Airbus' final build A300, a freighter for Federal Express, has made its maiden flight and is currently in Hamburg having its cabin and cargo compartments fitted. It will then join the US cargo operator”s Airbus fleet of 128 A300/A310 family aircraft in operation. The A300 made history as the first Airbus when it flew way back in 1972.
The A300 was launched in May 1969 and entered into service with Air France in 1974. The first wide-body twin-engined aircraft brought to the market, the A300 set totally new standards in the aviation industry. As the A300 programme comes to an end, the A300/A310 worldwide fleet in operation stands at 634 aircraft with 79 operators.
It is the basic 18” 6” (5.64m) wide hull that forms the essential backbone of today”s A330s and A340s. Whilst orders for the Boeing 787 have soared past the 500 mark, the A300 did not do nearly so well, the order book standing at 15 on the day of the first flight. Airbus second design, the A320 was to gain over 400 commitments from the world”s airlines before it flew.
In future years it is as a freighter that the A300 will be best remembered, many passenger aircraft converted. Besides FedEx, United Parcel Services (UPS) is another major operator.