Editing Airbus A300

{{Short description|World's first twin-engine widebody jet airliner}}
{{Redirect|A300}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Infobox aircraft
| name = Airbus A300
| image = Iran Air Airbus A300B4-605R EP-IBD (23416357051).jpg
| long_caption = The A300 has two underwing [[podded engine|podded turbofans]], making it the first twinjet [[wide-body airliner]]. Seen here operated by [[Iran Air]] in 2011, its largest remaining passenger operator as of 2025.
| aircraft_role = [[Wide-body airliner]]
| national_origin = France and [[West Germany]]<!-- Use the main nation (e.g. UK), not constituent country (England); don't use "EU". List collaborative programmes of only 2 or 3 nations; for more than 3, use "Multi-national" per [[Template:Infobox aircraft type]] and [[WP:Air/PC]] guidelines. -->
| manufacturers = [[Airbus]]
| status = In limited passenger service, in cargo service
| primary_user = [[Iran Air]]
| more_users = {{ubl|[[UPS Airlines]]|[[European Air Transport Leipzig]]|[[Mahan Air]]|[[DHL Aviation]]|[[FedEx Express]]}}
| number_built = 561<ref name="Airbus_Deliveries" />
| construction_date = 1971{{ndash}}2007
| introduction = 23 May 1974 with [[Air France]]
| first_flight = {{start date and age|1972|10|28|df=y}}
| developed_into = {{ubl|[[Airbus A310]]|[[Airbus A330]]|[[Airbus A340]]|[[Airbus Beluga|A300-600ST Beluga]]}}
}}
The '''Airbus A300''' is Airbus' first production aircraft and the world's first [[Twinjet|twin-engine]], double-aisle [[Wide-body aircraft|(wide-body) airliner]]. It was developed by ''Airbus Industrie GIE'', now merged into [[Airbus SE]], and manufactured from 1971 to 2007.

<!--development-->
In September 1967, aircraft manufacturers in [[France]], [[West Germany]] and the [[United Kingdom]] signed an initial [[memorandum of understanding]] to collaborate to develop an innovative large airliner. The French and West Germans reached a firm agreement on 29 May 1969, after the British withdrew from the project on 10 April 1969. A new collaborative [[aerospace manufacturer|aerospace company]], ''Airbus Industrie GIE'', was formally created on 18 December 1970 to develop and produce it. The A300 prototype first flew on 28 October 1972.

<!--design-->
The first twin-engine widebody airliner, the A300 typically seats 247 passengers in two classes over a [[Range (aircraft)|range]] of 5,375 to 7,500&nbsp;km (2,900 to 4,050&nbsp;nmi; {{cvt|5,375 to 7,500|km|mi|disp=output only}}).
<!--variants-->
Initial variants are powered by [[General Electric CF6-50]] or [[Pratt & Whitney JT9D]] turbofans and have a three-crew flight deck.  The improved A300-600 has a two-crew cockpit and updated [[General Electric CF6-80C2|CF6-80C2]] or [[Pratt & Whitney PW4000|PW4000]] engines; it made its first flight on 8 July 1983 and entered service later that year.  The A300 is the basis of the smaller [[Airbus A310|A310]] (first flown in 1982) and was adapted in a freighter version.  Its cross section was retained for the larger four-engined [[Airbus A340|A340]] (1991) and the larger twin-engined [[Airbus A330|A330]] (1992).  It is also the basis for the oversize [[Airbus Beluga|Beluga]] transport (1994). Unlike most [[Airbus]] aircraft, it has a [[Yoke (aeronautics)|yoke]] and does not use a [[fly-by-wire]] system.

<!-- operational history-->
Launch customer [[Air France]] introduced the type on 23 May 1974.
After limited demand initially, sales took off as the type was proven in early service, beginning three decades of steady orders.  It has a similar capacity to the [[Boeing 767]]-300, introduced in 1986, but lacked the 767-300ER range.  During the 1990s, the A300 became popular with [[cargo aircraft]] operators, as both passenger airliner conversions and as original builds.  Production ceased in July 2007 after 561 deliveries.
{{As of|2023|Sep|df=US}}, there are 197 A300 family aircraft still in commercial service.

== Development ==

=== Origins ===
[[File:Hawker-Nord-Breguet HBN100.png|thumb|In 1966, [[Hawker Siddeley]], [[Nord Aviation]], and [[Breguet Aviation]] proposed the 260-seat [[wide-body]] ''HBN 100'' with a similar configuration]]

During the 1960s, European aircraft manufacturers such as [[Hawker Siddeley]] and the [[British Aircraft Corporation]], based in the UK, and [[Sud Aviation]] of France, had ambitions to build a new 200-seat airliner for the growing civil aviation market. While studies were performed and considered, such as a stretched twin-engine variant of the [[Hawker Siddeley Trident]] and an expanded development of the [[British Aircraft Corporation]] (BAC) [[One-Eleven]], designated the [[BAC Three-Eleven|BAC Two-Eleven]], it was recognized that if each of the European manufacturers were to launch similar aircraft into the market at the same time, neither would achieve sales volume needed to make them viable.<ref name="early days">[http://www.airbus.com/company/history/the-narrative/early-days-1967-1969/ "Early days (1967–1969)."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705195621/http://www.airbus.com/company/history/the-narrative/early-days-1967-1969/ |date=5 July 2011 }} ''Airbus'', Retrieved: 28 February 2016.</ref> 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. To overcome this factor, the report recommended the pursuit of multinational collaborative projects between the region's leading aircraft manufacturers.<ref name=Bowen>Bowen, John T. ''The Economic Geography of Air Transportation: Space, Time, and the Freedom of the Sky.'' "Business & Economics", 2010. {{ISBN|1-135-15657-3}}, pp. 49–53.</ref>{{rp|49}}<ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1966/feb/01/aircraft-industry-plowden-report "Aircraft Industry (Plowden Report)."] ''[[Hansard]]'', February 1966. vol 723, cc 890–1016.</ref><ref name=ITC>{{cite book|author=U.S. International Trade Commission|title=Global Competitiveness of U. S. Advanced-Technology Manufacturing Industries: Large Civil Aircraft|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iMN_GHp-iEkC|date=October 1995|publisher=DianePublishing|isbn=978-0-7881-2526-3|series=Investigation No. 332-332, Publication 2667}} pp. 2–16.</ref>{{rp|2–13}}

European manufacturers were keen to explore prospective programmes; the proposed 260-seat [[wide-body]] ''HBN 100'' between Hawker Siddeley, [[Nord Aviation]], and [[Breguet Aviation]] being one such example.<ref name="early days" /><ref name=Simons>Simons, Graham. ''The Airbus A380: A History.'' "Pen and Sword", 2014. {{ISBN|1-78303-041-0}}, pp. 37–40.</ref>{{rp|37–38}} National governments were also keen to support such efforts amid a belief that American manufacturers could dominate the [[European Economic Community]];<ref>Chorafas, Dimitris N. ''The Business of Europe is Politics: Business Opportunity, Economic Nationalism and the Decaying Atlantic Alliance.'' Gower Publishing, 2012. {{ISBN|1-4094-5959-4}} p. 292.</ref> in particular, Germany had ambitions for a multinational airliner project to invigorate its aircraft industry, which had declined considerably following the [[Second World War]].<ref name=Bowen />{{rp|49–50}} During the mid-1960s, both [[Air France]] and [[American Airlines]] had expressed interest in a short-haul twin-engine [[wide-body aircraft]], indicating a market demand for such an aircraft to be produced.<ref name=Bowen /><ref name="airbus 30">[https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airbus-at-thirty-family-planning-124235/ "Airbus at thirty – Family planning."] ''Flight International'', 2 January 2001.</ref> 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".<ref name="early days" /><ref name=Senguttuvan />{{rp|34}} The word ''airbus'' at this point was a generic aviation term for a larger commercial aircraft, and was considered acceptable in multiple languages, including [[French language|French]].<ref name=Senguttuvan />{{rp|34}}

[[File:28.10.72 1er Vol d'Airbus (1972) - 53Fi1992 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Technical director [[Roger Béteille]] (from behind) discussing with general manager [[Henri Ziegler]] beside the [[CF6]] turbofan, which powered the A300 first flight]]

Shortly after the July 1967 meeting, French engineer [[Roger Béteille]] was appointed as the technical director of what would become the A300 programme, while [[Henri Ziegler]], chief operating office of Sud Aviation, was appointed as the general manager of the organisation and German politician [[Franz Josef Strauss]] became the chairman of the supervisory board.<ref name="early days" /> Béteille drew up an initial work share plan for the project, under which French firms would produce the aircraft's cockpit, the control systems, and lower-centre portion of the fuselage, Hawker Siddeley would manufacture the wings, while German companies would produce the forward, rear and upper part of the center fuselage sections. Additional work included moving elements of the wings being produced in the [[Netherlands]], and Spain producing the horizontal tail plane.<ref name="early days" /><ref name=Simons />{{rp|38}}

An early design goal for the A300 that Béteille had stressed the importance of was the incorporation of a high level of technology, which would serve as a decisive advantage over prospective competitors. For this reason, the A300 would feature the first use of [[composite material|composite]] materials of any passenger aircraft, the leading and trailing edges of the tail fin being composed of [[Fiberglass|glass fibre reinforced plastic]].<ref name=ITC />{{rp|2–16}}<ref name="first order flight" /> Béteille opted for English as the working language for the developing aircraft, as well against using [[Metric system|Metric]] instrumentation and measurements, as most airlines already had US-built aircraft.<ref name="first order flight" /> These decisions were partially influenced by feedback from various airlines, such as Air France and [[Lufthansa]], as an emphasis had been placed on determining the specifics of what kind of aircraft that potential operators were seeking. According to Airbus, this cultural approach to market research had been crucial to the company's long-term success.<ref name="first order flight">[http://www.airbus.com/company/history/the-narrative/first-order-first-flight-1970-1972/ "First order, first flight (1970–1972)."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401095900/http://www.airbus.com/company/history/the-narrative/first-order-first-flight-1970-1972/ |date=1 April 2015 }} ''Airbus'', Retrieved: 28 February 2016.</ref>

