Airbus A310

Background (foreground) On 26 September 1967, the governments of France, West Germany and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding to commence the joint development of the 300-seat Airbus A300. The French and West Germans reached a firm agreement on 29 May 1969, after the British withdrew from the project on 10 April 1969. This collaborative effort between the two states resulted in the production of the consortium's first airliner, known as the Airbus A300. The A300 was a wide-body medium-to-long range passenger airliner; it holds the distinction of being the first twin-engine wide-body aircraft in the world. The design was relatively revolutionary for its time, and featured a number of industry firsts, making the first use of composite materials on a commercial aircraft; during 1977, the A300 became the first ETOPS-compliant aircraft, which was made possible due to its high performance and safety standards. The A300 would be produced in a range of models, and sold relatively well to airlines across the world, eventually reaching a total of 561 delivered aircraft during its production life. During the development of the earlier A300, a range of different aircraft size and capacity were studied by the consortium; the resulting Airbus A300B proposal was one of the smaller options. When the A300B1 prototypes emerged, a number of airlines issued requests for an aircraft with greater capacity, which resulted in the initial production A300B2 version. As the A300 entered service, it became increasingly apparent that there was also a sizeable market for a smaller aircraft; some operators did not have enough traffic to justify the relatively large A300, while others wanted more frequency or lower aircraft-distance costs at the expense of higher seat-distance cost (specifically Swissair and Lufthansa). At the same time, there was great pressure for Airbus to validate itself beyond the design and manufacture of a single airliner. In response to these desires, Airbus explored the options for producing a smaller derivative of the A300B2. Design effort In order to minimise the associated research and development costs for the tentative project, Airbus chose to examine several early design studies performed during the A300 programme. The company ultimately chose to prioritise its focus on one option, which became known as the A300B10MC (standing for Minimum Change). As envisioned, the airliner's capacity was reduced to a maximum of 220 passengers, which was viewed at the time as being a desired capacity amongst many airlines. However, such a design would have resulted in a relatively small fuselage being mated to a comparatively large wing and oversized undercarriage; such an arrangement would have, amongst other things, made the aircraft consume an unnecessarily larger amount of fuel as it carried heavier weight than what was otherwise required. During the development of the A300, British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley Aviation (HSA) had been appointed as the subcontractor to perform the manufacturing of the wing of the aircraft; shortly afterwards, the British government chose to withdraw from the newly formed venture during 1969. In 1977, HSA subsequently merged with three other British aircraft companies, resulting in the formation of British Aerospace (BAe). By this point in time, the British government had publicly indicated its intentions to rejoin the Airbus programme. In May 1976, the French government entered into a series of discussions on cooperation, during which its representatives stated that the placing of an order by British Airways (BA) was a condition for the re-admission of the United Kingdom into Airbus Industrie as a full partner. At the 1978 Farnborough Air Show, Eric Varley, the British Secretary of State for Industry, announced that BAe was to rejoin Airbus Industrie and participate as a full partner from 1 January 1979 onwards. Under the negotiated arrangement, BAe would be allocated a 20 per cent shareholding in Airbus Industrie, and would perform "a full part in the development and manufacturing of the A310". Initially, a pair of distinct versions of the A310 had been planned by Airbus; the regional A310-100, and the transcontinental A310-200. The A310-100 featured a range of with 200 passengers, whilst the A310-200 possessed a higher MTOW and centre section fuel, being able to carry the same load a further . Basic engines offered for the type included the General Electric CF6-45B2 and Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4. At one point, British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce was openly considering offering an engine for the A310, the Rolls-Royce RB.207, however, it ultimately chose to discard such efforts in favour of a smaller three-spool design, the RB.211. Entry into service The range of the A310 exceeds that of the A300 series, with the exception of the A300-600R, which in turn surpasses that of the A310-200. The greater range of the A310 contributed to the airliner being used extensively by operators on transatlantic routes. The A300 and A310 introduced the concept of commonality: