Cockpit commonality for flexible operations

Airbus fly-by-wire technology and its commonality philosophy, make aircraft operations, training and maintenance easier, while reducing pilot training time.

Airbus’ two versions of the fly-by-wire A220 can be operated by pilots with a common type rating, while the other members of Airbus’ product line – from the single-aisle A320 Family to the wide-body A330, A350 and A380 – also are fly-by-wire aircraft that share highly similar cockpit layouts, providing the added benefit of common type ratings and mixed-fleet flying.

A220 Mock-Up Centre - Cockpit view

A220 Cockpit

The A220 Family’s state-of-the-art flight cockpit was developed to be simple, cost-effective and smart – while also reducing pilot workload and encouraging more heads-up flying. It includes such intuitive on-board equipment as a phase of flight management system (FMS), two-mode fly-by-wire flight controls and sidestick controllers.

This cockpit layout enables pilots to fly the A220 Family’s two versions – the A220-100 and longer-fuselage A220-300 variant – with the same type rating.

A320 cockpit

A320 Cockpit

The A320 Family benefits fully from the features of Airbus commonality, which airlines have come to depend on for operational versatility, for the best support of flight, cabin and maintenance crews.

Pilots can fly the A318, A319, A320 and A321 with a Single Type Rating thanks to their identical cockpits and operating procedures.

A330-800 Airbus cockpit

A330 Cockpit

The A330 benefits from the advanced Airbus cockpit design, which receives high marks from the thousands of pilots who fly Airbus aircraft daily.

The A330 Common Type Rating allows pilots to transition from A330 to A350 aircraft in only eight days without full flight simulator sessions. This enables carriers to use a single-fleet flying concept with a pool of pilots qualified for both aircraft, providing increased scheduling flexibility and mobility.

A350 cockpit HUD

A350 Cockpit

Airbus is building on its cockpit design heritage to innovate and evolve the A350’s display technology further than the advances made by the A380. Six very large liquid crystal display (LCD) screens replace the 10 large LCDs on the A380, providing ample room to show all the flight and system information needed for modern air travel, with an additional display area available for future requirements.

A380 COCKPIT

A380 Cockpit

The A380’s flight deck has been further evolved to incorporate the latest advances in technology for displays, flight management systems and navigation.

The A380 cockpit’s has eight identical large interactive displays, with cursor control provided through a track-ball. These displays provide a much larger screen area with clearer presentations, augmented by a HUD (head-up display) that increases pilot situational awareness – particularly during the approach and landing phase.

Learn more about our Airbus Family Portfolio