25 July 2022 Why Airbus Never Built a Trijet My thoughts on why Airbus evaded the trijet market. Today, Airbus is one of the most dominant aircraft manufacturers in the commercial aviation sector. They have produced a wide range of aircraft, from short-haul narrow-body aircraft to the largest passenger airliner ever made. However, Airbus never built a three-engined airliner. Why? From the beginning, Airbus has tried to outperform the competition. For instance, the A$300$ (their first aircraft) was designed to compete with the American trijets, specifically the DC-$10$ and L-$1011$ TriStar. So, it wouldn’t look good for Airbus if they developed a trijet later on. Airbus A$300$ Also, creating a new aircraft that would fit three engines might not have been feasible. The A$300$ was well-designed, and Airbus instead chose to slightly improve its design in subsequent aircraft models, such as the A$330$ family. Now, let’s fast-forward to the A$340$, Airbus’ first four-engined airliner aimed toward the ultra-long-haul market. It was only able to achieve its range through the addition of fuel tanks. So, it makes sense that Airbus decided to go with four engines - to provide the power necessary to carry the additional weight of the fuel. Singapore Airlines A$340$ At the end of the day, Airbus’ absence in the trijet market has worked out well for them. Airbus has never been much of a cargo aircraft manufacturer, so it’s probably better for them to develop more efficient two-engined airliners. Subscribe to CaptMD-11 Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox Subscribe