Airbus A320: Short-haul workhorse with one of aviation industry's best safety records

A British Airways Airbus A320. Photo: Deposit

The Airbus A320 - one of which has disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea with 66 people on board - is a short-haul workhorse with one of the industry's best safety records.

The model is a twin-engine, single-aisle plane seating 150 passengers in a standard two-class configuration. It is powered by CFM 56-5A1 engines.