Photos of the Week: All in the Family
Airbus planes gather in Tampa, excited family boards flight to vacation
By BlueSkyStaff
Published May 16, 2022
Read Time: 2 mins
Think all planes look the same?
If you erased airlines’ liveries, you might be right. Airplane manufacturers Boeing and Airbus dominate the commercial aviation market, with nearly 99 percent of all orders controlled by both manufacturers thanks in large part to their popular A320 and 737 series aircraft.
Airbus’ A320 first entered service in 1988 and was the company’s first mass-produced narrowbody jet. Since its introduction, Airbus has built over 10,000 A320 series aircraft for the global aviation market, with an additional 6,000 on order as of April 2022.
The A320 family spans multiple variants: the shorter A319, the standard-sized A320 and the stretched A321. In 2012, Airbus updated its best-selling jet with the launch of the A320neo, which includes quieter engines and upgraded winglets to enhance fuel efficiency.
Many U.S. carriers operate hundreds of A320 series aircraft in their fleets, making it one of the most common types at airports nationwide. American Airlines is the largest A320 series operator worldwide with over 400 in active service. Other U.S. A320 operators include Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines.
Casper Wood caught a trio of Airbus planes at Tampa International Airport. In the foreground is a JetBlue A320 in the airline’s FlyFi special livery promoting the airline’s fleet-wide WiFi. In the background, a Frontier A320neo sits parked in front of a hangar. An A321 formerly operated by the now-defunct British airline Thomas Cook is also visible.
It is anyone’s guess as to how many passengers these Airbus planes have transported during their flying careers, many of them being travelers happy to be going on vacation.
But it is hard to imagine any passengers being more excited than Jennifer Soscia’s kids, Greyson and Fynnlee, as they boarded their flight from Pittsburgh to Orlando for a family trip to Walt Disney World.
Thanks, Casper and Jennifer!
Our readers continue to pass along shots of unique aircraft, international airports, historical events, gorgeous views and even family vacation photos for this feature. We love them! Keep them coming—you can click here for submission guidelines.
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