=== Workshare and redefinition ===

On 26 September 1967, the French, West German and British governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding to start the development of the 300-seat Airbus A300.<ref name=Simons />{{rp|38}}<ref name=Endres />{{rp|43}}<ref name=Pitt>Pitt, Ivan L. and John Randolph Norsworthy. ''Economics of the U.S. Commercial Airline Industry: Productivity, Technology and Deregulation.'' "Springer", 2012. {{ISBN|1-4615-5031-9}}, pp. 57, 60.</ref>{{rp|57}} At this point, the A300 was only the second major joint aircraft programme in Europe, the first being the Anglo-French [[Concorde]].<ref name=Senguttuvan>Senguttuvan, P. S. ''Fundamentals of Air Transport Management.'' "Excel Books India", 2006. {{ISBN|81-7446-459-X}}. pp. 33–34.</ref> Under the terms of the memorandum, the French and British were to each receive a 37.5 per cent work share on the project, while the West Germans would receive a 25 per cent share. Sud Aviation was recognized as the lead contractor for the A300, with Hawker Siddeley being selected as the British partner company.<ref name="early days" /> At the time, the news of the announcement had been clouded by the British Government's support for the Airbus, which coincided with its refusal to back BAC's proposed competitor, the BAC 2–11, despite a preference for the latter expressed by [[British European Airways]] (BEA).<ref name=Senguttuvan />{{rp|34}} Another parameter was the requirement for a new engine to be developed by [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] to power the proposed airliner; a derivative of the in-development [[Rolls-Royce RB211]], the [[Turbofan#Three-spool|triple-spool]] RB207, capable of producing of {{cvt|47500|lbf|kN}}.<ref name="Flight International1968">{{cite journal|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1968/1968%20-%200017.html|title=Aero Engines 1968: "Flight" special review|date=4 January 1968|journal=Flight International|issue=3069|volume=93|pages=19–30}}</ref>
The programme cost was [[US$]]4.6 billion (in 1993 dollars, equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|4600000000|1993}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}}).<ref name=FIapr2008>{{cite web |url= https://www.forecastinternational.com/archive/disp_pdf.cfm?DACH_RECNO=188 |title= Airbus A300 report |date= April 2008 |publisher= Forecast international}}</ref>

[[File:Airbus A300 cross section.jpg|thumb|The {{cvt|5.64|m|in|0}} diameter circular fuselage section for 8-abreast seating and 2 [[LD3]] containers below. This is part of the first A300 prototype, [[F-OCAZ]], on display at [[Deutsches Museum]] in Munich.]]
In December 1968, the French and British partner companies (Sud Aviation and Hawker Siddeley) proposed a revised configuration, the 250-seat Airbus A250. It had been feared that the original 300-seat proposal was too large for the market, thus it had been scaled down to produce the A250.<ref name=ITC />{{rp|2–14}}<ref name="airbus 30" /><ref name="trouble strife">[https://www.airbus.com/company/history/aircraft-history/1968-1969.html "Trouble and strife (1968–1969)."] ''Airbus'', Retrieved: 28 February 2016.</ref> The dimensional changes involved in the shrink reduced the length of the fuselage by {{convert|5.62|m|ft}} and the diameter by {{convert|0.8|m|in}}, reducing the overall weight by {{convert|25|t|lb}}.<ref name="first order flight" /><ref name=NorWag>{{Cite book|last1=Norris|first1=Guy and Mark Wagner|title=Airbus|location=Osceola, Wisconsin|publisher=MBI Publishing|year=1999|isbn=0-7603-0677-X|ref={{harvid|Norris|Wagner|1999}}|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/airbus0000norr|pages=16–25}}</ref>{{rp|16}} For increased flexibility, the cabin floor was raised so that standard [[unit load device|LD3 freight containers]] could be accommodated side-by-side, allowing more cargo to be carried. Refinements made by Hawker Siddeley to the wing's design provided for greater lift and overall performance; this gave the aircraft the ability to climb faster and attain a level cruising altitude sooner than any other passenger aircraft.<ref name="first order flight" /> It was later renamed the A300B.<ref name=Senguttuvan />{{rp|34}}<ref name="trouble strife" />

Perhaps the most significant change of the A300B was that it would not require new engines to be developed, being of a suitable size to be powered by Rolls-Royce's RB211, or alternatively the American [[Pratt & Whitney JT9D]] and [[General Electric CF6]] powerplants; this switch was recognized as considerably reducing the project's development costs.<ref name=Endres />{{rp|45}}<ref name="trouble strife" /><ref name=NorWag />{{rp|16–17}} To attract potential customers in the US market, it was decided that General Electric CF6-50 engines would power the A300 in place of the British RB207; these engines would be produced in co-operation with French firm [[Snecma]].<ref name="airbus 30" /><ref name="first order flight" /> 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.<ref name=ITC />{{rp|2–13}}<ref name="trouble strife" /><ref name=NorWag />{{rp|17–18}}

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.<ref name=Simons />{{rp|38–39}}<ref name="trouble strife" /> In response, West Germany proposed to France that they would be willing to contribute up to 50% of the project's costs if France was prepared to do the same.<ref name="trouble strife" /> Additionally, the managing director of Hawker Siddeley, [[Arnold Alexander Hall|Sir Arnold Alexander Hall]], decided that his company would remain in the project as a favoured sub-contractor, developing and manufacturing the wings for the A300, which would prove to be an important contributor to the performance of subsequent versions.<ref name=ITC />{{rp|2–13}}<ref name=Senguttuvan />{{rp|34}}<ref name=NorWag />{{rp|18}} 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.<ref name=Simons />{{rp|39}}<ref name="trouble strife" />

=== Programme launch ===
[[File:Airbus A300B2-103 (F-WUAD) at Le Bourget Airport.jpg|thumb|An A300 in vintage Airbus livery, it was rolled out on 28 September 1972]]

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.<ref name="early days" /> The intention of the project was to produce an aircraft that was smaller, lighter, and more economical than its three-engine American rivals, the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]] and the [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]].<ref name="first order flight" /> In order to meet Air France's demands for an aircraft larger than 250-seat A300B, it was decided to stretch the fuselage to create a new variant, designated as the A300B2, which would be offered alongside the original 250-seat A300B, henceforth referred to as the A300B1. 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.<ref name=Simons />{{rp|39}}<ref name="first order flight" /><ref name=NorWag />{{rp|21}}

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.<ref name="early days" /> 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.<ref name=Bowen />{{rp|50}}<ref name=Simons />{{rp|39}}<ref name="first order flight" /> In 1971, the consortium was joined by a third full partner, the Spanish firm [[Construcciones Aeronáuticas|CASA]], who received a 4.2 per cent stake, the other two members reducing their stakes to 47.9 per cent each.<ref name="first order flight" /><ref name=NorWag />{{rp|20}} 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.<ref name=Bowen />{{rp|53}}<ref name=ITC />{{rp|2–14}}<ref name=Simons />{{rp|39}}

=== Prototype and flight testing ===
[[File:28.10.72 1er Vol d'Airbus (1972) - 53Fi1979 (cropped, restored).jpg|thumb|The 28 October 1972 maiden flight]]

Airbus Industrie was initially headquartered in [[Paris]], which is where design, development, flight testing, sales, marketing, and customer support activities were centred; the headquarters was relocated to [[Toulouse]] in January 1974.<ref name="airbus 30" /><ref name="first order flight" /> The final assembly line for the A300 was located adjacent to [[Toulouse Blagnac International Airport]]. The manufacturing process necessitated transporting each aircraft section being produced by the partner companies scattered across Europe to this one location. The combined use of ferries and roads were used for the assembly of the first A300, however this was time-consuming and not viewed as ideal by [[Felix Kracht]], Airbus Industrie's production director.<ref name="first order flight" /> Kracht's solution was to have the various A300 sections brought to Toulouse by a fleet of [[Boeing 377]]-derived [[Aero Spacelines Super Guppy]] aircraft, by which means none of the manufacturing sites were more than two hours away. 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.<ref name=Bowen />{{rp|53}}<ref name="first order flight" />

In September 1969, construction of the first prototype A300 began.<ref name=NorWag />{{rp|20}} 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.<ref name=Simons />{{rp|39}}<ref name=Senguttuvan />{{rp|34}}<ref name=Endres>{{cite journal|last=Endres|first=Günter|title=Classic Airliner: Airbus A300|journal=Flightpath: The International Journal of Commercial Aviation|volume=3|date=Spring 2004|publisher=AIRtime Publishing|location=Norwalk, Connecticut|isbn=1-880588-73-0|pages=43, 45, 51–52}}</ref>{{rp|51–52}} This maiden flight, which was performed a month ahead of schedule, lasted for one hour and 25 minutes; the captain was Max Fischl and the first officer was Bernard Ziegler, son of Henri Ziegler.<ref name="first order flight" /> In 1972, unit cost was US$17.5M.<ref name=Flight10Aug1972>{{cite magazine |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1972/1972%20-%202020.html |title= Airliner price index |magazine= Flight International |date= 10 August 1972 |page= 183}}</ref> On 5 February 1973, the second prototype performed its maiden flight.<ref name=Simons />{{rp|39}} The flight test programme, which involved a total of four aircraft, was relatively problem-free, accumulating 1,580 flight hours throughout.<ref name=NorWag />{{rp|22}} 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.<ref name="first order flight" /> Amongst the consequences of this expedition, it had allegedly brought the A300 to the attention of [[Frank Borman]], the CEO of [[Eastern Airlines]], one of the "big four" U.S. airlines.<ref name="Champagne and Drought" />

