Airbus 330-300

The Airbus A330-300 is a wide-body, twin-engine commercial jet airliner. It was the first variant of the A330 family to enter service (in 1994).

It was specifically designed to replace older generations of aircraft like the Airbus A300 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 on high-density, medium-to-long-range routes. Its primary competitor during its prime was the Boeing 777-200. More information below.

PH A330-300 Aer Lingus

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PH A330-300 Aeroflot '100 years'

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GJ A330-300 Air Canada

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PH A330-300 Air Canada

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PH A330-300 Air Canada 'Fly the Flag'

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DW A330-300 Air Caraibles

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PH A330-300 Air Caraibes

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PH A330-300 Air China 'Star Alliance'

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PH A330-300 Brussels Airlines (OO-SFX)

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PH A330-300 Brussels

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PL A330-300 Cathay Pacific

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PL A330-300 Cathay Pacific (B-HLW)

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PL A330-300 Cathay Dragon (B-LAA)

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PH A330-300 China Airlines '50th'

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PH A330-300 China Airlines

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PL A330-300 China Airlines '60th' (B-18317)

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DW A330-300 China Eastern 'Expo 2010'

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PH A330-300 China Eastern

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PH A330-300 China Eastern

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PH A330-300 China Eastern 'Xinhuanet'

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PH A330-300 China Eastern 'Horticultural Expo'

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GJ A330-300 Delta Air Lines

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PL A330-300 DHL

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PL A330-300 Dragonair (B-HYH)

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PH A330-300 Etihad

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PL A330-300 Eva Air (B-16340)

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PL A330-300 Eva Air 'Celebration Flight'

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PL A330-300 Eva Air 'Hello Kitty Magic Stars'

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PL A330-300 Eva Air 'Hello Kitty Loves Apples'

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PH A330-300 Garuda Indonesia

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PL A330-300 Garuda Indonesia 'Pokemon'

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PH A330-300 Garuda Indonesia Cargo

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PH A330-300 Hainan Airlines

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PH A330-300 KLM '100 Years'

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PL A330-300 Korean Air

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PL A330-300 Korean Air

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Key Design Characteristics

1. Fuselage and Capacity (The "Volume" Specialist):

Length: The A330-300 is the longest variant of the original A330 CEO (Current Engine Option) family, measuring approximately 63.7 meters (208 feet 11 inches) in length. This is about 4.7 meters longer than the A330-200.

Seating: Because of its extra length, its primary strength is capacity. In a typical two-class configuration (business and economy), it seats approximately 277 passengers. In high-density configurations used by charter airlines or regional Asian carriers, it can accommodate up to 440 passengers.

Cargo: The longer fuselage gives the A330-300 a massive lower-deck cargo hold. It can carry significantly more containerized freight than the -200, making it highly profitable for airlines that rely on cargo revenue in addition to passengers.

2. Range and Performance:

The Trade-off: The A330-300 shares the same wing and similar fuel capacity as the smaller -200. However, because the -300 carries a heavier fuselage and more passengers/cargo, it burns fuel faster.

Range: Consequently, its range is shorter than the -200. It can fly approximately 6,350 nautical miles (11,750 km) with a typical passenger load.

Use Case: While it cannot match the ultra-long range of the -200, the -300's range is perfect for virtually all transatlantic routes (e.g., London to New York) and major intra-Asia routes (e.g., Tokyo to Singapore). It is known as a highly efficient "regional widebody."

3. Engines and Technology:

Engines: Like the -200, it is powered by two large turbofan engines under the wings, with the same choices available to airlines: General Electric CF6, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or the very popular Rolls-Royce Trent 700.

Commonality: It features the standard Airbus fly-by-wire cockpit. It has tremendous commonality with the A320 family and was developed simultaneously with the four-engine A340, allowing pilots to easily transition between these aircraft types.

4. Cabin Experience:

The cabin is identical in width to the A330-200.

It is famously appreciated by economy passengers for its standard 2-4-2 seating layout. This layout is preferred over competitors' 3-3-3 or 3-4-3 layouts because, in the window pairs, passengers are never more than one seat away from an aisle, and couples can sit together without a stranger next to them.

A330-300 vs. A330-200

The relationship between the two models can be summarized simply:

A330-200: Shorter body, fewer seats, longer range. (The distance specialist).

A330-300: Longer body, more seats/cargo, shorter range. (The volume specialist).

The A330-300 is a workhorse of the aviation industry, favored by airlines for routes that have high passenger demand but don't require extreme flying distances.