Airbus A320 Airplane Model. The Airbus A320 is a short-to-medium range commercial passenger airliner manufactured by Airbus SAS. The Airbus Family members include the A318, A319, A320, and A321, as well as the ACJ business jet. Airbus A-320 flew for the first time in February 22, 1987 and was first delivered in 1988. The A320 pioneered the use of digital fly-by-wire flight control systems in a commercial aircraft. With more than 3,000 aircraft of the A320 family built, it is the second best selling jet airliner family of all time, after the family"s primary competition, the Boeing 737. The A-320 has seating for 150 to 179 passengers, these accommodated in a wider cabin than most single-aisle aircraft, allowing for far greater comfort and the ability to take standard baggage containers. Typical cruising speed of the Airbus A-320 is Mach 0.8 with a range of 3,270 miles with 150 passengers and luggage. The most notable contribution of the A320 airliner is that it was the best selling member among the family. The A320 was first delivered in 1988 and it uses digital fly-by-wire flight control systems. At that time, America West Airlines was experiencing financial troubles due to the rapid growth of the airlines which resulted in large operating losses. During 1986, the company was in the verge of bankruptcy. In 1990, American West Airlines also took the delivery of several Airbus A320 aircraft that were destined for the now defunct Braniff Airways. The A320s were sold to America West at a steep discount. Air France is a Paris-based airline that operates worldwide scheduled passenger and cargo services to 185 destinations in 83 countries. In 1988, it became a launch customer for the A-320 narrowbody twin. Ted is one of two airline divisional brands of United Airlines similar in concept to the Delta Shuttle or the US Airways Shuttle, but specifically targeted to compete effectively in the low cost airline market.