=== Entry into service ===
On 15 March 1974, [[type certificate]]s were granted for the A300 from both German and French authorities, clearing the way for its entry into revenue service.<ref name="Champagne and Drought" /> On 23 May 1974, [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA) certification was received.<ref name=NorWag />{{rp|22}} The first production model, the A300B2, entered service in 1974, followed by the A300B4 one year later.<ref name="airbus 30" /> Initially, the success of the consortium was poor, in part due to the economic consequences of the [[1973 oil crisis]],<ref name=Simons />{{rp|40}}<ref name="airbus 30" /><ref name=Senguttuvan />{{rp|34}} but by 1979 there were 81 A300 passenger liners in service with 14 airlines, alongside 133 firm orders and 88 options.<ref name="Champagne and Drought" /> Ten years after the official launch of the A300, the company had achieved a 26 per cent market share in terms of dollar value, enabling Airbus to proceed with the development of its second aircraft, the [[Airbus A310]].<ref name="Champagne and Drought" />

== Design ==
[[File:JAL A300-600R (JA014D) @Tokyo.jpg|thumb|The A300 is a conventional [[low wing]] aircraft with [[twinjet|twin]] underwing turbofans and a [[conventional tail]]]]

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.<ref name="airbus 30" /><ref name=Senguttuvan />{{rp|34}}<ref name=Pitt />{{rp|57, 60}}<ref name="tech lead" /> In 1977, the A300 became the first [[ETOPS|Extended Range Twin Operations]] (ETOPS)-compliant aircraft, due to its high performance and safety standards.<ref name=Simons />{{rp|40}} Another world-first of the A300 is the use of composite materials on a commercial aircraft, which were used on both secondary and later primary airframe structures, decreasing overall weight and improving cost-effectiveness.<ref name="tech lead" /> Other pioneering technology included the use of [[center of gravity of an aircraft|centre-of-gravity]] control, achieved by transferring fuel between various locations across the aircraft, as first used on [[Concorde]], and electrically signalled secondary flight controls.<ref name="airbus launch">[http://www.airbus.com/company/history/the-narrative/first-order-first-flight-1970-1972/a300/ "A300: the aircraft that launched Airbus."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304105931/http://www.airbus.com/company/history/the-narrative/first-order-first-flight-1970-1972/a300/ |date=4 March 2016 }} ''Airbus'', Retrieved: 3 March 2016.</ref>

The A300 is powered by a pair of underwing turbofan engines, either General Electric CF6 or Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines; the sole use of underwing engine pods allowed for any suitable turbofan engine to be more readily used.<ref name=Pitt />{{rp|57}} The lack of a third tail-mounted engine, as per the [[trijet]] configuration used by some competing airliners, allowed for the wings to be located further forwards and to reduce the size of the [[vertical stabiliser]] and [[elevator (aeronautics)|elevator]], which had the effect of increasing the aircraft's flight performance and fuel efficiency.<ref name=Bowen />{{rp|50}}<ref name=NorWag />{{rp|21}}

[[File:Airbus 300B Flight Deck.jpg|thumb|The initial A300 flight deck with analog [[flight instruments]] and a flight engineer station (not shown)]]
Airbus partners had employed the latest technology, some of which having been derived from [[Concorde]], on the A300. According to Airbus, new technologies adopted for the airliner were selected principally for increased safety, operational capability, and profitability.<ref name="tech lead" /> Upon entry into service in 1974, the A300 was a very advanced plane, which went on to influence later airliner designs. The technological highlights include advanced wings by [[de Havilland]] (later [[BAE Systems]]) with [[supercritical airfoil]] sections for economical performance and advanced [[aerodynamically]] efficient [[flight control surfaces]].
The {{cvt|5.64|m|in|0}} diameter circular fuselage section allows an eight-abreast passenger seating and is wide enough for 2 [[LD3]] cargo containers side by side. Structures are made from metal [[billet (manufacturing)|billets]], reducing weight. It is the first airliner to be fitted with [[airborne wind shear detection and alert system|wind shear protection]]. Its advanced autopilots are capable of flying the aircraft from climb-out to landing, and it has an electrically controlled braking system.

Later A300s incorporated other advanced features such as the Forward-Facing Crew Cockpit (FFCC), which enabled a two-pilot flight crew to fly the aircraft alone without the need for a [[flight engineer]], the functions of which were automated; this two-man cockpit concept was a world-first for a wide-body aircraft.<ref name="airbus 30" /><ref name=NorWag />{{rp|23–24}}<ref name="airbus launch" /> [[Glass cockpit]] flight instrumentation, which used [[cathode-ray tube]] (CRT) monitors to display flight, navigation, and warning information, along with fully digital dual autopilots and digital [[Aircraft flight control system|flight control computers]] for controlling the [[Spoiler (aeronautics)|spoilers]], [[Flap (aeronautics)|flaps]], and [[leading-edge slats]], were also adopted upon later-built models.<ref name="tech lead">[http://www.airbus.com/company/history/the-narrative/technology-leaders-1977-1979/ "Technology leaders (1977–1979)."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925104335/http://www.airbus.com/company/history/the-narrative/technology-leaders-1977-1979/ |date=25 September 2015 }} ''Airbus'', Retrieved: 3 March 2016.</ref><ref>Tischler, Mark. B. ''Advances in Aircraft Flight Control.'' "CRC Press", 1996. {{ISBN|0-7484-0479-1}}, p. 219.</ref> Additional composites were also made use of, such as [[carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer]] (CFRP), as well as their presence in an increasing proportion of the aircraft's components, including the spoilers, [[rudder]], [[air brake (aeronautics)|air brakes]], and [[landing gear]] doors.<ref>Park, Soo-Jin. ''Carbon Fibers''. "Springer", 2014. {{ISBN|94-017-9478-2}}, p. 257.</ref> Another feature of later aircraft was the addition of [[wingtip fence]]s, which improved aerodynamic performance and thus reduced cruise fuel consumption by about 1.5% for the A300-600.<ref>Airbus The European Triumph, Bill Gunston 1988, {{ISBN|085045820X}}, p. 113</ref>

In addition to passenger duties, the A300 became widely used by air freight operators; according to Airbus, it is the best-selling freight aircraft of all time.<ref name="airbus launch" /> Various variants of the A300 were built to meet customer demands, often for diverse roles such as [[aerial refueling]] tankers, freighter models (new-build and conversions), [[combi aircraft]], military [[airlift]]er, and [[VIP]] transport. Perhaps the most visually unique of the variants is the [[Airbus Beluga|A300-600ST Beluga]], an oversized cargo-carrying model operated by Airbus to carry aircraft sections between their manufacturing facilities.<ref name="airbus launch" /> The A300 was the basis for, and retained a high level of commonality with, the second airliner produced by Airbus, the smaller Airbus A310.<ref name="tech lead" />

== Operational history ==
[[File:Airbus A300B2-101, Air France AN2111996.jpg|thumb|[[Air France]] introduced the A300 on 23 May 1974]]

On 23 May 1974, the first A300 to enter service performed the first commercial flight of the type, flying from Paris to London, for Air France.<ref name=Simons />{{rp|39}}<ref name="Champagne and Drought" />

Immediately after the launch, sales of the A300 were weak for some years, with most orders going to airlines that had an obligation to favor the domestically made product&nbsp;– notably Air France and Lufthansa, the first two airlines to place orders for the type.<ref name=Bowen />{{rp|50–52}}<ref name="Champagne and Drought" /> Following the appointment of Bernard Lathière as Henri Ziegler's replacement, an aggressive sales approach was adopted. [[Indian Airlines]] was the world's first domestic airline to purchase the A300, ordering three aircraft with three options. However, between December 1975 and May 1977, there were no sales for the type. During this period a number of "whitetail" A300s&nbsp;– completed but unsold aircraft&nbsp;– were completed and stored at Toulouse, and production fell to half an aircraft per month amid calls to pause production completely.<ref name="Champagne and Drought" />

[[File:KoreanAir A300 fukuoka 20051030110452.jpg|thumb|[[Korean Air]], the first non-European customer in September 1974]]

During the flight testing of the A300B2, Airbus held a series of talks with [[Korean Air]] on the topic of developing a longer-range version of the A300, which would become the A300B4. In September 1974, Korean Air placed an order for four A300B4s with options for two further aircraft; this sale was viewed as significant as it was the first non-European international airline to order Airbus aircraft. Airbus had viewed South-East Asia as a vital market that was ready to be opened up and believed Korean Air to be the 'key'.<ref name="airbus 30" /><ref name=NorWag />{{rp|23}}<ref name="Champagne and Drought">[http://www.airbus.com/company/history/the-narrative/champagneand-drought-1973-1977/ "Champagne&nbsp;... and drought (1973–1977)."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401100121/http://www.airbus.com/company/history/the-narrative/champagneand-drought-1973-1977/ |date=1 April 2015 }} ''Airbus'', Retrieved: 28 February 2016.</ref>

Airlines operating the A300 on short-haul routes were forced to reduce frequencies to try and fill the aircraft. As a result, they lost passengers to airlines operating more frequent narrow-body flights. Eventually, Airbus had to build its own narrowbody aircraft (the [[Airbus A320 family|A320]]) to compete with the [[Boeing 737]] and [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9]]/[[MD-80]]. The saviour of the A300 was the advent of ETOPS, a revised [[FAA]] rule which allows twin-engine jets to fly long-distance routes that were previously off-limits to them. This enabled Airbus to develop the aircraft as a medium/long-range airliner.

