The Airbus A330 is a twin-engine, wide-body, long range airliner capable of carrying between 240 and 350 passengers over a range of 10,400 kilometers (5,600 nautical miles). It provides a high degree of comfort thanks to its spacious layout. The first ever A330 airliner, an A330-300 model, entered service in 1994.
Externally, the A330 is similar to the Airbus A340 excepting for the number of engines because both were developed simultaneously by Airbus to meet the requirements of extended and long range commercial aviation in the 200- to 400-seat category. The A330/340 family features optimized performance and design for lower operating costs.
The A330 airliner currently can be powered by Rolls Royce's Trent 700, General Electric's CF6-80E1 or Pratt & Whitney's PW4000. In addition to its seating capacity, the A330 airliner can transport cargo (pallets or/and containers) thanks to its voluminous underfloor holds. The cargo capacity is very appreciated because generates additional revenues for the airline. In fact, some airlines have operated the A330 as a freighter with cargo and no passengers onboard at overnight flights.
The twin-engine Airbus A330-300 entered service in 1994. It can transport 295 passengers in a three-class cabin layout or 335 in a two-class configuration over a range of 10,400 kilometers (5,600 nautical miles). It has been optimized for medium- to long-range flights.
On October 9, 2004, China Eastern Airlines Co., Ltd. and Airbus reached an agreement for the purchase of 20 A330-300 passenger airplanes. Delivery schedule was not released following agreement announcement.
Northwest Airlines placed an order for eight Airbus A330 jets, two A330-200 models and six A330-300s, powered by PW4000 series engines (PW4168A) on January 27, 2005.
On 14 June 2005, private carrier Jet Airways of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for 10 firm order Airbus A330-200s/-300s with options on 10 additional airplanes. Deliveries were expected to begin in early 2007. Jet Airways will operate these airplanes in a 226 seats configuration with luxurious interiors on domestic, regional and international routes.
On 6 September 2005, China Southern Airlines along with CASGC placed an order for ten Airbus A330 wide-body airliners including eight A330-300s and two A330-200s. Aircraft deliveries were due to begin in 2007 and continue through 2008.
On 14 March 2006 Dublin-based Aer Lingus signed a an order with Airbus for two A330 airliners to be delivered in mid-2007. These aircraft, an A330-200 and an A330-300, were set to be powered by General Electric CF6 engines and delivered with a comfortable two-class cabin layout.
On 13 October, 2006, German carrier Lufthansa placed an order for five Airbus A319s, 10 A320s, 15 A321s and 5 A330-300s plus an option for an additional A320 family aircraft. The engine selection was announced October 26 and included a TotalCare services agreement along with the Rolls Royce Trent 700 engine. The engine contract was valued at $300 million and the A330 aircraft were scheduled to be delivered beginning in the first quarter of 2008.
Specifications
Accommodation:
Crew 2 , Passengers 335
Dimensions:
Height 16.5 m , Length 63.6 m , Wingspan 60.3 m
Weights:
Max Weight 234 t , Min Weight 122 t , Payload 45,900 kg (101,190 lb)
Engine/s Performance:
Thrust 144,000 lb (65,318 kg)
Performance:
Max Range 10,400 km (5,616 nm) , Top Speed 286 mps (Mach 0.86)
Australia
Bahrain / 20 
Canada
China
Finland / 7 
Germany
Guadeloupe / 1 
India
Ireland
Malaysia / 25 
Oman / 3 
South Korea
Switzerland / 9 
Taiwan
Thailand / 8 
United States of America
Vietnam