A300-600 and A310 pilots can cross-qualify for the other aircraft with one day of training. Sales of the A310 continued through the early 1980s. On 3 April 1982, the prototype A310-200 airliner conducted its maiden flight; by this point, the type had accumulated a combined orders and options for 181 aircraft, which had been placed by fifteen airlines worldwide, which was a better start than the original A300. The launch customer of A310, Swissair, became the launch operator in April 1983. Over time, it had become clear that the longer-range series −200 aircraft was the more popular of the two models on offer. During 1979, in response to the lack of demand for the A310-100, Airbus decided to stop offering the lower gross weight model which had been originally proposed for Lufthansa; as a consequence, none of this variant were ultimately manufactured. The remaining freighter sales were to be instead fulfilled by the new A330-200F derivative. The A310 had been commonly marketed as an introduction to wide-body operations for airlines based in developing countries. The airliner was replaced in Airbus's range by the highly successful A330-200, which shares its fuselage cross-section. Between 1983, and the last aircraft produced in 1998, 255 A310s were delivered. The A300 and A310 established Airbus as a competitor to Boeing, and allowed it to go ahead with the more ambitious A320, and A330 / A340 families. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) currently operates a fleet of five Airbus CC-150 Polaris, civilian Airbus A310-300s, originally owned by Wardair, and subsequently Canadian Airlines International, after the airlines merged. The aircraft were then sold to the Government of Canada, and converted for use as the primary long-distance transport aircraft as part of the RCAF's fleet of Royal Canadian Air Force VIP aircraft. As of January 2025, only 33 remain in service, with 22 being ACJs, eight being in passenger service (with Ariana Afghan Airlines (3), Iran Air (1), Iran Airtour (4) being the only remaining passenger operators) and three in cargo service with UPS Airlines. == Design ==

The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engined wide-body jet airliner. Initially a derivative of the A300, the aircraft had originally been designated the A300B10. It was essentially a shortened variant of the earlier aircraft; however, there were considerable differences between the two aircraft. A limited number of alterations were also performed to the airliner's tail unit, such as the adoption of smaller horizontal tail surfaces. The A310 was launched with the Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4D1 or the General Electric CF6-80A3. Subsequently, available were the CF6-80C2A2 or the PW4152. From late 1991 the higher thrust CF6-80C2A8 or PW4156A became available. The A310 was equipped with a modified undercarriage, derived from the A300; the landing gear were outfitted with carbon brakes, which were fitted as standard. == Variants ==

The A310 is available in two basic versions: the medium-range A310-200 and the longer-range A310-300. The first version of the aircraft to be developed was the 200, but this was later joined by the 300, which then became the standard production version of the aircraft. The short-range 100 variant was never developed due to low demand. A310-200 A310-200 with wingtip fences The first A310, the 162nd Airbus off the production line, made its maiden flight on 3 April 1982 powered by the earlier Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4D1 engines. The 200 entered service with Swissair and Lufthansa a year later. Late series 200 also featured wing fences identical to those of the 300. The first three A310s were initially fitted with outboard ailerons; they were later removed once testing showed them to be unnecessary. Production of the A310-200 ended in 1988. A310-200C A convertible version, the seats can be removed and cargo placed on the main deck, the A310-200C entered service with Martinair on 29 November 1984. A310-200F A310-200F without wingtip fences The freight version of the A310-200 was available as a new build, or as a conversion of existing wide-bodied aircraft. The A310-200F freighter can carry of freight for . No production freighters of the A310-200F were produced. The converted Airbus A310-200F entered service with FedEx Express in 1994. A310-300 A310-300 with wingtip fences First flown on 8 July 1985, the 300 is dimensionally identical to the 200, although it provides an increased Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) and an increase in range, provided by additional centre and horizontal stabiliser (trim-tank) fuel tanks. This model also introduced wingtip fences to improve aerodynamic efficiency, a feature that has since been retrofitted to some 200s. The aircraft entered service in 1986 with Swissair. The A310-300 incorporates a computerised fuel distribution system which allows it to be trimmed in flight, optimising the centre of gravity by shuttling up to of fuel in and out of the horizontal stabiliser tank, controlled by the Centre of Gravity Control Computer. A310-300C The combi version