[[File:Eastern Air Lines A300B4-100 N201EA MIA 1990-5-31.png|thumb|[[Eastern Air Lines]] introduced the A300 in the US market in 1977]]

In 1977, US carrier [[Eastern Air Lines]] leased four A300s as an in-service trial.<ref name="Champagne and Drought" /> CEO [[Frank Borman]] was impressed that the A300 consumed 30% less fuel, even less than expected, than Eastern's fleet of [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar|L-1011s]].  The A300 would be replacing the aging DC-9s and 727-100s but in smaller numbers, while being a twinjet sized between the Tristars and 727-200s, and capable of operating from short runway airports with sufficient range from New York City to Miami.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yesterdaysairlines.com/airline-history-blog/eastern-a300s-a-marriage-made-in-heaven|title=Eastern A300s - A Marriage Made In Heaven|website=YESTERDAY'S AIRLINES}}</ref> Borman proceeded to order 23 A300s, becoming the first U.S. customer for the type. This order is often cited as the point at which Airbus came to be seen as a serious competitor to the large American aircraft-manufacturers [[Boeing]] and [[McDonnell Douglas]].<ref name=Simons />{{rp|40}}<ref name="airbus 30" /><ref name="Champagne and Drought" /> Aviation author John Bowen alleged that various concessions, such as loan guarantees from European governments and compensation payments, were a factor in the decision as well. Although the A300 was originally too large for Eastern's exiting routes, Airbus provided a fixed subsidy for a 57% load factor which decreased for every percent above that figure.<ref name=Bowen />{{rp|52}} The Eastern Air Lines breakthrough was shortly followed by an order from [[Pan Am]]. From then on, the A300 family sold well, eventually reaching a total of 561 delivered aircraft.<ref name="Airbus_Deliveries" />

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]].<ref name=Bowen />{{rp|52}}<ref name="Champagne and Drought" /> As a result, The aircraft found particular favor with Asian airlines, being bought by [[Japan Air System]], [[Korean Air]], [[China Eastern Airlines]], [[Thai Airways International]], [[Singapore Airlines]], [[Malaysia Airlines]], [[Philippine Airlines]], [[Garuda Indonesia]], [[China Airlines]], [[Pakistan International Airlines]], [[Indian Airlines]], [[Trans Australia Airlines]] and many others. As Asia did not have restrictions similar to the FAA [[ETOPS|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]].
[[File:Garuda Indonesian Airways Airbus A300B4-220 Rees.jpg|thumb|220x220px|[[Garuda Indonesia]] Airbus A300B4-220 with the newly designed Forward Facing Crew Cockpit or FFCC Concept that operated only by two-man cockpit crew and was the first wide-body aircraft to be operated by two-man cockpit crew.]]
In 1977, the A300B4 became the first ETOPS compliant aircraft,<ref>{{cite web|title=Technology leaders (1977–1979)|url= https://www.airbus.com/company/history/aircraft-history/1977-1979.html |work= Aircraft History |date= 17 June 2021 |publisher=Airbus}}</ref> qualifying for Extended Twin Engine Operations over water, providing operators with more versatility in routing. In 1982, [[Garuda Indonesian Airways]] became the first airline to fly the A300B4-200FFCC with the newly Forward-Facing Crew Cockpit concept, the world's first wide-body aircraft that only operated by two-man cockpit crew.<ref>{{Cite web|date=11 January 1995|title=Airbus cockpit/control milestones|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/airbus-cockpit/control-milestones/17511.article|access-date=25 April 2023|website=[[FlightGlobal]]}}</ref> By 1981, Airbus was growing rapidly, with over 400 aircraft sold to over forty airlines.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lewis|first=Paul|date=31 May 1981|title=For Europe's Airbus Industrie It's Decision Time |language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/31/business/for-europe-s-airbus-industrie-it-s-decision-time.html|access-date=8 November 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

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. On 31 May 2014, China Eastern officially retired the last A300-600 in its fleet, having begun drawing down the type in 2010.<ref>Hashim, Firdaus. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/picture-china-eastern-retires-a300-600s-400142/ "China Eastern retires A300-600s."] ''Flight International'', 6 June 2014.</ref>

From 1997 to 2014, a single A300, designated [[Weightlessness#European Space Agency A300 Zero-G|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.<!--ref name=Beysens--> A typical flight would last for two and a half hours, enabling up to 30 [[parabola]]s to be performed per flight.<ref name=Beysens>Beysens, Daniel A. and Jack J.W. A. van Loon. ''Generation and Applications of Extra-Terrestrial Environments on Earth.'' "River Publishers", 2015. {{ISBN|87-93237-53-7}}. pp. 63–65.</ref><ref>[http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Research/Experience_weightlessness_on_board_the_Zero-G_Airbus "Experience weightlessness on board the 'Zero-G' Airbus."] ''European Space Agency'', Retrieved: 3 March 2016.</ref>

[[File:FedEx Express Airbus A300 Jager.jpg|thumb|On 12 July 2007, the last A300, a [[cargo aircraft|freighter]], was delivered to FedEx Express, as of May 2022 the largest operator with 65 aircraft still in service]]

By the 1990s, the A300 was being heavily promoted as a cargo freighter.<ref name=NorWag />{{rp|24}} The largest freight operator of the A300 is [[FedEx Express]], which has 70 A300 aircraft in service as of September 2022. [[UPS Airlines]] also operates 52 freighter versions of the A300.<ref>{{cite web|last=Flottau|first=Jens|date=20 October 2022|title=The Airbus A300 In-Service Fleet By The Numbers|publisher=[[Aviation Week Network]]|url=https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airlines-lessors/airbus-a300-service-fleet-numbers|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref>

The final version was the A300-600R and is rated for 180-minute ETOPS. The A300 has enjoyed renewed interest in the secondhand market for conversion to freighters; large numbers were being converted during the late 1990s.<ref name=NorWag />{{rp|24–25}} The freighter versions&nbsp;– either new-build A300-600s or converted ex-passenger A300-600s, A300B2s and B4s&nbsp;– account for most of the world's freighter fleet after the [[Boeing 747]] freighter.<ref>{{Cite web|date=22 December 2016|title=Airbus A300 Available For Cargo Charter|url=http://aircharterguru.com/airbus-a300-available-for-cargo-charter/|access-date=20 October 2021|website=Air Charter Guru|language=en-US}}</ref>

The A300 provided Airbus the experience of manufacturing and selling airliners competitively. The basic fuselage of the A300 was later stretched ([[A330]] and [[A340]]), shortened (A310), or modified into derivatives ([[Airbus Beluga|A300-600ST ''Beluga'' Super Transporter]]). In 2006, unit cost of an −600F was $105 million.<ref name=FIapr2008 /> In March 2006, Airbus announced the impending closure of the A300/A310 final assembly line,<ref>{{Cite news | title = A300/A310 Final Assembly to be completed by July 2007 | publisher = Airbus | date = 7 March 2006 | url = http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/07_03_06_A300_final_assembly.html | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081007110156/http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/07_03_06_A300_final_assembly.html | archive-date = 7 October 2008}}</ref> making them the first Airbus aircraft to be discontinued. The final production A300, an A300F freighter, performed its initial flight on 18 April 2007,<ref>{{Cite news | title = The last A300 makes its maiden flight | publisher = Airbus | date = 18 April 2007 | url = http://www.airbus.com/en/myairbus/newsbrief/index.jsp | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070513035737/http://www.airbus.com/en/myairbus/newsbrief/index.jsp | archive-date = 13 May 2007}}</ref> and was delivered to FedEx Express on 12 July 2007.<ref>Kaminski-Morrow, David. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/picture-airbus-delivers-last-a300-215481/ "Airbus delivers last A300."] ''Flight International'', 12 July 2007.</ref> Airbus has announced a support package to keep A300s flying commercially.
Airbus offers the A330-200F freighter as a replacement for the A300 cargo variants.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airbus-aims-to-fill-freighter-void-with-a330-derivative-205407/|title=Airbus aims to fill freighter void with A330 derivative|publisher=[[Flight International]]|date=14 March 2006}}</ref>

The life of UPS's fleet of 52 A300s, delivered from 2000 to 2006, will be extended to 2035 by a flight deck upgrade based around [[Honeywell Primus]] Epic avionics; new displays and [[flight management system]] (FMS), improved [[weather radar]], a central maintenance system, and a new version of the current enhanced [[ground proximity warning system]].<!--<ref name=ATW16may2017 />-->
With a light usage of only two to three cycles per day, it will not reach the maximum number of cycles by then.<!--<ref name=ATW16may2017 />-->
The first modification will be made at Airbus Toulouse in 2019 and certified in 2020.<ref name=ATW16may2017>{{cite news |url= http://www.atwonline.com/avionics/ups-upgrade-airbus-a300-cockpits |work= Air Transport World |publisher= Aviation Week Network |title= UPS to upgrade Airbus A300 cockpits |date= 16 May 2017 |author= Alan Dron |access-date= 17 May 2017 |archive-date= 17 May 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170517055943/http://atwonline.com/avionics/ups-upgrade-airbus-a300-cockpits |url-status= dead }}</ref>
<!-- more details : http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/will-upgraded-cockpit-ups-s-airbus-a300-600-start-trend -->
As of July 2017, there are 211 A300s in service with 22 operators, with the largest operator being FedEx Express with 68 A300-600F aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/asset/18365|title=WorldCensus2017.pdf|website=Flightglobal.com|language=en-GB|access-date=28 June 2018}}</ref>

== Variants ==
=== A300B1 ===
[[File:Airbus A300B1, TEA - Trans European Airways AN0193927.jpg|thumb|The two A300B1 prototypes were {{cvt|167|ft|order=flip}} long]]

