The Airbus A320 airliner was, and still is, a hugely popular technological trailblazer. One of the most produced passenger planes in the world, it forms the backbone of many short and medium haul fleets, and in October 2024, nearly 19,000 A320 family aircraft had been ordered, with over 11,000 delivered.

The first model made its inaugural flight from Toulouse on February 22, 1987, and this image shows employees of Aerospatiale posing near the airliner just before it takes off.

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