of the A310-300. It can be easily converted for passenger or cargo transport: the seats can be removed and cargo placed on the main deck. A310-300F The freight version of the A310-300. Operators such as FedEx Express acquired modified ex-passenger A310s, usually starting with the 300 version. No production freighters of the A310-300F were produced. of the German Air Force A310 MRT/MRTT The A310 has been operated by several air forces as a pure transport, the A310-300 MRT (Multi-Role Transport). However several have now been converted to the A310 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) configuration by EADS, providing an air-to-air refuelling capability. At least six have been completed; four by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), and two by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Deliveries began in 2004. Three were converted at EADS EFW in Dresden, Germany; the other three at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, Germany. A310 Zero G One A310 airframe became a scientific research laboratory dedicated to weightlessness. This reduced-gravity aircraft is used to realise parabolas, allowing to perform twenty-two seconds of weightlessness. Operated by , subsidiary of CNES, French Space Agency, A310 Zero G is based at Bordeaux Mérignac airport. It also performs scientific flights, recreational flights under the Air Zero G brand, and movie special effects, such as for The Mummy (2017). Differences between variants Below is a list of major differences between the A310 variants. Aircraft model designations == Operators ==

A310-300 CC-150 Polaris , there are 48 A310 family aircraft in service. Civilian operators , the following airlines are the known remaining civilian operators of A310 aircraft: • AVA Airlines (1) • Iran Air (1) • Iran Airtour (2) • ULS Airlines Cargo (3) – two operated for Turkish Cargo • Yazd Airways (2) Military operators The A310 is also used by the armed forces of the following countries: • Royal Canadian Air Force – designated CC-150 Polaris (originally ordered by Wardair and delivered to Canadian Airlines) • Spanish Air and Space Force Deliveries By the end of production, a total of 255 A310s had been ordered and delivered. == Accidents and incidents ==

As of September 2015 there have been 12 hull-loss accidents involving A310s with a total of 825 fatalities; and 9 hijackings with a total of five fatalities. According to the bar graph on Boeing's Statistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents, the A310 has the highest fatal hull loss rate and second highest total hull loss rate of any widebody commercial airliner, behind the MD-11. Accidents with fatalities • 31 July 1992: Thai Airways International Flight 311, an A310-304 carrying 99 passengers and 14 crew, crashed on approach to Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. All 113 on board were killed. • 23 March 1994: Aeroflot Flight 593, an A310-304 carrying 63 passengers and 12 crew, crashed in Siberia after the pilot let his son sit at the controls and the autopilot partially disconnected. All 75 on board were killed. • 31 March 1995: TAROM Flight 371, an A310-324 carrying 49 passengers and 11 crew, crashed near Otopeni International Airport, Bucharest, Romania after the throttle on the starboard engine jammed with no subsequent resolution by the pilots, at the same time as the captain suffered a medical crisis. All 60 on board were killed. • 11 December 1998: Thai Airways International Flight 261 crashed near Surat Thani Airport in Thailand. There were 101 fatalities and 45 people survived with serious injuries. • 30 January 2000: Kenya Airways Flight 431, an A310-300 crashed in the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire. 169 passengers and crew were killed and 10 passengers survived with serious injuries. This is the deadliest aviation accident involving the Airbus A310. • 9 July 2006: S7 Airlines Flight 778, an Airbus A310-324 from Moscow carrying 196 passengers and eight crew, overshot the runway at Irkutsk in Siberia, plowed through a concrete barrier and caught fire as it crashed into buildings. Reports said that 70 of the 204 on board survived, with 12 of them missing. Since the accident, casualty figures have fluctuated, in part due to three people boarding the aircraft who were not on the passenger manifest, and some survivors walking home after being assumed trapped in the wreckage. • 10 June 2008: Sudan Airways Flight 109, an A310-324 from Amman, Jordan carrying 203 passengers and 11 crew, ran off the runway while landing at Khartoum International Airport during bad weather. Soon afterward a fire started in the aircraft's right wing area. A total of 30 people were killed. • 30 June 2009, Yemenia Flight 626, an A310-324, flying from Sanaa, Yemen, to Moroni, Comoros crashed into the Indian Ocean shortly before reaching its destination. The aircraft was carrying 153 passengers and crew; there was one survivor, a 14-year-old girl. • 24 June 2014, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 756, an Airbus A310-324ET, flying from King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to Bacha