The A300B1 was the first variant to take flight. It had a [[maximum takeoff weight]] (MTOW) of {{cvt|291000|lb|t|order=flip}}, was {{cvt|167|ft|order=flip}} long and was powered by two [[General Electric CF6-50A]] engines.<ref name="NorWag" />{{rp|21}}<ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|41}} Only two prototypes of the variant were built before it was adapted into the A300B2, the first production variant of the airliner.<ref name="Simons" />{{rp|39}} The second prototype was leased to [[Trans European Airways]] in 1974.<ref name="Endres99">{{Cite book|last=Endres|first=Günter|title=Airbus A300|publisher=MBI Pub.|year=1999|isbn=978-0-7603-0827-1|pages=17–110}}</ref>{{rp|54}}

=== A300B2 ===
[[File:Airbus A300B2-320, Scandinavian Airlines - SAS AN0780947.jpg|thumb|The A300B2 was {{cvt|53.6|m}} long, {{cvt|2.6|m|ft}} longer than the A300B1]]

==== A300B2-100 ====
Responding to a need for more seats from [[Air France]], Airbus decided that the first production variant should be larger than the original prototype A300B1. The CF6-50A powered A300B2-100 was {{cvt|2.6|m|ft}} longer than the A300B1 and had an increased MTOW of {{cvt|137|t|lb}}, allowing for 30 additional seats and bringing the typical passenger count up to 281, with capacity for 20 [[LD3]] containers.<ref name="tcdsv3">{{cite web|title= Type certificate data sheet A.172 for Airbus A300, A310 and A300-600 |issue=4 |url= https://www.easa.europa.eu/downloads/17110/en |date= 8 April 2022 |publisher= EASA}}</ref>{{rp|10}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simpson|first=Rod|title=Airlife's Commercial Aircraft and Airliners|publisher=Airlife|year=1999|isbn=978-1-84037-073-7|pages=28}}</ref><ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|17}} Two prototypes were built and the variant made its maiden flight on 28 June 1973, became certified on 15 March 1974 and entered service with Air France on 23 May 1974.<ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|27, 53}}<ref name="tcdsv3" />{{rp|10}}

==== A300B2-200 ====
For the A300B2-200, originally designated as the A300B2K, [[Krueger flaps]] were introduced at the leading-edge root, the [[Leading-edge slat|slat]] angles were reduced from 20 degrees to 16 degrees, and other lift related changes were made in order to introduce a high-lift system. This was done to improve performance when operating at high-altitude airports, where the air is less dense and lift generation is reduced.<ref name="Gunston">{{Cite book|last=Gunston|first=Bill|title=Airbus: The Complete Story|publisher=Haynes Publishing UK|year=2010|isbn=978-1-84425-585-6|pages=38–74}}</ref>{{rp|52, 53}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hot and High Operations|url=https://skybrary.aero/articles/hot-and-high-operations|access-date=10 April 2022|website=SKYbrary Aviation Safety|date=25 May 2021 |language=en}}</ref> The variant had an increased MTOW of {{cvt|142|t|lb}} and was powered by CF6-50C engines, was certified on 23 June 1976, and entered service with [[South African Airways]] in November 1976.<ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|40}}<ref name="tcdsv3" />{{rp|12}} CF6-50C1 and CF6-50C2 models were also later fitted depending on customer requirements, these became certified on 22 February 1978 and 21 February 1980 respectively.<ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|41}}<ref name="tcdsv3" />{{rp|12}}

==== A300B2-320 ====
The A300B2-320 introduced the [[Pratt & Whitney JT9D]] powerplant and was powered by JT9D-59A engines. It retained the {{cvt|142|t|lb}} MTOW of the B2-200, was certified on 4 January 1980, and entered service with [[Scandinavian Airlines]] on 18 February 1980, with only four being produced.<ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|99, 112}}<ref name="tcdsv3" />{{rp|14}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Variant
! Produced{{ref label|B2_produced|A|A}}
|-
| B2-100
| 32
|-
| B2-200
| 25
|-
| B2-320
| 4
|-
! colspan=2|Source:<ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|110}}
|}
{|
|{{note label|B2_produced|A|A}} Production figures are listed up to 1 January 1999.<ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|110}}
|-
|}

=== A300B4 ===
[[File:Continental Airlines Airbus A300 Durand.jpg|thumb|The A300B4-100 first took flight on 26 December 1974, kept the B2 length but featured a higher fuel capacity]]

==== A300B4-100 ====
The initial A300B4 variant, later named the A300B4-100, included a centre fuel tank for an increased fuel capacity of {{convert|47.5|t|lb}}, and had an increased MTOW of {{convert|157.5|t|lb|}}.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Sweetman|first=Bill|title=Airbus Industrie spreads its wings|magazine=[[Flight International]]|date=4 September 1975|volume=108|issue=3469|pages=326|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1975/1975%20-%201721.html}}</ref><ref name="Gunston" />{{rp|38}} It also featured Krueger flaps and had a similar high-lift system to what was later fitted to the A300B2-200.<ref name="Gunston" />{{rp|74}} The variant made its maiden flight on 26 December 1974, was certified on 26 March 1975, and entered service with [[Bavaria Germanair]] in December 1975.<ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|32, 54}}<ref name="tcdsv3" />{{rp|16}}

==== A300B4-200 ====
The A300B4-200 had an increased MTOW of {{convert|165|t|lb}} and featured an additional optional fuel tank in the rear cargo hold, which would reduce the cargo capacity by two LD3 containers.<ref name="tcdsv3" />{{rp|19}}<ref name="Gunston" />{{rp|69}} The variant was certified on 26 April 1979.<ref name="tcdsv3" />{{rp|19}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Variant
! Produced{{ref label|B4_produced|A|A}}
|-
| B4-100
| 47
|-
| B4-200
| 136
|-
! colspan=|Source:<ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|110}}
|}
{|
|{{note label|B4_produced|A|A}} Production figures are listed up to 1 January 1999.<ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|110}}
|-
|}

===== A300B4-200FFCC =====
It is the A300B4-200 without the flight engineer but analog flight instruments. Introduced by Garuda Indonesian Airways in 1982

=== A300-600 ===
[[File:Saudi Arabian Airlines Airbus A300 Karakas.jpg|thumb|With small [[wingtip fences]], the A300-600 entered service in June 1984 with [[Saudi Arabian Airlines]]]]
[[File:Airbus A300B4-605R, American Airlines JP5950383.jpg|thumb|left|N14053 is the first Airbus A300-600R produced. This aircraft would later crash in 2001 as [[American Airlines Flight 587]]]]

[[File:Airbus A310-304-MRTT, Germany - Air Force AN1733919.jpg|thumb|The A300-600 shared the EFIS two-crew cockpit with the A310 (pictured below)]]

The A300-600, officially designated as the A300B4-600, was slightly longer than the A300B2 and A300B4 variants and had an increased interior space from using a similar rear fuselage to the [[Airbus A310]]; this allowed it to have two additional rows of seats.<ref name="Gunston" />{{rp|79}} It was initially powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4H1 engines, but was later fitted with General Electric CF6-80C2 engines, with Pratt & Whitney PW4156 or PW4158 engines being introduced in 1986.<ref name="Gunston" />{{rp|82}} Other changes include an improved wing featuring a recambered trailing edge, the incorporation of simpler single-slotted Fowler [[Flap (aeronautics)|flaps]], the deletion of slat fences, and the removal of the outboard [[ailerons]] after they were deemed unnecessary on the A310.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1987/1987%20-%202008.html|publisher=Flight International|title=Commercial Aircraft of the World|access-date=29 December 2015}}</ref> The variant made its first flight on 8 July 1983, was certified on 9 March 1984, and entered service in June 1984 with [[Saudi Arabian Airlines]].<ref name="tcdsv3" />{{rp|42}}<ref name="Endres99" />{{rp|58}} A total of 313 A300-600s (all versions) have been sold. The A300-600 uses the A310 cockpits, featuring digital technology and electronic displays, eliminating the need for a flight engineer. The FAA issues a single type rating which allows operation of both the A310 and A300-600.
* A300-600: (Official designation: A300B4-600) The baseline model of the −600 series.
* A300-620C: (Official designation: A300C4-620) A convertible-freighter version. 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. First delivery in 1988 to American Airlines; all A300s built since 1989 (freighters included) are −600Rs. 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. Two were delivered in 1999.
* A300-600RF: (Official designation: A300F4-600R) The freighter version of the −600R. All A300s delivered between November 2002 and 12 July 2007 (last ever A300 delivery) were A300-600RFs.

=== A300B10 (A310) ===
[[File:Airbus A310-221, Swissair JP5963897.jpg|thumb|The longer-range [[Airbus A310]], {{cvt|7|m}} shorter, was introduced by [[Swissair]] in April 1983]]
{{Main|Airbus A310}}

<!--development-->
Airbus had demand for an aircraft smaller than the A300.
On 7 July 1978, the A310 (initially the A300B10) was launched with orders from [[Swissair]] and Lufthansa.
On 3 April 1982, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight and it received its type certification on 11 March 1983.

<!--design-->
Keeping the same eight-abreast cross-section, the A310 is {{cvt|6.95|m}} shorter than the initial A300 variants, and has a smaller {{cvt|219|m2}} wing, down from {{cvt|260|m2}}. The A310 introduced a two-crew glass cockpit, later adopted for the A300-600 with a common [[type rating]]. It was powered by the same GE CF6-80 or Pratt & Whitney JT9D then PW4000 turbofans. It can seat 220 passengers in two classes, or 240 in all-economy, and can fly up to {{cvt|5150|nmi}}.
It has [[overwing exit]]s between the two main front and rear door pairs.

