and British ministers, an agreement was made for greater cooperation between European nations in the field of aviation technology, and "for the joint development and production of an airbus".
According to Airbus, this cultural approach to market research had been crucial to the company's long-term success. ===Workshare and redefinition=== On 26 September 1967, the British, French, and West German governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding to start development of the 300-seat Airbus A300.
Another parameter was the requirement for a new engine to be developed by Rolls-Royce to power the proposed airliner; a derivative of the in-development Rolls-Royce RB211, the triple-spool RB207, capable of producing of 47,500 lbf. The program cost was US$4.6 billion (in 1993 Dollars). In December 1968, the French and British partner companies (Sud Aviation and Hawker Siddeley) proposed a revised configuration, the 250-seat Airbus A250.
{| |} The Airbus A300 is a wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Airbus. In September 1967, aircraft manufacturers in the United Kingdom, France, and West Germany signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a large airliner. West Germany and France reached an agreement on 29 May 1969 after the British withdrew from the project on 10 April 1969. European collaborative aerospace manufacturer Airbus Industrie was formally created on 18 December 1970 to develop and produce it.
By this time, Rolls-Royce had been concentrating their efforts upon developing their RB211 turbofan engine instead and progress on the RB207's development had been slow for some time, the firm having suffered due to funding limitations, both of which had been factors in the engine switch decision. On 10 April 1969, a few months after the decision to drop the RB207 had been announced, the British government announced that they would withdraw from the Airbus venture.
Hawker Siddeley spent £35 million of its own funds, along with a further £35 million loan from the West German government, on the machine tooling to design and produce the wings. ===Project launch=== On 29 May 1969, during the Paris Air Show, French transport minister Jean Chamant and German economics minister Karl Schiller signed an agreement officially launching the Airbus A300, the world's first twin-engine widebody airliner.
Having the sections airlifted in this manner made the A300 the first airliner to use just-in-time manufacturing techniques, and allowed each company to manufacture its sections as fully equipped, ready-to-fly assemblies. In September 1969, construction of the first prototype A300 began.
{| |} The Airbus A300 is a wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Airbus. In September 1967, aircraft manufacturers in the United Kingdom, France, and West Germany signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a large airliner. West Germany and France reached an agreement on 29 May 1969 after the British withdrew from the project on 10 April 1969. European collaborative aerospace manufacturer Airbus Industrie was formally created on 18 December 1970 to develop and produce it.
On 3 September 1970, Air France signed a letter of intent for six A300s, marking the first order to be won for the new airliner. In the aftermath of the Paris Air Show agreement, it was decided that, in order to provide effective management of responsibilities, a Groupement d'intérêt économique would be established, allowing the various partners to work together on the project while remaining separate business entities.
On 18 December 1970, Airbus Industrie was formally established following an agreement between Aérospatiale (the newly merged Sud Aviation and Nord Aviation) of France and the antecedents to Deutsche Aerospace of Germany, each receiving a 50 per cent stake in the newly formed company.
From then on, the A300 family sold well, eventually reaching a total of 561 delivered aircraft. In December 1977, Aerocondor Colombia became the first Airbus operator in Latin America, leasing one Airbus A300B4-2C, named Ciudad de Barranquilla. During the late 1970s, Airbus adopted a so-called 'Silk Road' strategy, targeting airlines in the Far East.
In 1971, the consortium was joined by a third full partner, the Spanish firm CASA, who received a 4.2 per cent stake, the other two members reducing their stakes to 47.9 per cent each.
On 28 September 1972, this first prototype was unveiled to the public, it conducted its maiden flight from Toulouse–Blagnac International Airport on 28 October that year.
In 1972, unit cost was US$17.5M.
It was the launch of the Airbus A320 in 1987 that firmly established Airbus as a major player in the aircraft market – over 400 orders were placed before the narrow-body airliner had flown its first flight, compared to 15 for the A300 in 1972. ==Design== The Airbus A300 is a wide-body medium-to-long range airliner; it has the distinction of being the first twin-engine wide-body aircraft in the world.
On 5 February 1973, the second prototype performed its maiden flight.
In September 1973, as part of promotional efforts for the A300, the new aircraft was taken on a six-week tour around North America and South America, to demonstrate it to airline executives, pilots, and would-be customers.
