This week marks 34 years since the Airbus A330 wide-body airliner made its first flight on 2 November 1992, the start of a programme that became a mainstay of modern commercial aviation.

Airbus launched the A330/A340 programme in 1987, developing the four-engine A340 for long-range operations and the twin-engine A330 for airlines seeking wide-body capacity with two-engine operating economics.

The A330 entered commercial service in 1994 with French airline Air Inter as launch operator, and the shorter, longer-range A330-200 followed in 1998.

In the decades since, the A330 has evolved into dedicated freighters, the next-generation A330neo passenger family, and the A330 MRTT military multi-role tanker transport.

Source: Aerospace Global News