Airbus’s first commercial aircraft was designated the A300.
The A300 was a twin-engine wide-body airliner developed by Airbus Industrie, the European consortium formed to challenge the dominance of established American manufacturers. Its first flight took place in 1972, and it entered service with Air France in 1974.
The “300” was connected to Airbus’s original design target of about 300 seats, although actual seating depended on the airline’s configuration. The A300 is often confused with the A310 because the A310 was a shorter, later derivative. The A300 also became an important freighter platform, remaining in cargo service long after many passenger examples had retired.