Airbus A310

The Airbus A310 made its maiden flight on April 3, 1982. A shortened, longer-range development of the pioneering A300 wide-body, it was conceived by the European Airbus consortium to compete directly with the Boeing 767 in the medium-size, twin-aisle market.

The A310 introduced an advanced new wing and a modern two-crew "glass" cockpit built around electronic displays, reducing the flight deck from three crew members to two. These features improved efficiency and gave the type genuine long-range capability, allowing it to operate transatlantic and other extended routes.

Used by airlines worldwide and adapted into freighter and military transport and tanker versions, the A310 helped establish Airbus as a serious rival to the established American manufacturers and reinforced the commercial viability of the twin-engine wide-body airliner.