Initially, the success of the consortium was poor, in part due to the economic consequences of the 1973 oil crisis, but by 1979 there were 81 A300 passenger liners in service with 14 airlines, alongside 133 firm orders and 88 options.
The prototype A300B2 made its first flight on 28 June 1973 and was certificated by the French and German authorities on 15 March 1974 and FAA approval followed on 30 May 1974.
In 1979, Britain joined the Airbus consortium via British Aerospace, which Hawker Siddeley had merged into, which acquired a 20 per cent stake in Airbus Industrie with France and Germany each reducing their stakes to 37.9 per cent. Airbus Industrie was initially headquartered in Paris, which is where design, development, flight testing, sales, marketing, and customer support activities were centered; the headquarters was relocated to Toulouse in January 1974.
airlines. On 15 March 1974, type certificates were granted for the A300 from both German and French authorities, clearing the way for its entry into revenue service.
On 23 May 1974, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification was received.
The first production model, the A300B2, entered service in 1974, followed by the A300B4 one year later.
Upon entry into service in 1974, the A300 was a very advanced plane, which went on to influence later airliner designs.
In September 1974, Korean Air placed an order for 4 A300B4s with options for 2 further aircraft; this sale was viewed as significant as it was the first non-European international airline to order Airbus aircraft.
Powered by General Electric CF6 or Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines (the same engines that powered the 747 or the DC-10) of between 227 and 236 kN thrust, it entered service with Air France in May 1974.
The prototype A300B2 made its first flight on 28 June 1973 and was certificated by the French and German authorities on 15 March 1974 and FAA approval followed on 30 May 1974.
The first production A300B2 (A300 number 5) made its maiden flight on 15 April 1974 and was handed over to Air France a few weeks later on 10 May 1974.
The A300B2 entered revenue service on 23 May 1974 between Paris and London. A300B2-100: 137-tonne MTOW A300B2-200: 142-tonne MTOW, with Krueger flaps, first delivery to South African Airways in 1976 A300B2-300: increased Maximum Landing Weight/Maximum Zero Fuel Weight ===A300B4=== The major production version features a centre fuel tank for increased fuel capacity (47,500 kg) and new wing-root Krüger flaps which were later made available as an option for the B2.
The first A300B4 (the 9th A300) flew on 25 December 1974 and was certified on 26 March 1975.
However, between December 1975 and May 1977, there were no sales for the type.
The first A300B4 (the 9th A300) flew on 25 December 1974 and was certified on 26 March 1975.
The first delivery was made to Germanair (which later merged into Bavaria Germanair) on 23 May 1975. A300B4-100: 157.5-tonne MTOW, first delivery to Germanair in 1975. A300B4-200: 165-tonne MTOW, first delivery to Hapag-Lloyd Flug in 1980 A300B4-200FF: An A300 with a "forward-facing" crew compartment.
The A300B2 entered revenue service on 23 May 1974 between Paris and London. A300B2-100: 137-tonne MTOW A300B2-200: 142-tonne MTOW, with Krueger flaps, first delivery to South African Airways in 1976 A300B2-300: increased Maximum Landing Weight/Maximum Zero Fuel Weight ===A300B4=== The major production version features a centre fuel tank for increased fuel capacity (47,500 kg) and new wing-root Krüger flaps which were later made available as an option for the B2.
The first delivery was in 1986, but few were built as the A300F4-200 was soon replaced by the more capable A300-600F (official designation: A300F4-600). A300B4C: freighter version launched in 1976 A300MF: multi-purpose freighter launched in 1976 ===A300-600=== Officially designated A300B4-600, this version is slightly longer than the B2 and B4 and has increased interior space from using the A310 rear fuselage and horizontal tail.
They replaced the four Aero Spacelines Super Guppys previously used by Airbus. ICAO code: A3ST ==Incidents and accidents== As of October 2016, the A300 has been involved in 75 accidents and incidents, including 35 hull-losses and 1,435 fatalities. 27 June 1976: Air France Flight 139, originating in Tel Aviv, Israel and carrying 248 passengers and a crew of 12 took off from Athens, Greece, headed for Paris, France.
In 1977, the A300 became the first Extended Range Twin Operations (ETOPS)-compliant aircraft, due to its high performance and safety standards.
