Airbus A318

The Airbus A318, nicknamed the Baby Bus, is the smallest and least numerous variant airliner of the Airbus A320 family. The A318 carries 107 to 132 passengers and has a maximum range of 5,750 kilometres (3,100 nautical miles; 3,570 miles). Final assembly of the aircraft took place in Hamburg, Germany. It is intended primarily for short-range service.

The aircraft shares a common type rating with all other Airbus A320 family variants, allowing pilots to fly all versions of the aircraft without the need for further training. It is the second largest commercial aircraft certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency for steep approach operations, behind the Airbus A220, allowing flights at airports such as London City.

The A318 entered service in July 2003 with Frontier Airlines. Relative to other Airbus A320 family variants, it sold only small numbers with total orders for 80 aircraft placed. The type is no longer listed for sale, having been supplanted by the A220 narrowbody. Air France is the last remaining commercial airline operator of the Airbus A318, having historically been its largest operator. There have been no reports of accidents involving the type.

The first member of the A320 aircraft family was the A320, which had its maiden flight on 22 February 1987 after the program was launched in March 1984. The family was soon extended to include the stretched A321 (first delivery 1994), the shortened A319 (first delivery 1996), and the further shortened A318 (first delivery 2003). The A320 family pioneered the use in commercial aircraft of digital fly-by-wire flight control systems, as well as side stick controls.

The Airbus A318 project had its origins in the collaboration among Chinese, Singaporean and European manufacturers. In May 1997, during the visit of French President Jacques Chirac to China, Aviation Industries of China (AVIC), Singapore Technologies Aerospace (STAe), Airbus and Alenia signed a framework agreement that outlined the development of aircraft in the 100-seat range. The AE31X, as it was tentatively dubbed, besides being a global industrial programme would have significantly deepened Sino-European commercial ties. With development costs estimated to be upwards of $2 billion, AVIC would have a 46 percent stake in the project, STAe 15 percent, and Airbus Industrie Asia 39 percent, the latter of which comprised Airbus and Alenia. Final assembly would have taken place in China.

The project never went past the exploratory phase. It comprised two clean-sheet designs – the AE316 and the AE317. The AE316 would have had a length of 31.3 metres (102 ft 8 in), and the AE317, 34.5 m (113 ft 2 in). The standard versions of both variants had a maximum take-off weight of 49.9 tonnes (110,000 lb) for the smaller version and 54.2 t (119,000 lb) for the AE317, and would have been powered by either BMW Rolls-Royce, CFM International, or Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines. Range was settled at 3,700 kilometres (2,000 nmi; 2,300 mi) for both standard variants, although there was a higher-gross weight version which had greater range and engine power. The AE316 and AE317 would have seated a maximum of 105 and 125 passengers in five-abreast seating, respectively. Both would share a flight deck and fly-by-wire flight control system similar to that of the A320 family.

Market research conducted during 1997 revealed that airlines wanted a smaller aircraft in the 70–80-seat range. As the project proceeded, there were increasing disagreements between the Chinese side and Airbus. China wanted a larger aircraft than originally envisioned. In addition, there were difficulties arising out of negotiations about technology transfer and production workshare, and a weak business case. STAe, having previously expressed doubts about returns on the project, in 1998 withdrew from the project out of the failure between AIA and AVIC to reach an agreement; Airbus and AVIC would cancel the project in July that year. The A318 is believed to have emerged from the AE31X project though an Airbus-only project, named the A319M5 in March 1998, began before the AE31X cancellation.

The internal corporate designation, A319M5, was used as early as March 1998, as an A319 derivative with fuselage shortening of 0.79 metres (2 ft 7 in) ahead of the wing and 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) behind. The final proposal was for an aircraft seating 107 passengers in a two-class layout with a range of 3,350 kilometres (1,810 nmi; 2,080 mi). The aircraft's production took advantage of laser welding, eliminating the necessity for heavy rivets and bolts.