<!--operational history-->
In April 1983, the aircraft entered revenue service with Swissair and competed with the [[Boeing 767#767-200|Boeing 767–200]], introduced six months before.
Its longer range and ETOPS regulations allowed it to be operated on [[transatlantic flight]]s. Until the last delivery in June 1998, 255 aircraft were produced, as it was succeeded by the larger Airbus A330-200.
<!--variants-->
It has [[cargo aircraft]] versions, and was derived into the [[Airbus A310 MRTT]] military tanker/transport.

=== A300-600ST ===
[[File:AirExpo 2014 - Beluga 02 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Airbus Beluga]] is based on the A300 with an oversized cargo hold on top]]

{{Main|Airbus Beluga}}
Commonly referred to as the Airbus Beluga or "Airbus Super Transporter", these five airframes are used by Airbus to ferry parts between the company's disparate manufacturing facilities, thus enabling workshare distribution. They replaced the four [[Aero Spacelines Super Guppy]]s previously used by Airbus.

[[List of ICAO aircraft type designators|ICAO code]]: A3ST

== Operators ==
{{Main|List of Airbus A300 operators}}
{{As of|2025|4}}, there are 209 A300 family aircraft in commercial service.
The five largest operators are [[FedEx Express]] (63), [[UPS Airlines]] (52), [[European Air Transport Leipzig]] (25), [[Iran Air]] (8), and [[Mahan Air]] (8).<ref name="AirbusOrd&Del">{{cite web |date=30 April 2025 |title=Orders & Deliveries |url=https://www.airbus.com/en/products-services/commercial-aircraft/market/orders-and-deliveries |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210065631/https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/market/orders-deliveries.html |archive-date=10 February 2019 |access-date=31 May 2025 |work=[[Airbus]]}}</ref>

=== Deliveries ===
{{See also|List of Airbus A300 operators}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:96%"
|-
! !!Total!!2007!!2006!!2005!!2004!!2003!!2002!!2001!!2000!!1999!!1998!!1997!!1996!!1995!!1994!!1993!!1992!!1991
|-
!Deliveries
|561||6||9||9||12||8||9||11||8||8||13||6||14||17||23||22||22||25
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:96%"
|-
! !!1990!!1989!!1988!!1987!!1986!!1985!!1984!!1983!!1982!!1981!!1980!!1979!!1978!!1977!!1976!!1975!!1974
|-
!Deliveries
|19||24||17||11||10||16||19||19||46||38||39||26||15||15||13||8||4
|}
<small>''Data through end of December 2007.''</small><ref name="Airbus_Deliveries">{{cite web |url=http://www.airbus.com/store/mm_repository/pdf/att00011494/media_object_file_Historical_OD_74_07.xls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221090847/http://www.airbus.com/store/mm_repository/pdf/att00011494/media_object_file_Historical_OD_74_07.xls |archive-date=21 December 2008 |title = Airbus – Historical Orders and Deliveries |work=[[Airbus]] S.A.S. |date=January 2008 |format=Microsoft Excel |access-date=10 December 2012}}</ref>

== Accidents and incidents ==
As of June 2021, the A300 has been involved in 77 occurrences including 24 hull-loss accidents causing 1133 fatalities, and {{#expr:6+30}} criminal occurrences and hijackings causing {{#expr:290+12}} fatalities.<ref name="asna300">{{cite web |title= Airbus A300 Statistics |url= https://aviation-safety.net/database/types/Airbus-A300/index |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date= 25 June 2021}}</ref>

=== Accidents with fatalities ===
[[File:American Airlines Flight 587 vertical stabilizer.png|thumb|American Airlines Flight 587 vertical stabilizer
]]
[[File:Nose and forward section of UPS 1354.jpg|thumb|Nose and forward section of UPS 1354 which crashed in August 2013]]

* 21 September 1987: At Luxor Airport, Egypt, an [[Egyptair]] Airbus A300B4-203, registration SU-BCA, touched down {{cvt|700|m}} past the runway threshold during a training flight. The right main gear hit the runway lights and the aircraft collided with an antenna and fences. No passengers were on board the plane, but 5 crew members were killed. The aircraft was written off. This was the first fatal accident of an Airbus A300.<ref>{{cite web |title=Accident description |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19870921-0 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |date=21 September 1987 |access-date=10 December 2013}}</ref>
* 28 September 1992: An A300B4-203, registration AP-BCP, operating [[PIA Flight 268]] crashed during approach, 18km S. of [[Kathmandu]]-Tribhuvan Airport, Nepal. All 12 crew members and all 155 passengers died.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/the-airbus-a300-1.279241 | work=CBC News | title=The Airbus A300 | date=12 November 2001}}</ref>
* 26 April 1994: [[China Airlines Flight 140]], an Airbus A300B4-622R, registration B-1816, crashed upon losing control during an attempted go-around at [[Nagoya]]-Komaki Airport, Japan, killing all 15 crew and 249 of 256 passengers on board.
* 26 September 1997: An Airbus A300B4-220, registration PK-GAI, operating [[Garuda Indonesia Flight 152]] collided with hilly terrain on approach to [[Medan]]-[[Polonia International Airport]], as the consequence of an air-traffic control error and limited ground visibility due to the [[1997 Southeast Asian haze]]. All 234 persons aboard were killed in Indonesia's deadliest crash to-date.
* 16 February 1998: [[China Airlines Flight 676]] an Airbus A300B4-622R, registration B-1814, stalled and impacted a residential area of [[Taipei]] during an attempted go around at Taipei-Chiang Kai Shek Airport, Taiwan. All 196 people on board were killed, including Taiwan's central bank president. Six people on the ground were also killed.
* 2 February 2000: While being towed to a hangar at Tehran-Mehrabad Airport, an [[Iran Air]] Airbus A300B2-203 (EP-IBR) was [[2000 Tehran airport collision|impacted]] by an Iranian Air Force [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules]] transport plane that had lost directional control and veered off the runway while attempting to take off. All 8 of the Hercules' occupants were killed and both aircraft were destroyed by fire.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Other Airbus A300B2-203 EP-IBR, Wednesday 2 February 2000 |url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/asndb/323575 |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=asn.flightsafety.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Loss of control Accident Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Wednesday 2 February 2000 |url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/asndb/323574 |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=asn.flightsafety.org}}</ref>
* 12 November 2001: An Airbus 300B4-605R, registration N14053, operating [[American Airlines Flight 587]] crashed into [[Belle Harbor]], a neighbourhood in [[Queens]], New York, USA, shortly after takeoff from [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]]. The vertical stabiliser separated from the aircraft after the rudder was mishandled while encountering wake turbulence created by the Boeing 747 that had immediately preceded 587's own departure.  All 260 of the plane's occupants and 5 persons on the ground were killed. It is the second-deadliest accident involving an A300 to date and the second-deadliest aircraft incident in the United States.
* 14 April 2010: [[AeroUnion Flight 302]], an A300B4-203F, crashed on a road {{cvt|2|km}} short of the runway while attempting to land at [[Monterrey Airport]] in Mexico. Six people (five crew members and one on the ground) were killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20100413-1|title=ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A300B4-203F XA-TUE Monterrey-General Mariano Escobedo International Airport (MTY)|author=Harro Ranter|date=13 April 2010|work=aviation-safety.net|access-date=1 April 2015}}</ref>
* 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|Birmingham]], Alabama, United States. Both crew members died.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/2014_UPS1354_BMG.aspx|title=Board Meeting: UPS Flight 1354|date=9 September 2014|website=[[National Transportation Safety Board]]}}</ref>

=== Non-fatal hull losses ===
* 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. All 247 people aboard escaped unharmed but the aircraft was destroyed in the resulting fire.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.airdisaster.com/photos/mh684/photo.shtml |access-date=8 March 2013 |title=Flight MH684 crash |date=18 December 1983 |work=AirDisasters |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428050604/http://www.airdisaster.com/photos/mh684/photo.shtml |archive-date=28 April 2013 }}</ref>
* 24 April 1993: an [[Air Inter]] Airbus A300B2-1C was written off after colliding with a light pole while being pushed back at [[Fréjorgues Airport|Montpellier]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19930424-0 | title=Airbus A300B2-1C F-BUAE Montpellier-Frejorgues Airport (MPL) | publisher=Aviation Safety Network | access-date=25 March 2014}}</ref>
* 15 November 1993, an Indian Airlines Airbus A300, registered as VT-EDV, crash landed near Hyderabad Airport. There were no deaths but the aircraft was written off.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Accident Airbus A300B2-101 VT-EDV, Monday 15 November 1993 |url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/325126 |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=asn.flightsafety.org}}</ref>
* 10 August 1994 – [[Korean Air Flight 2033]] (Airbus A300) from Seoul to Jeju, the flight approached faster than usual to avoid potential windshear. Fifty feet above the runway the co-pilot, who was not flying the aircraft, decided that there was insufficient runway left to land and tried to perform a go-around against the captain's wishes. The aircraft touched down 1,773 meters beyond the runway threshold. The aircraft could not be stopped on the remaining 1,227 meters of runway and overran at a speed of 104 knots. After striking the airport wall and a guard post at 30 knots, the aircraft burst into flames and was incinerated. The cabin crew was credited with safely evacuating all passengers although only half of the aircraft's emergency exits were usable.
* 17 October 2001: Pakistan International Airlines flight PK231, registration AP-BCJ, from [[Islamabad International Airport|Islamabad]] via [[Bacha Khan International Airport|Peshawar]] to [[Dubai International Airport|Dubai]] veered off the side of the runway after the right hand main landing gear collapsed as it touched down. The aircraft skidded and eventually came to rest in sand 50 meters from the runway. The aircraft sustained damage to its right wing structure and its no. 2 engine, which partly broke off the wing. All 205 passengers and crew survived.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20011017-0| title=Aviation Safety Network Report PIA Flight PK231| publisher=Aviation-Safety-Network| date=17 October 2001|access-date=18 February 2024}}</ref>
*  1 March 2004: Pakistan International Airlines Flight 2002 burst 2 tyres whilst taking off from [[King Abdulaziz International Airport]]. Fragments of the tyre were ingested by the engines, this caused the engines to catch fire and an aborted takeoff was performed. Due to the fire substantial damage to the engine and the left wing caused the aircraft to be written off. All 261 passengers and 12 crew survived.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20040301-0 |title=PIA Flight 2002 accident |publisher=Aviation-safety.net |access-date=16 March 2010}}</ref>
* 16 November 2012: an [[Air Contractors]] Airbus A300B4-203(F) EI-EAC, operating flight QY6321 on behalf of [[EAT Leipzig]] from Leipzig (Germany) to Bratislava (Slovakia), suffered a nose wheel collapse during roll out after landing at Bratislava's [[M. R. Štefánik Airport]]. All three crew members survived unharmed, the aircraft was written off. As of December 2017, the aircraft still was parked at a remote area of the airport between runways 13 and 22.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bratislava.sme.sk/c/6605397/v-bratislave-havarovalo-nakladne-lietadlo.html|title=V Bratislave havarovalo nákladné lietadlo, zlyhal mu podvozok – Bratislava – bratislava.sme.sk|author=SME – Petit Press, a.s.|work=sme.sk|access-date=1 April 2015}}</ref>
* 12 October 2015: An Airbus A300B4-200F Freighter operated by Egyptian [[Tristar Air|Tristar]] cargo carrier crashed in Mogadishu, Somalia. All the passengers and crew members survived the crash.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aviationanalysis.net/2015/10/tristar-a300-cargo-plane-crashed-in-mogadishu.html|title=Tristar A300 cargo plane crashed in Mogadishu – Aviation Analysis Wing|work=aviationanalysis.net}}</ref>
* 1 October 2016: An Airbus A300-B4 registration PR-STN on a cargo flight between São Paulo-Guarulhos and Recife suffered a runway excursion after landing and the aft gear collapsed upon touchdown.

