AIRCRAFT PROGRAM

Wide body twin engine airliner.

Long, slender wings are approximately 13% composite materials including outer flaps, flap track fairings, ailerons, spoilers, fixed surface panels and winglets; aluminium wing box and rib edges; aluminium alloy fuselage; and steel or titanium slat supports. Choice of 3 engines - General Electric CF6, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or Rolls-Royce Trent 700, suspended on pylons under wings. Exclusive use of Trent 7000 on A330neo improves fuel efficiency, as well as an extended, 3D-optimised wing with composite wingtip Sharklets, titanium pylons and composite nacelles.

Fly-by-wire digital control system features three primary and two secondary flight control systems, and a flight envelope limit protection system. Flight controls are hydraulically activated and electronically controlled with mechanical back up for the rudder and Trimmable Horizontal Stabilizer.

Two crew in glass cockpit with side stick controls and rudder pedals, face six main displays of a duplicated set of Electronic Flight Instrument Systems (EFIS) including the Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM), primary flight and navigation displays.

Type variants

Variant	Launch/First flight	Production end
Airbus A330-300	1987 / 1992		Original model typically seating 300 passengers, including most recent A330 Regional, typically 400 passengers.
Airbus A330-200	1995 / 1997		Shorter variant with extended range, seating 246 passengers. Includes A330-200F freighter and ACJ330 Prestige business jet.
Airbus A330 MRTT	2007 / 2010		Tanker transport military variant. Known as KC-30A in Australia, and Voyager KC2 and KC3 in the U.K. Includes the U.S. Air Force aerial refueler variant, LMXT by Lockheed Martin.
Airbus A330-743L Beluga XL	2014 / 2018		Inflated fuselage variant for transporting A350 sub-assemblies between plants.
Airbus A330-800/900	2014 / 2017		Two models in the latest A330neo range.

Recent news

• 19/07/2022:  Press Release:  Airbus A330 MRTT becomes world's first tanker certified for automatic air-to-air refuelling operations
• 18/07/2022:  Press Release:  Next generation VantageXL launched on Virgin Atlantic
• 19/05/2022:  Press Release:  Honeywell's flight management system selected by Airbus
• 18/05/2022:  Press Release:  Built in Arkansas: LMXT strategic tanker boom refueling system to be produced in Western Arkansas
• 17/05/2022:  Press Release:  Airbus selected Elbit Systems to provide DIRCM and EW Systems to additional European Air Force

View full news archive for the Airbus A330.

See recent updates (latest 03/08/2022)

Operations data

For detailed information about current charter operators, maintenance and training providers, and completions services for this aircraft, please consult our sister publication Business Air News: Airbus ACJ330