A319
Airbus · Europe · first flew 1995 · airliner
The Airbus A319 is the shortened member of the A320 single-aisle family, a twin-engine narrowbody tuned for shorter, thinner routes while keeping the type rating common with its larger siblings.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbofan, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Shortest member of the A320 family with a stubby fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Shortest member of the A320 family with a stubby fuselage
- Twin underwing turbofans and a single swept fin
- Overwing exit doors absent on most layouts, four main doors
Look for the very short fuselage relative to the wide wingspan, which gives the A319 a notably squat look on the apron. The two underwing turbofans and single swept tailfin match the rest of the family, so length is the key tell.
Specifications
- The A319 has a length of 33.84 m (111 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 34.1 m (112 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 871 km/h (541 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 flight crew.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Airbus launched the A319 in 1993 as a shrink of the A320, removing fuselage frames to drop capacity to roughly 124-156 seats. It first flew on 25 August 1995 from Hamburg and entered service with Swissair in April 1996. The shared cockpit and systems made it attractive to operators already flying the family.
Variants
Beyond the baseline A319, Airbus offered the long-range ACJ319 corporate jet and the A319LR with extra fuel tanks. The re-engined A319neo later joined the family, though it sold in far smaller numbers than the A320neo and A321neo.
Where you'll see it
easyJet and British Airways both operated large A319 fleets across UK and European short-haul, and the type was a common sight at Gatwick, Edinburgh and Heathrow. Many have since been displaced by larger A320 and A321neo aircraft as airlines chase seat-cost savings.
Related aircraft
- Beluga (A300-600ST)
- Airbus A321 CEO
- Airbus A330-200
- Airbus A330-300
- Bombardier Learjet 45
- Embraer ERJ Family
- Embraer ERJ-145
- Gulfstream V
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