=== Violent incidents ===
* 27 June 1976: [[Operation Entebbe|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. The flight was hijacked by terrorists, and was eventually flown to [[Entebbe Airport]] in Uganda.  At the airport, Israeli commandos rescued 102 of the 106 hostages.
* 3 February 1984:  [[Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul Flight 302]], an Airbus A300B4-203, was hijacked while flying from [[São Luís, Maranhão|São Luís]] to [[Belém]] and was forced to divert to [[Cuba]]. There were no fatalities among the 176 passengers and crew.
* 26 October 1986: [[Thai Airways Flight 620]], an Airbus A300B4-601, originating in Bangkok suffered an explosion mid-flight. The aircraft descended rapidly and was able to land safely at Osaka. The aircraft was later repaired and there were no fatalities. The cause was a hand grenade brought onto the plane by a Japanese gangster of the [[Yamaguchi-gumi]]. 109 of the 247 people on board were injured.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/asndb/326903|title=Unlawful Interference Airbus A300B4-601 HS-TAE, Sunday 26 October 1986|first=Harro|last=Ranter|website=asn.flightsafety.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Snyder |first=Janet |date=29 October 1986 |title=Police check gangster grenade blast theory |url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/10/29/Police-check-gangster-grenade-blast-theory/6790530946000/ |work=[[UPI]] |access-date=8 July 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Gangster's grenade causes jet scare |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/10/16/national/history/men-marrying-later-the-new-diet-building-opens-grenade-causes-plane-scare/ |work=[[The Japan Times]]|date=30 October 1986 |access-date=8 July 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Police say grenade caused Airbus blast |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/html/cd/1986/198610/19861031/19861031001_9.html |work=[[China Daily]] |date=31 October 1986 |access-date= 8 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Haberman |first=Clyde |date=4 November 1986 |title= Thai Plane Incident Prompts a New Look at Japan Gangs|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/04/world/thai-plane-incident-prompts-a-new-look-at-japan-gangs.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=8 July 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Yakuza Branches Out |url=http://www.joc.com/maritime-news/yakuza-branches-out_19861102.html |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=2 November 1986 |access-date=8 July 2017 |archive-date=28 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028051119/https://www.joc.com/maritime-news/yakuza-branches-out_19861102.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=June 2021}}
*  3 July 1988: [[Iran Air Flight 655]] was shot down by [[USS Vincennes (CG-49)|USS ''Vincennes'']] in the [[Persian Gulf]] after being mistaken for an attacking Iranian [[F-14 Tomcat]], killing all 290 passengers and crew.<ref name="iranair">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/flight801/stories/july88crash.htm|access-date=3 August 2006|title=Navy Missile Downs Iranian Jetliner|date=4 July 1988|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>
* 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 of the Gulf War|coalition]] bombing of [[Mosul Airport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19910215-2 | title=Airbus A300C4-620 9K-AHG Mosul Airport (MOS) | publisher=Aviation Safety Network | access-date=25 March 2014}}</ref>
* 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]]. The terrorists apparently intended to crash the plane over the [[Eiffel Tower]] on [[Boxing Day]]. After a failed attempt to leave [[Marseille]] following a confrontational firefight between the terrorists and the [[GIGN]] French Special Forces, the result was the death of all four terrorists. (Snipers on the terminal front's roof shot dead two of the terrorists. The other two terrorists died as a result of gunshots in the cabin after approximately 20 minutes.) Three hostages including a Vietnamese diplomat were executed in [[Algiers]], 229 hostages survived, many of them wounded by shrapnel. The almost 15-year-old aircraft was written off.
* 24 December 1999: [[Indian Airlines Flight IC 814]] from [[Kathmandu]], Nepal, to New Delhi was hijacked. After refuelling and offloading a few passengers, the flight was diverted to [[Kandahar]], Afghanistan. A Nepalese man was murdered while the plane was in flight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/neighbours/story/20000117-xyz-761801-2012-07-20|title = Why didn't the hijack drama end in Dubai| date=20 July 2012 }}</ref>
* 22 November 2003: [[2003 Baghdad DHL attempted shootdown incident|European Air Transport OO-DLL]], operating on behalf of [[DHL Aviation]], was hit by an [[SA-14 Gremlin|SA-14 'Gremlin']] missile after takeoff from [[Baghdad International Airport]]. The aeroplane lost hydraulic pressure and thus the controls. After extending the landing gear to create more drag, the crew piloted the plane using differences in engine thrust and landed the plane with minimal further damage. The plane was repaired and offered for sale, but in April 2011 it still remained parked at Baghdad Intl.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20031122-0|title=ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A300B4-203F OO-DLL Baghdad International Airport (SDA)|author=Harro Ranter|date=22 November 2003|work=aviation-safety.net|access-date=1 April 2015}}</ref>
* 25 August 2011: an A300B4-620 5A-IAY of [[Afriqiyah Airways]] and A300B4-622 5A-DLZ of [[Libyan Arab Airlines]] were both [[2011 Battle of Tripoli|destroyed in fighting]] between pro- and anti-Gaddafi forces at [[Tripoli International Airport]].<ref name=ASN250811a>{{cite web |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20110825-0 |title=5A-IAY Hull-loss description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=27 August 2011}}</ref><ref name=ASN250811b>{{cite web |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20110825-1 |title=5A-DLZ Criminal occurrence description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=27 August 2011}}</ref>

== Aircraft on display ==
{{Multiple issues|{{More citations needed|section|date=February 2024}}
{{One source|section|date=February 2024}}|section=yes}}
[[File:AIRBUS A 300 B (16428835251).jpg|thumb|Airbus A300B4 repainted in first A300B1 prototype colours, including original F-WUAB registration.]]
Fifteen A300s are currently preserved:
*F-BUAD Airbus [[Reduced gravity aircraft|A300 ZERO-G]], since August 2015 preserved at [[Cologne Bonn Airport]], Germany.
*F-WUAB The [[F-WUAB|first prototype]] of the Airbus A300 is Partially preserved with a fuselage section, the right-hand wing, and an engine on display at the [[Deutsches Museum]]
*ex-HL7219 [[Korean Air]] Airbus A300B4 preserved at Korean Air Jeongseok Airfield.
*ex-N11984 [[Continental Airlines]] Airbus A300B4 preserved in [[South Korea]] as a Night Flight Restaurant.
*ex TC-ACD and TC-ACE [[Air ACT]], preserved as coffee house at Uçak Cafe in [[Burhaniye]], Turkey.
*ex TC-MNJ [[MNG Airlines]], preserved as Köfte Airlines restaurant at [[Tekirdağ]], Turkey.
*ex TC-FLA [[Fly Air]], preserved as the Airbus Cafe & Restaurant at [[Kayseri]], Turkey.
*ex TC-ACC [[Air ACT]], preserved as the Uçak Kütüphane library and education centre at [[Çankırı]], Turkey.
*ex EP-MHA [[Mahan Air]], preserved as instructional airframe at the Botia Mahan Aviation College at [[Kerman]], Iran.
*ex TC-FLM [[Fly Air]], preserved as a restaurant at [[Istanbul]], Turkey.
*ex B-18585 [[China Airlines]], preserved as the Flight of Happiness restaurant at [[Taoyuan, Taiwan|Taoyuan]], Taiwan.
*ex-PK-JID [[Sempati Air]] Airbus A300B4 repainted in first A300B1 prototype colours, including original F-WUAB registration, became an exhibit in 2014 at the [[Aeroscopia]] museum in [[Blagnac]], near [[Toulouse]], [[France]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Musée Aeroscopia |url=http://www.aeroscopia-blagnac.fr/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224193543/http://www.aeroscopia-blagnac.fr/ |archive-date=24 December 2014 |access-date=1 April 2015 |work=aeroscopia-blagnac.fr}}</ref>
*ex TC-MCE [[MNG Airlines]], preserved as a restaurant at the Danialand theme park at [[Agadir]], Morocco.
*ex HL7240 [[Korean Air]], preserved as instructional airframe (gate guard) at the [[Korea Aerospace University]] at [[Goyang]], South Korea.
*ex HS-TAM [[Thai Airways]] A300-600R, preserved in a field near Doi Saket, Chiang Mai.

