Airbus A310-300 credited with early twin-engine transatlantic operations
The Airbus A310-300, built in a run of 255 airframes between 1981 and 1998, was among the first twin-engine widebodies to fly transatlantic routes that had previously needed three or four engines.
The Airbus A310 rarely comes first to mind when the history of twin-engine ocean crossings is discussed; that distinction usually goes to the Boeing 767 or 777. The A310-300 was among the first twin-engine widebodies to fly revenue transatlantic services on routes that had previously required three or four engines.
It was powered by GE CF6-80C2 or Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines and held 180-minute ETOPS certification. Production ran from 1981 to 1998, with 255 aircraft built. Operators that flew the type across the Atlantic included Pan Am, Delta, Air France, TAP Air Portugal, Wardair and Canadian Airlines.
Sources
- simpleflying.comOnly 255 Were Built, But This Airbus Twinjet Rewrote The Rules Of Ocean Crossings