What was the first wide-body twin-engine commercial airliner?

The Airbus A300 was the first wide-body twin-engine commercial airliner.

Airbus developed the A300 in the late 1960s to carry large numbers of passengers on short- and medium-haul routes. Its wide fuselage provided two aisles and more cabin space than narrow-body aircraft, while its two engines reduced fuel use and operating costs compared with four-engine wide-body designs.

The A300 first flew in 1972 and entered commercial service with Air France in 1974. At the time, some airlines and regulators were cautious about relying on two engines for larger aircraft, especially on long routes. The A300 helped demonstrate that twin-engine wide-body operations could be commercially successful.

The aircraft is sometimes confused with the later A310, which was a shorter derivative. The Boeing 767 also became an important twin-engine wide-body, but it entered service after the A300. The A300 established a design approach that later became common throughout international aviation.