Airbus A319 - description of the aircraft
The A320 family of medium-range airbuses with passenger capacity appeared in the nineties of the last century. These were the first narrow-body aircraft with 150 seats created by the Airbus Industrie corporation since the Boeing 737 (1960). This includes four main models: A318, A319, A320 and A321.
Airbus Idustrie began developing the A319 program in 1992, and the aircraft made its first flight in August 1995. Compared to the base model (A320), the Airbus 319 is almost four meters shorter, but has a longer flight range. In other respects (cockpit, flight control systems, engines), both models are practically no different.
The latest technologies are used in the cockpit: digital displays, by-wire command control system (commands using electrical impulses). To reduce the weight of the liner, high-strength composite materials are used in its design.
According to pilots, the aircraft is very reliable. In 2011, at Pulkovo airport, immediately after takeoff, one of the engines of the A319 failed. Despite this, the pilots managed to land the plane successfully. In general, over all the years of existence of this model, there has not been a single case of failure of two engines at once.
The Airbus A319 has a modification with larger fuel tanks - the A319 LR. The flight range of this model is 8,350 km. The A319 LR's competitor is the Boeing 737-700ER.
basic information
The aircraft was developed by Airbus Industry. The prototype for the development of the A319 was the model of the Airbus A320. The new model is shortened, it has only 120 seats for passengers. During development, the aircraft received the designation A320M-7. This was later assigned to A319.
The first tests of the aircraft dated back to 1990, but official development began in 1992. The first copy of the A319 was built in 1995, and in the same year it took off for the first time. In 1996, the aircraft received the appropriate flight certificate. The first Airbus model A319 was purchased by a Swiss company.
Only 2,000 aircraft of this type were produced. The cost of one copy is 86 million dollars.
Now the aircraft is operated by most of the world's leading air carriers. Airbuses became part of Aeroflot in 2003. That same year, Airbus signed an agreement that the production of some elements of the A319 would be carried out in Russia (Irkutsk and Nizhny Novgorod).
Video of Airbus A319 takeoff:Flight data
- Mach flight range: 6,845 km
- Mach flight altitude: 11,900 m
- Runway length: 1500 m
- Engines: CFM56-5B5
- Cruising speed: 820 km/h
- Max speed: 890 km/h
One of the most popular cabin layouts of the Airbus A319 in Russian airlines is two classes. The number of seats depends on the specific airline and ranges from 116 to 134. Consider, for example, the layout of the Airbus 319 cabin for 128 passengers.
Identification of places by color:
- Green – good places.
- Yellow – places with a shortage.
- White – standard seats.
- Pink - bad places.
In the nose of the Airbus A319 there is a business class cabin. There are 8 seats here, arranged 2-2.
Business class has the most comfortable seats: wide seats, a large distance between the rows (from 90 cm), allowing you to recline the back at a wide angle, individual service. For lunch there is a choice of several hot dishes and a large selection of alcoholic and soft drinks.
The first row seats are highlighted in yellow. There is a partition in front of them, which may be inconvenient for tall people.
The Economy Class cabin of the Airbus A319 starts from row 3. In the diagram, these seats are highlighted in green, because there are no other seats in front of this row, which means no one in front will recline their backs. In addition, there is more space in front of the seats than in standard rows.
Between rows 8 and 9 there are emergency exits. The 9th row seats are very comfortable. In front of them there is increased space for free access to emergency exits.
Not all passengers are provided with seats near emergency exits. The restriction applies to: passengers with children, disabled people and passengers transporting animals in the cabin.
In the 8th row, the seat backs do not recline, and you cannot place luggage under the seats of the 9th row.
Seats 21 C, D are inconvenient as they are located in the aisle next to the toilets. The entire flight will be disturbed by passengers passing through.
All seats in the 22nd row do not have reclining seat backs.
Operating airlines
The first airlines to take the A319 into service were the French Air France and the German Air Berlin. A little later, Lufthansa, Eurowings, Turkish Airlines and Czech Airlines replenished their fleets with these airliners.
After this, the aircraft began to be actively purchased by many other European airlines for regular flights. A few years later, even Canadian and American carriers took it into operation. The airliner is used in limited quantities by small countries, including Nigeria, Gambia and Qatar.
In Russia, the A319 is used by several airlines, Rossiya and S7. It is also in the fleet of the I Fly company, which operates charter flights for various tour operators. Previously, the aircraft was used on regular Aeroflot flights, but in 2016 the airline decided to withdraw the A319 from service, replacing it with newer and safer airliner models.
