Airbus A330-200

Airbus launched the A330-200 in November 1995. It is a shortened A330-300 with a larger tail fin and more fuel, built to attack the Boeing 767-300ER. Removing fuselage frames cut weight, and the extra fuel pushed range to about 13,400 kilometers. That was enough to link most continents nonstop. Airbus had found a real gap in the market. Rivals had nothing quite so efficient in the class.

It first flew on August 13, 1997, and Canadian charter carrier Canada 3000 began service in 1998. The timing was good. Airlines wanted a mid-size twin for long, thin routes that a jumbo could not fill profitably. The A330-200 quickly outsold the four-engine A340, which shares its wing but burns more fuel on the same job. Orders arrived steadily from network carriers and charter operators alike.

Through the 2000s it became a staple at Emirates, Qantas, Air France and China Eastern on transatlantic, Middle East and Asia-Pacific routes. The same airframe became the A330 MRTT tanker and transport, chosen by more than a dozen air forces. Over 600 were delivered. Many still fly for airlines and governments, and a growing number are being rebuilt as A330-200P2F freighters. Few widebodies have enjoyed such a long second life.

The A330-200 pairs a shortened fuselage with the full 60.3-meter wing, which Airbus designed to be shared with the four-engine A340. Airlines could pick GE CF6-80E1, Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. The shorter body needs a taller vertical fin to keep enough control power.

The cockpit follows A320 fly-by-wire practice, where computers turn pilot inputs into control movements, so crews cross over from other Airbus types quickly. The twin-aisle cabin normally seats 246 to 290 in a 2-4-2 layout. Most travelers therefore sit within one seat of an aisle.