However, between December 1975 and May 1977, there were no sales for the type.
This enabled Airbus to develop the aircraft as a medium/long range airliner. In 1977, US carrier Eastern Air Lines leased four A300s as an in-service trial.
From then on, the A300 family sold well, eventually reaching a total of 561 delivered aircraft. In December 1977, Aerocondor Colombia became the first Airbus operator in Latin America, leasing one Airbus A300B4-2C, named Ciudad de Barranquilla. During the late 1970s, Airbus adopted a so-called 'Silk Road' strategy, targeting airlines in the Far East.
As Asia did not have restrictions similar to the FAA 60-minutes rule for twin-engine airliners which existed at the time, Asian airlines used A300s for routes across the Bay of Bengal and South China Sea. In 1977, the A300B4 became the first ETOPS compliant aircraft, qualifying for Extended Twin Engine Operations over water, providing operators with more versatility in routing.
In 1979, Britain joined the Airbus consortium via British Aerospace, which Hawker Siddeley had merged into, which acquired a 20 per cent stake in Airbus Industrie with France and Germany each reducing their stakes to 37.9 per cent. Airbus Industrie was initially headquartered in Paris, which is where design, development, flight testing, sales, marketing, and customer support activities were centered; the headquarters was relocated to Toulouse in January 1974.
Initially, the success of the consortium was poor, in part due to the economic consequences of the 1973 oil crisis, but by 1979 there were 81 A300 passenger liners in service with 14 airlines, alongside 133 firm orders and 88 options.
The first delivery was made to Germanair (which later merged into Bavaria Germanair) on 23 May 1975. A300B4-100: 157.5-tonne MTOW, first delivery to Germanair in 1975. A300B4-200: 165-tonne MTOW, first delivery to Hapag-Lloyd Flug in 1980 A300B4-200FF: An A300 with a "forward-facing" crew compartment.
By 1981, Airbus was growing rapidly, with over 400 aircraft sold to over forty airlines. In 1989, Chinese operator China Eastern Airlines received its first A300; by 2006, the airline operated around 18 A300s, making it the largest operator of both the A300 and the A310 at that time.
In 1982 Garuda Indonesia became the first airline to fly the A300B4-200FF.
First saw service with Garuda Indonesia in 1982, further customers were Tunisair and Karair/Finnair. A300B4-600: Referred to as the A300-600.
First delivered to South African Airways in October 1982. A300F4-200: Freighter version of the A300B4-200.
The A300-600 made its first flight on 8 July 1983 and entered service later that year with Saudi Arabian Airlines.
At the airport, Israeli commandos rescued 102 of the 106 hostages. 18 December 1983: Malaysian Airline System Flight 684, an Airbus A300B4 leased from Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), registration OY-KAA, crashed short of the runway at Kuala Lumpur in bad weather while attempting to land on a flight from Singapore.
Four delivered between 1984 and 1985. A300-600F: (Official designation: A300F4-600) The freighter version of the baseline −600. A300-600R: (Official designation: A300B4-600R) The increased-range −600, achieved by an additional trim fuel tank in the tail.
Four delivered between 1984 and 1985. A300-600F: (Official designation: A300F4-600) The freighter version of the baseline −600. A300-600R: (Official designation: A300B4-600R) The increased-range −600, achieved by an additional trim fuel tank in the tail.
The first delivery was in 1986, but few were built as the A300F4-200 was soon replaced by the more capable A300-600F (official designation: A300F4-600). A300B4C: freighter version launched in 1976 A300MF: multi-purpose freighter launched in 1976 ===A300-600=== Officially designated A300B4-600, this version is slightly longer than the B2 and B4 and has increased interior space from using the A310 rear fuselage and horizontal tail.
All 247 persons aboard escaped unharmed but the aircraft was destroyed in the resulting fire. 26 October 1986: Thai Airways Flight 620, an Airbus A300B4-601, originating in Bangkok suffered an explosion mid-flight.
It was the launch of the Airbus A320 in 1987 that firmly established Airbus as a major player in the aircraft market – over 400 orders were placed before the narrow-body airliner had flown its first flight, compared to 15 for the A300 in 1972. ==Design== The Airbus A300 is a wide-body medium-to-long range airliner; it has the distinction of being the first twin-engine wide-body aircraft in the world.
