Airbus A330-300

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A333  Airbus · Airbus A330ceo

Airbus A330-300 at a glance

  • What it is: the Airbus A330-300 is a long-haul widebody built by Airbus, first flown in 1992.
  • On the radar: it shows up as type code A333. How to spot it overhead.
  • How far it flies: about 11,750 km without stopping, cruising near 871 km/h.
  • How many it carries: 277–440 passengers, depending on how the airline fits out the cabin.
  • Power: 2× GE CF6 / PW4000 / Trent 700, with a 60.3 m wingspan.
11,750 km
Range
871 km/h
Cruise speed
277–440+
Passengers
1992
First flight

The original A330 variant and one of the most successful widebodies ever, with over 700 built. Its economics made it the backbone of Asian regional widebody flying for carriers like Cathay Pacific, China Airlines and Turkish Airlines. Delta and Lufthansa still operate substantial fleets.

The story of the Airbus A330-300

Airbus launched the A330-300 in June 1987 alongside the four-engine A340. The two share a wing, a fuselage cross-section and a cockpit, and differ mainly in engine count. Sharing parts across two aircraft cut development cost for both. The A330 was aimed at busy regional routes and medium long-haul flying, where one big twin made better economic sense than four engines. Customers could then pick whichever version suited them.

It first flew on November 2, 1992. French domestic carrier Air Inter began service in January 1994, making it one of the largest aircraft ever used on scheduled domestic hops. Cockpit commonality with the A320 helped airlines adopt it quickly. The start was slow, but higher weights and extra range later turned it into one of the most successful widebodies ever built. Orders climbed steadily from the late 1990s.

Well over 700 were built. It became the backbone of Asian widebody flying at Cathay Pacific, China Airlines and Singapore Airlines, while Delta, Lufthansa and Turkish flew it across the Atlantic. Production ran for more than 25 years and outlasted the A340 by a decade. Passenger-to-freighter conversions are growing fast, and the airframe lives on as the A330-900neo. The type remains widely flown around the world today.

Design and engineering

Two GE CF6-80E1, Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines hang on a long, slender wing engineered to serve both the A330 and the four-engine A340. The wing carries a large fuel load for its era. Fly-by-wire controls and a sidestick cockpit follow A320 practice, so pilots move between Airbus types after a short course.

The 63.7-meter fuselage holds roughly 277 to 440 passengers, usually 2-4-2 in economy, which limits middle seats. Later 242-tonne versions added the range for true long-haul work. Cargo capacity below the floor is generous.

How to recognise the A333 in the wild

A long twin-engine widebody with gracefully upswept wingtip fences and a comparatively slim fuselage; it is longer than the A330-200 with a shorter tail fin, and unlike the A340 it has only two engines on the same basic wing. More tells in how to identify any aircraft overhead.

Variants and close relatives

VariantWhat sets it apart
A330-200The shortened, longer-range sibling introduced in 1998.
A330-300 242tA higher-weight version with more fuel and range, delivered from 2015.
A330-900neoThe re-engined, aerodynamically refined successor with Trent 7000 engines.

Major operators: Delta Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Lufthansa - Find them in the airline database and watch their A333s on the live map.

Facts about the Airbus A330-300

  • The A330 and four-engine A340 were developed together and share the same wing, fuselage and cockpit design.
  • Launch operator Air Inter used the big widebody on short domestic flights within France starting in 1994.
  • More than 700 A330-300s were delivered, making it one of the best-selling widebody aircraft in history.
  • The A330 outlived its four-engine A340 sibling in production by more than a decade.
ICAO type code
A333
Manufacturer
Airbus
Capacity
277–440 passengers
Range
11,750 km
Cruise speed
871 km/h
MTOW
242,000 kg
Engines
2× GE CF6 / PW4000 / Trent 700
Wingspan / length
60.3 m / 63.7 m

Aircraft related to the Airbus A330-300

Comparable types selected by family, manufacturer, capacity, range and generation.

A332 Airbus A330-200 Airbus · 246–290 passengers A346 Airbus A340-600 Airbus · 326–475 passengers A35K Airbus A350-1000 Airbus · 350–410 passengers A359 Airbus A350-900 Airbus · 300–350 passengers A339 Airbus A330-900neo Airbus · 260–300 passengers A388 Airbus A380-800 Airbus · 525–853 passengers

Tracked flights using the Airbus A330-300

These existing flight profiles list the Airbus A330-300 as typical equipment. Airlines can substitute another type on the day.

FlightRoute
KL643AMS → JFKTrack KL643 →
IB6025MAD → GRUTrack IB6025 →
SU208SVO → PEKTrack SU208 →
SU520SVO → DXBTrack SU520 →
AY121HEL → DELTrack AY121 →
CX520HKG → NRTTrack CX520 →
CZ600CAN → NRTTrack CZ600 →
CA125PEK → HKGTrack CA125 →

More aircraft and tracking guides for the Airbus A330-300

Spot one overhead using our aircraft identification guide. Telling this maker apart from its rival is easier than it looks, as Boeing versus Airbus shows. Long-haul jets like this cruise high and far, explained in narrowbody versus widebody.

Data sources and review

Reviewed 2026-07-29 by Flight-Tracker.net Editorial Team

Range, seating, speed and weight describe the aircraft type, not a specific airline configuration. Published figures vary by engine, weight option and cabin layout.

Read our aircraft specification sourcing and review process, or inspect the machine-readable reference dataset.

Airbus A330-300 frequently asked questions

What is the range of the Airbus A330-300?

The Airbus A330-300 has a published range of about 11,750 km, cruising at roughly 871 km/h. Real-world range depends on payload, winds and reserves.

How many passengers does the Airbus A330-300 carry?

A typical Airbus A330-300 seats 277–440 passengers, though the exact number depends on how the operating airline configures its cabin.

What is the ICAO type code for the Airbus A330-300?

The Airbus A330-300 uses the ICAO type designator A333. That is the code you will see when you click this aircraft type on a live flight-tracking map.

What engines does the Airbus A330-300 use?

The Airbus A330-300 is powered by 2× GE CF6 / PW4000 / Trent 700, with a maximum takeoff weight of about 242,000 kg and a wingspan of 60.3 m.

How do you identify an Airbus A330-300?

A long twin-engine widebody with gracefully upswept wingtip fences and a comparatively slim fuselage; it is longer than the A330-200 with a shorter tail fin, and unlike the A340 it has only two engines on the same basic wing.

Which airlines operate the Airbus A330-300?

Major operators in this reference profile include Delta Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Lufthansa. Fleets change as aircraft are delivered, stored, leased and retired, so confirm current fleets with the airline.

Which tracked flights use the Airbus A330-300?

Selected scheduled services in this tracker that typically use the Airbus A330-300 include KL643, IB6025, SU208, SU520, AY121. Equipment can change on the day, so the aircraft shown for each flight is a typical assignment, not a guarantee.

Is the Airbus A330-300 a narrowbody or a widebody?

The Airbus A330-300 is a widebody, meaning two aisles and a cabin built for long sectors. With 277–440 passengers seats and 11,750 km of range it is typically flown on intercontinental routes.