Airbus A-300B4-2
The Airbus A300 was Airbus's first aircraft and, when it entered service in 1974, the world's first twin-engine widebody airliner — until then, wide-cabin jets had needed three or four engines. That two-engine layout made it notably cheaper to operate on medium-haul routes than its trijet and quadjet competitors. Its success proved the twinjet widebody concept and set the template every Airbus aircraft since has followed. Without the A300, the now-dominant twin-engine widebodies like the 777, A330, and 787 might never have been built the way they were.

Did you know?
The A300 was the world's first twin-engine widebody airliner, proving twinjets could replace the tri- and quadjets of its era.
Specifications
| Length | 54.1 m (177 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 44.8 m (147 ft) |
| Height | 16.5 m (54 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 345 |
| Persons on board | 200-360 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 165 t |
| Range | 3,350 NM (6,204 km) |
| Maximum speed | 488 kt (904 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 37,000 ft (11,278 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 35,000 ft (10,668 m) |
| Rate of climb | 3,200 ft/min (16.3 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 2,800 m (9,186 ft) |
| Landing distance | 1,600 m (5,249 ft) |
| Engines | CF6-50/PW JT9D |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Airbus A-300B4-2 starts as a Rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
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