narrow-body aircraft

Information about narrow-body aircraft

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This Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 is an example of a narrow-body passenger cabin.


A narrow-body aircraft is an airliner with a fuselage aircraft cabin diameter typically of 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 ft), and airline seat arranged 2 to 6 abreast along a single aisle. Typically, in the United States at least, narrow body aircraft are used by national, and major airlines and air carriers and not by regional airlines which are often limited by the size of equipment that may be used due to airline contractual employee "Scope Clauses." Regional airlines in the United States tend to operate equipment with less then 100 seats and usually with less than 4 abreast coach seating and never more then 5 abreast coach seating in aircraft with a considerably tight, diametrical fitness ratio which at times can be claustrophobia inducing to many unseasoned as well as experienced airline passengers.

In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner and is usually configured with multiple travel classes with a fuselage diameter of 5 to 6 metres (16 to 20 ft) and twin aisles. Passengers are usually seated 7 to 10 abreast. For comparison, typical wide-body aircraft can accommodate between 200 and 600 passengers, while the largest narrow-body aircraft currently in widespread service the Boeing 757-300 carries a maximum of about 250.

Popular narrow-body aircraft

Mainline narrow-bodies

  • Airbus A320 - the second best selling jet airliner family of all time
  • Boeing 707 - the first commercially successful jet airliner, 148 inch outside diameter
  • Boeing 717 - the latest iteration of the DC-9, 132 inch outside diameter
  • Boeing 727 - at one time the most-produced airliner, 148 inch outside diameter
  • Boeing 737 - the world's best selling jet aircraft, replacing the 727, 148 inch outside diameter
  • Boeing 757 - the largest of current major narrow bodies,148 inch outside diameter
  • Douglas DC-8 - the 60 series are the largest narrow-body subsonic airliner ever built, 163 inch outside diameter
  • McDonnell Douglas DC-9 - 132 inch outside diameter
  • McDonnell Douglas MD-80/MD-90 - a development of the DC-9, 132 inch outside diameter

"Scopeliner" narrow-bodies

These full size, modern, and comfortable turbofan airliners, typically could have been flow as mainline aircraft in an earlier airline generation. However mainline airlines have intentionally limited their usage within mainline fleets to avoid what industry airline managerial leaders consider unjustified compensation level for pilots flying these controversially sized aircraft which are often limited in regional configurations by "Scope Clauses" to 59-99 passenger and sometimes slightly more.

Regional narrow-bodies

airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft with the primary function of transporting paying passengers. Such aircraft are usually operated by an airline which owns or leases the aircraft.
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fuselage (from the French fuselé "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached
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aircraft cabin is the section of an aircraft in which passengers travel, often just called the cabin. At cruising altitudes, the surrounding atmosphere is too thin to breathe without an oxygen mask, so cabin pressurization adapts the cabin to atmospheric pressures.
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Airline seats are chairs on an airliner in which passengers are accommodated for the duration of the journey. Such seats are usually arranged in rows running across the airplane's fuselage. A diagram of such seats in an aircraft is called an airline seat map.
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“National airlines” redirects here. For airlines named National Airlines, see National Airlines.


A flag carrier or de facto flag carrier, refers to:

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Major carrier or more semantically correct, major airline carrier is a designation given by the United States Department of Transportation to U.S.-based airlines that post more than $1 billion in revenue during a fiscal year.
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airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit.
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Regional airlines are passenger airlines that provides services to smaller communities, frequently connecting to larger cities, and is generally intended to feed a larger airline with larger aircraft.
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Specific (isolated) phobias
Classification & external resources

ICD-10 F40.2
ICD-9 300.29

Claustrophobia is an anxiety disorder that involves the fear of enclosed or confined spaces.
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wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with a fuselage diameter of 5 to 6 metres (16 to 20 ft). In common terms, it refers to an aircraft with twin aisles inside the cabin. Passengers are usually seated 7 to 10 abreast.
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A travel class is a quality of accommodation on public transport. The accommodation could be a seat or a cabin for example. Higher travel classes are more comfortable and more expensive.
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worldwide view.


