Which airline was the launch customer for the Airbus A320 in 1988?

Air France was the launch customer for the Airbus A320. The airline introduced the aircraft into commercial service in 1988, beginning a new era for Airbus narrow-body jets.

The A320 was developed as a two-engine short- to medium-haul airliner and became notable for its digital fly-by-wire flight-control system. Instead of conventional direct mechanical controls, computers interpret pilot inputs and command the aircraft’s control surfaces.

Air France received the first production A320 and operated the inaugural passenger service from Paris to Berlin on 18 April 1988. The aircraft’s two-pilot cockpit and common design later helped airlines operate several A320-family variants.

Lufthansa is a plausible wrong answer because it was the launch customer for the Boeing 737. Air France’s role here concerns the Airbus A320, not an earlier Airbus model or the A380.