Airbus A319
Seven frames shorter — the A320 cut down to 124 seats · First flight 1995 · In service 1996
The A319 was launched on 10 June 1993 as a shrink of the A320: four fuselage frames came out ahead of the wing and three behind it, cutting the length by 3.73 m. It rolled out in Hamburg on 24 August 1995, flew the next day and entered service with Swissair on 25 April 1996.
Because it keeps the A320's wing and engines but carries fewer passengers, the A319 has the longest range of the original family — up to about 6,900 km. That made it the basis of the ACJ319 corporate jet, which seats up to 39 and can fly up to 6,000 nmi with extra tanks.
Around 1,500 were built. American Airlines is the largest operator, followed by easyJet, United and Delta; the re-engined A319neo has attracted only a few dozen orders.