Khan International Airport, Peshawar, Pakistan, was hit by ground gun fire killing one female and injuring two flight attendants. • On 24 December 2015, at 08:35, an Airbus A310-304F cargo aircraft, registration 9Q-CVH, operated by Congolese company Services Air on a domestic flight, ran off the end of the runway and crashed in a residential area while landing at Mbuji-Mayi Airport in the city of Mbuji-Mayi, the capital of Kasai-Oriental province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eight people were killed and nine others were injured. Hijackings • 3 December 1984: Kuwait Airways Flight 221, registration 9K-AHC, departed from Kuwait City, Kuwait, to Karachi, Pakistan, via Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was hijacked by four armed Lebanese Shia militants, reportedly affiliated with the Hezbollah movement. After 6 days, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces stormed the aircraft and freed the remaining hostages. • 26 March 1991: Singapore Airlines Flight 117, registration 9V-STP, carrying 123 passengers and crew, was hijacked by 4 male Pakistanis en route to Singapore. The aircraft landed at Singapore safely where the Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation stormed it and killed the hijackers. Two occupants were injured during the process. • 4 September 1992: Vietnam Airlines Flight 850, registration LZ-JXB, leased from Jes Air, with 127 occupants on board en route from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, hijacked by Ly Tong, a former pilot in the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. He then dropped anti-communist leaflets over Ho Chi Minh City before parachuting out. Vietnamese security forces later arrested him on the ground. The aircraft landed safely, and no one on board was injured. Tong was incarcerated in a Hanoi prison, where he remained until 1998. • On 11 February 1993, Lufthansa Flight 592, registration D-AIDM from Frankfurt to Addis Ababa via Cairo with 94 passengers and 10 crew members was hijacked during the first leg by 20-year-old Nebiu Zewolde Demeke, who forced the pilots to divert to the United States, with the intent of securing the right of asylum there. Demeke, who had been on the flight to be deported back to his native Ethiopia, surrendered to authorities upon arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. No passengers or crew members were harmed during the 12-hour ordeal. • 25 October 1993, Nigeria Airways Flight 470 was hijacked en route from Lagos to Abuja. The hijackers demanded the resignation of Nigeria's government and to be flown to Frankfurt. The aircraft was denied permission to land in N'Djamena, and was diverted to the Niamey Airport for refuelling. It was stormed by Niger National Gendarmerie four days later; the co-pilot was killed during the operation. Other incidents • On 11 February 1991, an Interflug flight from Berlin to Moscow was involved in a go-around incident at Sheremetyevo International Airport. The captain of the A310 (registered D-AOAC) disagreed with the flight computer settings for the go-around, and the resulting opposite control inputs from the flight computer caused a total of four stalls, including one that pitched the aircraft up to 88 degrees (nearly vertical). The pilots eventually recovered control and landed the aircraft. • On 24 September 1994, TAROM Flight 381, an Airbus A310 registered YR-LCA flying from Bucharest to Paris Orly, went into a sudden and uncommanded nose-up position and stalled. The crew attempted to countermand the aircraft's flight control system but were unable to get the nose down while remaining on course. Witnesses saw the aircraft climb with an extreme nose-up attitude, then bank sharply left, then right, then fall into a steep dive. Only when the dive produced additional speed was the crew able to recover steady flight. An investigation found that an overshoot of flap placard speed during the approach, incorrectly commanded by the captain, caused a mode transition to flight level change. The auto-throttles increased power and trim went full nose-up as a result. The crew's attempt at commanding the nose-down elevator could not counteract the effect of stabilizer nose-up trim, and the resulting dive brought the aircraft from a height of at the time of the stall to when the crew was able to recover command. The aircraft landed safely after a second approach. There were 186 people on board. • 12 July 2000: Hapag-Lloyd Flight 3378, an A310-304, crashed during an emergency landing near Vienna in Austria due to fuel exhaustion. All 143 passengers and 8 crew on board survived. • 6 March 2005: Air Transat Flight 961, an Airbus A310-308, en route from Cuba to Quebec City with nine crew and 261 passengers on board, experienced a structural failure in which the rudder detached in flight. The A310 experienced a sudden jolt and started to yaw and roll while gaining altitude, but the crew were able to regain control of their aircraft by descending. The aircraft returned to Varadero, Cuba, where they made a safe landing. The crew made no unusual rudder inputs during the flight nor was the rudder being manipulated