A mainline flight is one that is operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares or regional subsidiaries.
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Type Airliner
Manufacturer Airbus
Maiden flight 1987-02-22
Introduced 1988-03-28
Status Active service
Primary users US Airways
United Airlines
Air France
Northwest Airlines
Number built
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Type Airliner
Manufacturer Boeing Airplane Company
Maiden flight December 20, 1957
Introduction October 1958 with Pan American
Produced 1958-1978
Number built 1,010
Developed from Boeing 367-80
Variants
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Type Airliner
Manufacturer Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Maiden flight September 2 1998
Introduction October 12 1999
Status Out of production
Primary users AirTran
Midwest Airlines
QantasLink
Hawaiian Airlines

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Type Airliner
Manufacturer Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Maiden flight 1963-02-09
Introduction 1964-02-01 with Eastern Air Lines
Status Out of production
Primary user FedEx
Produced 1963 - 1984
Number built
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Type Airliner
Manufacturer Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Maiden flight 9 April 1967
Introduction 10 February 1968 with Lufthansa
Status Active
Primary users Southwest Airlines
Continental Airlines
Ryanair
US Airways
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Type Airliner
Manufacturer Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Maiden flight 1982-02-19
Introduction 1983-01-01 with Eastern Air Lines
Primary users Delta Air Lines
American Airlines
United Airlines
United Parcel Service

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Type Airliner
Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft
McDonnell Douglas
Maiden flight 1958-05-30
Introduced September 1959 with United Airlines and Delta Air Lines
Status Remain in service for cargo and VIP transport
Produced 1958-1972
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Type Airliner
Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft
McDonnell Douglas
Maiden flight 1965-02-25
Introduction 1965-12-08 with Delta Air Lines
Status Out of Production
Primary user Northwest Airlines (108)
Produced
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Type Airliner
Manufacturers McDonnell Douglas
Boeing
Designed by McDonnell Douglas
Maiden flight MD-80 series: 1979-10-25
MD-90: 1993-02-22
Introduction MD-80 series: 1980 with Swissair and Austrian Airlines
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Type Airliner
Manufacturers British Aerospace
BAE Systems
Maiden flight 1981-09-03
Introduced May 1983
Status Active service
Produced 1978-2003
Number built 387 (Avro RJ: 166; BAe 146: 221) The BAe 146
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Type Airliner
Manufacturer Embraer
Introduced 2004, LOT Polish Airlines
Primary users JetBlue Airways
Air Canada
Shuttle America
Republic Airlines
Number built 256 as of June 30, 2007
Unit cost US$27.4-34.
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Type airliner
Manufacturer Fokker
Maiden flight April 4, 1993
Introduced October 1994 with Ford Motor Company
Primary users KLM Cityhopper (21)
Austrian Arrows (6)
Malev Hungarian Airlines (5)
Austrian Airlines (3)

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Mesa Air Group

Public (NASDAQ: MESA )
Founded 1982
Headquarters Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Key people Jonathan G. Ornstein, Chairman & CEO
Michael J.
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YV ICAO
ASH Callsign
AIR SHUTTLE
Founded 1982
Hubs As US Airways Express:
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
McCarran International Airport
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
As United Express:
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HP ICAO
AWE Callsign
CACTUS
Founded 1981
Hubs Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
McCarran International Airport
Ceased Operation 2007
(Operating as US Airways)
Frequent flyer program Flight fund
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Regional airlines are passenger airlines that provides services to smaller communities, frequently connecting to larger cities, and is generally intended to feed a larger airline with larger aircraft.
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Type Regional airliner
Manufacturer ATR
Status In revenue service
Primary user American Eagle
Number built 323+
Developed from ATR 42

The ATR 72
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Type Regional jet
Manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace
Maiden flight 10 May 1991
Introduction 1992 (Lufthansa)
Status In production
Primary users SkyWest Airlines (190)
Comair (168)
Atlantic Southeast Airlines (144)
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