62 of the 247 people on board were injured. 21 September 1987: EgyptAir Airbus A300B4-203 touched down past the runway threshold.
First delivery in 1988 to American Airlines; all A300s built since 1989 (freighters included) are −600Rs.
No passengers. 3 July 1988: Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down by USS Vincennes in the Persian Gulf after being mistaken for an attacking Iranian F-14 Tomcat, killing all 290 passengers and crew. 15 February 1991: two Kuwait Airways A300C4-620s and two Boeing 767s that had been seized during Iraq's occupation of Kuwait were destroyed in coalition bombing of Mosul Airport. 28 September 1992: PIA Flight 268, an A300B4 crashed on approach near Kathmandu, Nepal.
By 1981, Airbus was growing rapidly, with over 400 aircraft sold to over forty airlines. In 1989, Chinese operator China Eastern Airlines received its first A300; by 2006, the airline operated around 18 A300s, making it the largest operator of both the A300 and the A310 at that time.
First delivery in 1988 to American Airlines; all A300s built since 1989 (freighters included) are −600Rs.
A typical flight would last for two and a half hours, enabling up to 30 parabolas to be performed per flight. By the 1990s, the A300 was being heavily promoted as a cargo freighter.
The A300 has enjoyed renewed interest in the secondhand market for conversion to freighters; large numbers were being converted during the late 1990s.
TEA instantly subleased the aircraft for six weeks to Air Algérie, but continued to operate the aircraft until 1990.
No passengers. 3 July 1988: Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down by USS Vincennes in the Persian Gulf after being mistaken for an attacking Iranian F-14 Tomcat, killing all 290 passengers and crew. 15 February 1991: two Kuwait Airways A300C4-620s and two Boeing 767s that had been seized during Iraq's occupation of Kuwait were destroyed in coalition bombing of Mosul Airport. 28 September 1992: PIA Flight 268, an A300B4 crashed on approach near Kathmandu, Nepal.
No passengers. 3 July 1988: Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down by USS Vincennes in the Persian Gulf after being mistaken for an attacking Iranian F-14 Tomcat, killing all 290 passengers and crew. 15 February 1991: two Kuwait Airways A300C4-620s and two Boeing 767s that had been seized during Iraq's occupation of Kuwait were destroyed in coalition bombing of Mosul Airport. 28 September 1992: PIA Flight 268, an A300B4 crashed on approach near Kathmandu, Nepal.
Another parameter was the requirement for a new engine to be developed by Rolls-Royce to power the proposed airliner; a derivative of the in-development Rolls-Royce RB211, the triple-spool RB207, capable of producing of 47,500 lbf. The program cost was US$4.6 billion (in 1993 Dollars). In December 1968, the French and British partner companies (Sud Aviation and Hawker Siddeley) proposed a revised configuration, the 250-seat Airbus A250.
All 12 crew and 155 passengers perished. 24 April 1993: an Air Inter Airbus A300B2-1C was written off after colliding with a light pole while being pushed back at Montpellier. 26 April 1994: China Airlines Flight 140 (Taiwan) crashed at the end of runway at Nagoya, Japan, killing all 15 crew and 249 of 256 passengers on board. 24 December 1994: Air France Flight 8969 was hijacked at Houari Boumedienne Airport in Algiers, by four terrorists who belonged to the Armed Islamic Group.
All 12 crew and 155 passengers perished. 24 April 1993: an Air Inter Airbus A300B2-1C was written off after colliding with a light pole while being pushed back at Montpellier. 26 April 1994: China Airlines Flight 140 (Taiwan) crashed at the end of runway at Nagoya, Japan, killing all 15 crew and 249 of 256 passengers on board. 24 December 1994: Air France Flight 8969 was hijacked at Houari Boumedienne Airport in Algiers, by four terrorists who belonged to the Armed Islamic Group.
On 31 May 2014, China Eastern officially retired the last A300-600 in its fleet, having begun drawing down the type in 2010. From 1997 to 2014, a single A300, designated A300 Zero-G, was operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as a reduced-gravity aircraft for conducting research into microgravity; the A300 is the largest aircraft to ever have been used in this capacity.