The popularity of the A319 is associated with its advanced characteristics, which are expressed not only in flight performance, but also in the level of safety. The model turned out to be somewhat cheaper than the older version represented by the A320, which is why it attracted attention. The main task assigned to the company was completed - the aircraft became a serious competitor to the Boeing 737 and even forced it out of the market in certain countries. Therefore, the creation of the A319 is considered the most important decision of Airbus.
Best places
In order to determine the best seats in the Airbus 319 cabin, you need to familiarize yourself with the layout of your airline's aircraft cabins. The best seats have plenty of legroom and the seatbacks recline to a comfortable angle.
In the interior diagram discussed above, the following places:
- 3, 9 ABCDEF
Modifications
The Airbus A319 airliner is produced in several versions:
- A319-110 is the basic modification of aircraft in this line. Equipped with CFM56 engines. The engines installed on the airliners are CFM56-5A4 and are named Airbus A319-111, CFM56-5B5 - Airbus A319-112, CFM56-5B6 - Airbus A319-114;
- When designing and manufacturing A319-130 Equipped with AeroEngines V2500 engines. With V2522-A5 engines it is called A319-131, and with V2522-A5 - A319-132;
Airbus A319-100 aircraft
- The A319-LR requires the installation of additional fuel tanks. Due to the presence of additional fuel reserves, this aircraft model increases the possibility of flying up to 8000 km;
See also the article Characteristics of the Thunderbolt A-10 “Warthog” attack aircraft
Airbus A319-LR aircraft
- The A319-ACJ (better known in aviation circles as the “Airbus Corporate Jet”) is an airliner for flights with increased comfort. The salon is equipped with a shower, a gym, and a meeting room. If the cabin is equipped for VIPs, it can carry up to 50 passengers; if the modules for VIP flights are dismantled, it can carry up to 100 people. In this modification, the A319 can fly up to 12,000 km.
Airbus A319CJ interior
General information and tips
- Porthole seats: A, F.
- Middle seats: B, E (least comfortable seats).
- Aisle seats: C, D.
- A quieter area is the nose of the aircraft. Some airlines sell such tickets at an increased rate.
- In the front rows there is more opportunity to choose from the proposed lunch options.
- Those sitting in the front rows will be able to get off the plane faster after landing.
- Near the emergency exits the temperature is a little lower, it is better to take a warm jacket with you.
- The area above the wings of the aircraft is the most stable.
- Noise and turbulence are felt more in the tail section.
- If you get an uncomfortable seat, you can change seats after boarding has been announced (of course, if there are empty seats in the cabin!).
- If you like to look out the window, think about which side the sun will be on before checking in (if you are flying during the day). Choose a place on the opposite side.
- If window seating is important to you, check to see if your seats are above the wings. In such places, the wings partially obscure the panorama.
- Passengers with infants usually fly in the first row (you can install a cradle there), and passengers with animals in the last.
- It is better for tall people (185 cm or more) to sit in seats located next to emergency exits.
According to passenger reviews, overall the Airbus A319 is not bad. But due to its small size, turbulence is felt strongly in the cabin. In addition, comfort very much depends on the pitch of the seats; often on this plane it is small and it is very uncomfortable for people of large build and height.
If you are planning to fly on an Airbus A319, be sure to familiarize yourself with your airline's aircraft diagram. The configuration of seats in the cabin is always slightly different. We hope that our tips will help you choose the best places. Have a good flight!
Design
The airliner is a narrow-body, low-wing, twin-engine aircraft with a swept wing. The use of such a scheme makes it possible to increase the safety of passengers during an emergency landing. If the plane hits the ground, the design of the wing will protect people from serious injury.
Composite materials were actively used in the production of elements of the Airbus A319 aircraft, as is the case with the A320. This decision had a positive impact on performance and helped reduce the overall weight of the airliner, leaving more room for payload. The three-wheel chassis is characterized by increased strength and low weight, which simplifies its operation and reduces the load on hydraulics.
The airliner's engines are located under the wing near the fuselage. They are turbofans and provide sufficient power to perform all necessary maneuvers. There are advanced electronic EFIS systems on board. Pilots receive information from color multifunction displays, and the aircraft is controlled using special joysticks that replace classic steering wheels.
Flight safety
According to statistical data, aircraft 319 are among the best in terms of “flight safety”. Since the start of operation of aircraft of this modification, there has not been a single plane crash or major incident.
There are cases when it was necessary to make a decision to conduct emergency landings of aircraft. One of the most famous cases was the landing of a flight from Moscow to Copenhagen in December 2012. As a result of an engine failure, the plane made an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo Airport.
See also the article Boeing 737 aircraft and its technical characteristics
