Narrow-body aircraft


A narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft is an airliner arranged along a single aisle permitting up to 6-abreast seating in a cabin below of width.
In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner usually configured with multiple aisles and a fuselage diameter of more than allowing at least seven-abreast seating and often more travel classes.

Capacity

The highest seating capacity of a narrow-body aircraft is 295 passengers in the Boeing 757–300, while wide-body aircraft can accommodate between 250 and 600 passengers.
2-abreast aircraft seats typically 4 to 19 passengers, 3-abreast 24 to 45, 4-abreast 44 to 80, 5-abreast 85 to 130, 6-abreast 120 to 230. For the flight length, medium-haul aircraft are typically the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, while regional airliners typically cover short haul.

Market

Historically, beginning in the late 1960s and continuing through the 1990s, twin engine narrow-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 737 Classic, McDonnell-Douglas MD-80 and Airbus A320 were primarily employed in short to medium-haul markets requiring neither the range nor the passenger-carrying capacity of that period's wide-body aircraft.
The re-engined B737 MAX and A320neo jets offer 500 miles more range, allowing them to operate the 3,000 miles transatlantic flights between the eastern U.S. and Western Europe, previously dominated by wide-body aircraft.
Norwegian Air Shuttle, JetBlue Airways and TAP Portugal will open up direct routes bypassing airline hubs for lower fares between cheaper, smaller airports.
The B737NG 3,300-mile range is insufficient for fully laden operations and operate at reduced capacity like the A318, while the Airbus A321LR could replace the less fuel efficient B757s used since its production end in 2004.
Boeing will face competition and pricing pressure from the Embraer E-Jet E2 family, Airbus A220 and Comac C919.
Between 2016 and 2035, Flightglobal expects 26,860 single-aisles to be delivered for almost $ billion, 45% Airbus A320 family ceo and neo and 43% Boeing 737 NG and max.
By June 2018, there was 10,572 Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX orders: 6,068 Airbuses and 4,504 Boeings ; 3,446 in Asia-Pacific, 2,349 in Europe, 1,926 in North America, 912 in Latin America, 654 in Middle East, 72 in Africa and 1,213 not yet bounded.
Many airlines have shown interest in the A321LR or its A321XLR derivative, and other extended-range models, for thin transatlantic and Asia-Pacific routes.

Examples

Six-abreast cabin

TypeCountryProductionFuselage widthCabin widthMax. seatsEnginesseat
width
Hawker Siddeley TridentUK1962–19781803 turbofan-
Bristol BritanniaUK1952–19601394×turboprop-
Douglas DC-8USA1958–19722694×turbojet/fan-
Ilyushin Il-62USSR/RU1963–19951864×turbofan-
Vickers VC10UK1962–19701514×turbofan-
Boeing 707/Boeing 720USA1958–19792194×turbojet/fan"
Boeing 737USA1966–present2202×turbofan17"
Boeing 757USA1981–20042952×turbofan"
Boeing 727USA1963–19841893×turbofan"
Tupolev Tu-154USSR/RU1968–20131803×turbofan-
Tupolev Tu-204RU1990–present2152×turbofan-
Tupolev Tu-334RU1999–20091022×turbofan-
Yakovlev Yak-42USSR/RU1977–20031203×turbofan-
Dassault MercureFR1971–19751622×turbofan-
Airbus A320 familyMulti1986–present2442×turbofan18"
Comac C919CN2016–present1742×turbofan-
Irkut MC-21RU2017–present2302×turbofan-
Tupolev Tu-114USSR1958–19632204×turboprop-

Five-abreast cabin

TypeCountryProductionFuselage widthCabin widthMax. seatsEnginesSeat
width
de Havilland CometUK1949–1964814×turbojet-
Douglas DC-4/DC-6/DC-7USA1942–1958954×piston engine-
Sud Aviation CaravelleFR1958–1972802×turbojet-
Vickers ViscountUK1948–1963754×turboprop-
Fokker F28/Fokker 70/Fokker 100NL1967–19971222×turbofan-
Tupolev Tu-144USSR 1963–19831404×turbojet-
McDonnell Douglas DC-9/MD-80/MD-90/Boeing 717USA1965–2006334.3 cm cm 1722×turbofan17.9"
Antonov An-148/An-158UKR2002–present992×turbofan-
Comac ARJ21CN2007–present1052×turbofan-
Boeing 377 StratocruiserUSA1947–19631144×piston engine-
Ilyushin Il-18USSR1957–19851204×turboprop-
BAC One-ElevenUK1963–19891192×turbofan-
Sukhoi Superjet 100RU2007–present1082×turbofan-
Convair 880USA1959–19621104×turbojet-
Convair 990USA1961–19631494×turbofan-
Lockheed L-188 ElectraUSA1957–1961984×turboprop-
Lockheed ConstellationUSA1943–19581094×piston engine-
Airbus A220CAN/Multi2012–present1602×turbofan"
British Aerospace 146UK1987–20011124×turbofan-

Four-abreast cabin

Three-abreast cabin

Two-abreast cabin

Image gallery