The almost 15-year-old aircraft was written off. 26 September 1997: Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 was on approach to Polonia International Airport in Medan.
All 234 passengers and crew aboard perished in Indonesia's deadliest crash. 16 February 1998: China Airlines Flight 676 (Taiwan) crashed into residential area close to CKS international airport near Taipei, Taiwan.
Two were delivered in 1999. A300-600RF: (Official designation: A300F4-600R) The freighter version of the −600R.
Seven people on the ground were also killed. 24 December 1999: Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 from Kathmandu, Nepal, to New Delhi was hijacked.
A Nepalese man was murdered while the plane was in flight. 12 November 2001: American Airlines Flight 587 crashed into Belle Harbor—a neighborhood in Queens, New York, United States—shortly after takeoff from John F.
Japan Air System (later merged into Japan Airlines) took delivery of the last new-built passenger A300, an A300-622R, in November 2002. A300-600RC: (Official designation: A300C4-600R) The convertible-freighter version of the -600R.
The plane was repaired and offered for sale, but in April 2011 it still remained parked at Baghdad Intl. 1 March 2004, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 2002 burst 2 tires whilst taking off from King Abdulaziz International Airport.
It is the second-deadliest incident involving an A300 to date and the second-deadliest aircraft incident on United States soil. 22 November 2003: European Air Transport OO-DLL, operating on behalf of DHL Aviation, was hit by an SA-14 'Gremlin' missile after takeoff from Baghdad International Airport.
The plane was repaired and offered for sale, but in April 2011 it still remained parked at Baghdad Intl. 1 March 2004, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 2002 burst 2 tires whilst taking off from King Abdulaziz International Airport.
By 1981, Airbus was growing rapidly, with over 400 aircraft sold to over forty airlines. In 1989, Chinese operator China Eastern Airlines received its first A300; by 2006, the airline operated around 18 A300s, making it the largest operator of both the A300 and the A310 at that time.
In 2006, unit cost of an -600F was $105 million.
In March 2006, Airbus announced the impending closure of the A300/A310 final assembly line, making them the first Airbus aircraft to be discontinued.
The final production A300, an A300F freighter, performed its initial flight on 18 April 2007, and was delivered to FedEx Express on 12 July 2007.
On 31 May 2014, China Eastern officially retired the last A300-600 in its fleet, having begun drawing down the type in 2010. From 1997 to 2014, a single A300, designated A300 Zero-G, was operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as a reduced-gravity aircraft for conducting research into microgravity; the A300 is the largest aircraft to ever have been used in this capacity.
All 261 passengers and 12 crew survived. 14 April 2010: AeroUnion Flight 302, an A300B4-203F, crashed on a road short of the runway while attempting to land at Monterrey airport in Mexico.
The plane was repaired and offered for sale, but in April 2011 it still remained parked at Baghdad Intl. 1 March 2004, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 2002 burst 2 tires whilst taking off from King Abdulaziz International Airport.
As of December 2017, the aircraft still was parked at a remote area of the airport between runways 13 and 22. 14 August 2013: UPS Flight 1354, an Airbus A300F4-622R, crashed outside the perimeter fence on approach to Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
On 31 May 2014, China Eastern officially retired the last A300-600 in its fleet, having begun drawing down the type in 2010. From 1997 to 2014, a single A300, designated A300 Zero-G, was operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as a reduced-gravity aircraft for conducting research into microgravity; the A300 is the largest aircraft to ever have been used in this capacity.
Both crew members died. 12 October 2015: An Airbus A300B4-200F Freighter operated by Egyptian Tristar cargo carrier crashed in Mogadishu, Somalia.
They replaced the four Aero Spacelines Super Guppys previously used by Airbus. ICAO code: A3ST ==Incidents and accidents== As of October 2016, the A300 has been involved in 75 accidents and incidents, including 35 hull-losses and 1,435 fatalities. 27 June 1976: Air France Flight 139, originating in Tel Aviv, Israel and carrying 248 passengers and a crew of 12 took off from Athens, Greece, headed for Paris, France.
As of December 2017, the aircraft still was parked at a remote area of the airport between runways 13 and 22. 14 August 2013: UPS Flight 1354, an Airbus A300F4-622R, crashed outside the perimeter fence on approach to Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
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