British Airways today took delivery of its 50th Airbus aircraft, an A320 with serial number 1829. The British airline’s link with Airbus and the A320 Family extends back to 1989 when the London-based carrier received its first A320, the original model of Airbus’ fastest selling single-aisle Family.

In 1998 British Airways increased its A320 Family fleet by placing a firm order for 59 additional aircraft - 39 A319s and 20 A320s. In 1999 the British carrier became a launch customer for the A318, the most comfortable aircraft in the 100-seater market.
Today British Airways is the second largest A320 Family customer in Europe and has a further 29 Airbus aircraft on order. In British Airways’ European network Airbus aircraft serve routes from and to London and Birmingham.

This aircraft is one of the first in Europe to be fitted with the new industry standard high security cockpit door. It features reinforced attachments, a reinforced and bullet-proof main door panel, an escape panel, electrical door latching and a warning light and buzzer in the cockpit.

Designed to optimise revenue through passenger comfort and cabin adaptability as well as ensure savings in every element of direct operating cost the A320 Family offers a unique range of advantages for airlines and passengers.

The optimised cabin cross-section - the widest single-aisle fuselage on the market - sets the standard for passenger cabin flexibility in this segment. It allows for top-of-the-range comfort with wider seats and aisles, or an extra-wide aisle for the fastest turnarounds in the single-aisle segment. Furthermore, the superior cabin size and shape allows larger overhead stowage to be fitted for greater convenience and it is the only aircraft Family in its segment allowing a containerised cargo loading system that is essential for profitable cargo operations as well as faster boarding and de-planing.

A leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive product line on the market, Airbus is a global company with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain as well as subsidiaries in the U.S., China and Japan. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE SYSTEMS.

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