when it failed; there was no obvious fault in the rudder or yaw-damper system. Subsequent investigation determined that Airbus's inspection procedure for the composite rudder was inadequate; inspection procedures for composite structures on airliners were changed following this accident. • 23 February 2006: A Mahan Air Airbus A310 operating a flight from Tehran, Iran, was involved in a serious incident while on approach to Birmingham International Airport. The aircraft descended to the published minimum descent altitude of despite still being from the runway threshold. At a point 6 nm from the runway the aircraft had descended to an altitude of , which was above ground level. Having noticed the descent profile, Birmingham air traffic control issued an immediate climb instruction to the aircraft, however, the crew had already commenced a missed approach, having received a GPWS alert. The aircraft was radar vectored for a second approach during which the flight crew again initiated an early descent. On this occasion, the radar controller instructed the crew to maintain their altitude and the crew completed the approach to a safe landing. The accident investigation determined that the primary cause was the use of the incorrect DME for the approach, combined with a substantial breakdown in the Crew Resource Management. Three safety recommendations were made. • 12 March 2007: Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight 006, an A310-325 carrying 250 passengers and crew, suffered a collapsed nose gear during its takeoff run. There were no fatalities in the accident at Dubai International Airport. The aircraft came to rest at the end of the runway and was evacuated, but blocked the only active runway and forced the airport to close for nearly eight hours. The aircraft was written off. • 24 December 2015: A Mahan Air Airbus A310-300 operating a flight from Tehran (Iran) to Istanbul (Turkey) failed to stop at its stand at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport, instead colliding with a concrete barrier and bus. The aircraft, registration EP-MNP, sustained substantial damage but was repaired and returned to service a year later. Another A310 crashed the same day and year. • 19 July 2023: a CC150 Polaris and crew were tasked to repatriate personnel and equipment from Exercise Mobility Guardian 23, a multinational Air Mobility exercise led by the United States at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. The aircraft, operating under callsign Can Force 3149 (CFC3149), arrived in Guam at approximately 2145 Local Time on 21 Jul 23 and was directed to parking by United States Air Force personnel. After shutting down, the crew carried out post flight checks as well as loading the aircraft with baggage and equipment for the return flight the following day. After completing their duties, the crew departed for the hotel at approximately 2300 Local Time. At approximately 1030 Local Time on 22 Jul 23, the unattended aircraft rolled backwards, followed a curved trajectory, and impacted a French Air and Space Force Airbus A400M parked on an adjacent spot. The impact resulted in serious damage to both aircraft, but no injuries. The investigation revealed the aircraft to be serviceable prior to the accident. A lack of installed chocks allowed the aircraft to roll from its position after the parking brake reached its designed holding period of 12 hours. Expectation bias, crew fatigue and checklist design contributed to chocks not being installed as well as the crew not detecting the lack of chocks prior to leaving the aircraft. The investigation recommends changes to checklists, availability of fatigue prediction software for planning, and a review of the Fatigue Assessment Report. == Preserved aircraft ==

Currently preserved in 1985, retired in 2006 and displayed at the Beijing Civil Aviation Museum. Nine A310 aircraft have been preserved, with one scrapped after preservation: • ex-China Eastern Airlines A310-222 B-2301, preserved at the China Civil Aviation Museum near Beijing Capital International Airport • ex-Jordan Aviation A310-222 JY-JAV "Zuhair", preserved at the Al Haram Pyramid restaurant in Aydoun, Jordan • ex-PC-Air A310-222 HS-PCC "Klamkomol", used as instructional airframe at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi in Pathum Thani, Thailand • ex-Air India A310-304 VT-EJK "Gomati", preserved as Runway 1 Restaurant at the Adventure Island, Rohini in New Delhi, India • ex-Turkish Airlines TC-JCZ "Ergene", preserved at the "Oğuzhan Özkaya" Educational institution in Izmir, Turkey • ex-Luftwaffe 10+23 "Kurt Schumacher", to be preserved as restaurant at Seregenti-Park in Hodenhagen, Germany • ex-Pakistan International Airlines AP-BEQ preserved at Leipzig/Halle Airport • ex-Royal Canadian Air Force CC-150 Polaris 15001, retired in 2025 and preserved at the National Air Force Museum of Canada Formerly preserved, scrapped during preservation • ex-Nigeria Airways A310-222 5N-AUG was the Italian restaurant All Italia in Gilly, about 5 km south of Brussels Charleroi Airport. It was destroyed in a fire on 17 November 2020. == Specifications (A310-325) ==