Delivers 100th A320 Family-Based Bizjet

The Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) Family has reached the milestone of 100 sales, worth $5.5 billion based on list prices, 10 years after program launch in 1997.

Initially comprising just one model, the Airbus ACJ, which evolved into a corporate jet from the A319, the family first expanded to include an A320 Prestige and, more recently, an A318 Elite.

Based on the planemaker's enormously popular Airbus A320 commercial airliner family, the ACJ sports cabins nearly twice as wide and three times as voluminous as traditional business jets. ACJ-specific features include extra fuel tanks in the cargo hold to provide intercontinental range, as well as a VIP cabin and built-in airstairs.

The Airbus ACJ Family also introduced new features to business aviation, such as the fly-by-wire controls that are now the industry standard, advanced fuel-saving aerodynamics and extensive use of weight-saving materials such as carbon fiber.

“Our initial forecast was for annual sales in this top-end category of just twelve aircraft a year, of which we expected to win a half,” comments Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, John Leahy. “We’ve done rather better than that and, with corporate jet customers increasingly recognizing that they get a lot more for their money with our aircraft, we expect to do even better in the future,” he added.

Airbus has won more than 30 corporate jet orders this year, including no less than five VIP widebodies, setting a new record for the company. This compares with sales of 20 Airbus ACJ Family aircraft and one VIP widebody in 2006.

The five VIP widebodies include four Airbus A340s. Airbus’ corporate jet offerings also include the A380 which, with 5,930 sq. ft. of floor space on its two decks.

Airbus’ A318 Elite typically flies eight passengers 4,100 nm,  the ACJ eight passengers up to 6,000 nm, and the A320 Prestige 30 passengers up to 4,100 nm.

FMI: www.airbus.com