The aircraft that changed aviation forever. The A320 introduced fly-by-wire controls to commercial flying and created the template every narrowbody since has followed.
✈ Scan Your Sky NowWhen the Airbus A320 entered service in 1988, it was unlike anything that had come before. It was the first commercial aircraft to use a full fly-by-wire control system — where pilot inputs are processed by computers before being sent to the control surfaces — rather than direct mechanical linkages. This wasn't just a technology choice; it fundamentally changed how aircraft are designed, certified, and flown.
The A320 also introduced the side-stick controller replacing the traditional control column, and an advanced glass cockpit that set the standard for every airliner since. Over 4,800 have been delivered to more than 200 operators, and despite being replaced on new orders by the A320neo, thousands remain in active daily service.
The A320 is a classic two-engine narrowbody with a circular fuselage and slightly wider body than the Boeing 737. The most distinctive visual feature is the wingtip fence — a small fin pointing both up and down at the wingtip, unlike the 737's winglets which mostly point up. Earlier A320s have smaller fences; later aircraft may have the larger sharklet upgrade.
The nose has a distinctive rounded, slightly blunted shape compared to the 737's more pointed profile. The engines sit on pylons under the wings rather than being embedded — you'll see the full circular nacelle clearly from below. On final approach the aircraft has a notably nose-high attitude before touchdown.