The Airbus A330-800 is the shorter airliner in the A330neo passenger-aircraft family. It develops the A330-200's basic fuselage format with new engines, a higher-span wing and updated cabin equipment. Both A330neo versions use Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 turbofans.[1][2]
Development and testing
Airbus launched the A330neo as a two-size programme, retaining the shorter and longer fuselage formats of the original A330. The A330-800 test aircraft left the paint shop in early 2018 and flew for the first time from Toulouse on 6 November that year. The smaller variant followed the A330-900 into flight testing.[2][3]
Airbus emphasised the relationship between the two neo versions during the first-flight programme, reporting more than 99 per cent commonality. The aircraft also share a type rating with other A330 models.[2]
Airframe and cabin
The A330-800 combines the shorter A330 cabin with the neo wing, which spans 64 metres, and new wingtip devices. The larger Trent 7000 engines distinguish it from the original A330-200. Airbus gives a typical three-class capacity of 257 to 271 passengers and a maximum published capacity of 406. Those figures represent different cabin-density assumptions.[1]
Airspace interior changes include revised overhead stowage and lighting, while airlines choose the seat products, premium-cabin area and entertainment installation. The lower deck accepts containerised baggage and freight. A cabin marketed for long-haul service normally devotes more space to premium seats and passenger amenities than the highest-density certified layout.[1]
Range and weight standards
Airbus's 2018 rollout announcement distinguished a 242-tonne baseline version from a proposed 251-tonne higher-weight version. It associated the heavier version with a longer-range mission.[3]
The manufacturer's current product information advertises up to 8,100 nautical miles under its stated assumptions. The smaller cabin gives the A330-800 a different capacity-and-range balance from the A330-900, even though both aircraft share their engine family and much of their equipment.[1][2]