== Specifications ==
[[File:Airbus A300B6 v1.0.png|alt=Airbus A300B6|thumb]]
{{sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style="text-align: center"
!Model
!A300B4-200<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A300-Dec-2009.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A300-Dec-2009.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |title= A300 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |publisher= Airbus |date= 1 December 2009 }}</ref>
!A300-600R<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A300-600-Dec-2009.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A300-600-Dec-2009.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |title= A300-600 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |publisher= Airbus |date= 1 December 2009}}</ref>
!A300-600F<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A300F4-600-Dec-2009.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A300F4-600-Dec-2009.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |title= A300F4-600 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |publisher= Airbus |date= 1 December 2009}}</ref>
|-
! [[Cockpit]] crew
| Three
| colspan=2 | Two
|-
! Main deck
| 281/309Y @ 34/31 in)<br />max 345
| 247 (46F + 201Y)/285Y @ 34 in<br />max 345 (3-3-3 Y)
| 540&nbsp;m<sup>3</sup>, 43 AYY [[Unit load device|ULD]]<br />9 AMJ/LD7 + 16 AYY
|-
! Lower deck
| 20 LD3 + bulk
| colspan=2 | 22 LD3 + bulk / 158&nbsp;m<sup>3</sup>
|-
! Length
| {{cvt|53.61|m}}
| colspan=2 | {{cvt|54.08|m}}
|-
! Height
| {{cvt|16.72|m}}
| colspan=2 | {{cvt|16.66|m}}
|-
! [[Wing]]
| colspan=3 |{{cvt|44.84|m|}} span, {{cvt|260|m2}} area<ref name=elsevier>{{cite web |url= http://booksite.elsevier.com/9780340741528/appendices/data-a/table-1/table.htm |title= Airbus Aircraft Data File |publisher= Elsevier |work= Civil Jet Aircraft Design |date= July 1999}}</ref> {{#expr:44.84^2/260round1}} [[wing aspect ratio|aspect ratio]]
|-
! Width
| colspan=3 | {{cvt|5.287|m}} cabin, {{cvt|5.64|m}} [[Fuselage]], usually 2-4-2Y
|-
! Pressurized volume
| 542&nbsp;m<sup>3</sup> (19,140&nbsp;cu&nbsp;ft)
| 860&nbsp;m<sup>3</sup> (30,370&nbsp;cu&nbsp;ft)
|
|-
! [[MTOW]]
| {{cvt|165000|kg|0}}
| {{cvt|171700|kg|0}}
| {{cvt|170500|kg|0}}
|-
! Max payload
| {{cvt|37495|kg|0}}
| {{cvt|41374|kg|0}}
| {{cvt|48293|kg|0}}
|-
! [[Fuel tank|Fuel capacity]]
| {{cvt|48470|kg|0}}
| colspan=2 | {{cvt|53505|kg|0}}
|-
! [[OEW]]
| {{cvt|88505|kg|0}}
| {{cvt|88626|kg|0}}
| {{cvt|81707|kg|0}}
|-
! [[Jet engine|Engines]]
| [[GE CF6]]-50C2 or<br />[[Pratt & Whitney JT9D|PW JT9D]]-59A
| colspan=2 | GE CF6-80C2 or<br />[[Pratt & Whitney PW4000|PW4158]]
|-
! Takeoff [[thrust]]
| {{cvt|230|kN}}<ref name="tcdsv3" />
| colspan=2 | {{cvt|249|-|270|kN}}<ref name=600specs />
|-
! Takeoff (MTOW, SL, ISA)
| {{cvt|2300|m}}
| colspan=2 | {{cvt|2400|m}}
|-
! [[Speed]]
| colspan=3 | {{convert|0.78|Mach|altitude_ft=35,000|kn km/h mph|0}} at {{cvt|35000|ft|km}}<br />[[V speeds#Mach numbers|M<sub>MO</sub>]]: Mach 0.82<ref name=600specs />
|-
! Range
| 5,375&nbsp;km (2,900&nbsp;nmi; {{cvt|5,375|km|mi|disp=output only}})
| colspan=2 | 7,500&nbsp;km (4,050&nbsp;nmi; {{cvt|7,500|km|mi|disp=output only}})<ref name=600specs>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/previous-generation-aircraft/a300-600.html |title= A300-600 / Dimensions & key data |date= 16 June 2021 |publisher= Airbus }}</ref>
|}

=== Aircraft model designations ===
{{sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Type Certificate Data Sheet<ref name=TCDS>{{cite web |url= https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/EASA_TCDS_EASA.A.172_Issue3.pdf |title= Type Certificate Data Sheet |publisher= EASA |date= 21 September 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181129183829/https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/EASA_TCDS_EASA.A.172_Issue3.pdf |archive-date= 29 November 2018 }}</ref>
! Model !! Certification Date !! Engines
|-
| rowspan="2" | A300B1 || rowspan="2" | 12 November 1974 || [[GE CF6]]-50A
|-
| GE CF6-50C
|-
| A300B2-1A || 15 March 1974 || GE CF6-50A
|-
| rowspan="2" | A300B2-1C || rowspan="2" | 2 October 1974 || GE CF6-50C
|-
| GE CF6-50C2R
|-
| rowspan="2" | A300B2K-3C || rowspan="2" | 23 June 1976 || GE CF6-50C
|-
| GE CF6-50C2R
|-
| A300B2-202 || 22 February 1978 || GE CF6-50C1
|-
| rowspan="2" | A300B2-203 || rowspan="2" | 21 February 1980 || GE CF6-50C2
|-
| GE CF6-50C2D
|-
| A300B2-320 || 4 January 1980 || PW [[JT9D]]-59A
|-
| rowspan="2" | A300B4-2C || rowspan="2" | 26 March 1975 || GE CF6-50C
|-
| GE CF6-50C2R
|-
| A300B2-102 || 7 December 1977 || GE CF6-50C1
|-
| rowspan="2" | A300B4-103 || rowspan="2" | 21 March 1979 || GE CF6-50C2
|-
| GE CF6-50C2D
|-
| A300B4-120 || 4 February 1981 || PW JT9D-59A
|-
| rowspan="2" | A300B4-203 || rowspan="2" | 26 April 1979 || GE CF6-50C2
|-
| GE CF6-50C2D
|-
| A300B4-220 || 8 January 1982 || PW JT9D-59A
|-
| A300C4-203 || 18 December 1979 || GE CF6-50C2
|-
| A300C4-203 || 6 June 1986 || GE CF6-50C2
|-
| A300B4-601 || 17 September 1985 || GE CF6-80C2A1
|-
| A300B4-603 || 27 January 1987 || GE CF6-80C2A3
|-
| A300B4-620 || 9 March 1984 || PW JT9D-7R4H1
|-
| A300B4-622 || 6 March 1989 || [[Pratt & Whitney PW4000|PW4158]]
|-
| A300C4-620 || 17 May 1984 || PW JT9D-7R4H1
|-
| rowspan="3" | A300B4-605R || rowspan="3" | 10 March 1988 || GE CF6-80C2A3
|-
| GE CF6-80C2A5
|-
| GE CF6-80C2A5F
|-
| A300B4-622R || 25 November 1988 || PW4158
|-
| A300C4-605R || 2 July 1999 || GE CF6-80C2A5
|-
| rowspan="2" | A300F4-605R || rowspan="2" | 19 April 1994 || GE CF6-80C2A5
|-
| GE CF6-80C2A5F
|-
| A300F4-622R || 20 June 2000 || PW4158
|}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Aviation|European Union}}
{{aircontent
|see also=
* [[Competition between Airbus and Boeing]]
*[[F-WUAB (Airbus A300B1)]]
|related=
* [[Airbus A310]]
* [[Airbus A330]]
* [[Airbus A340]]
* [[Airbus Beluga]] – modified A300-600
|similar aircraft=
* [[Boeing 767]]
* [[Ilyushin Il-86]]
* [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]]
* [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]]
|lists=
*[[List of jet airliners]]
}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
*{{cite book |last1=Chillon |first1=Jacques |last2=Dubois |first2=Jean-Pierre |last3=Wegg |first3=John |title=French Post-War Transport Aircraft |date=1980 |publisher=Air-Britain |location=Tonbridge, UK |isbn=0-85130-078-2|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{Cite book|last=Gunston|first=Bill|title=Airbus: The Complete Story|year=2009|location=Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset, UK | publisher=Haynes Publishing|isbn=978-1-84425-585-6}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Hofton|first=Andy|title=Commercial Aircraft of the World|magazine=Flight International|date=10 October 1987|volume= 132|issue= 4083|pages=36–79 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1987/1987%20-%202006.html}}

== External links ==
{{Commons and category|Airbus A300}}
* {{official website|https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/previous-generation-aircraft/a300-600.html}}
* {{cite magazine |url= https://www.facebook.com/avweek/photos/a.108353332199/10153001369672200/  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/16067432199/10153001369672200 |archive-date=25 February 2022 |url-access=limited|title= This Is The Start of Something Big |magazine= Aviation Week |date= 1968}}{{cbignore}}

{{Airbus A3xx timeline}}
{{Airbus aircraft}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Airbus A300| ]]
[[Category:Airbus aircraft|A300]]
[[Category:1970s international airliners]]
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[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1972]]
[[Category:Wide-body aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]