The Airbus A320 was the first member of the A320 family to enter service.
The A320 family began with the standard A320, a narrow-body twin-engine jet designed for short- and medium-haul routes. Air France became the launch operator, entering the aircraft into commercial service in 1988. The A319, A321, and A318 were later shortened or lengthened derivatives.
The family introduced several important features to mainstream commercial aviation, including digital fly-by-wire controls and a cockpit designed around sidesticks. These features were paired with a common cockpit philosophy that helped airlines move pilots between variants with limited additional training.
The A320 should not be confused with the entire A320 family. “A320 family” includes several related aircraft, while “A320” specifically identifies the original baseline variant.