The Airbus A320 made its first flight in 1987, marking the beginning of a highly influential narrow-body aircraft family.
The prototype flew on 22 February 1987 from Toulouse, France. Airbus designed the A320 for short- and medium-haul routes, with a two-person cockpit and digital fly-by-wire flight controls. It entered commercial service with Air France in 1988.
The A320 should not be confused with the earlier Airbus A300 or A310, which were larger wide-body aircraft. The A320 family later expanded to include the shorter A318, the standard A319, the stretched A321, and the re-engined A320neo family. Its success made it one of the world's most widely operated commercial aircraft types.