Each of the four aircraft is controlled from its flight deck by means of the Airbus "Fly by Wire" system. This involves a series of electronic circuits that are programmed to fly the airliner according to data entered into an onboard computer. Cockpits on the A320 family are easily recognized by the "side stick controllers," which sit beside the captain's and first officer's seats.
"Cockpit commonality" is another major characteristic of the A320 family, which follows from Fly by Wire. A pilot qualified to operate the Fly by Wire system can fly any of the four aircraft that make up the family. This provides airlines with a high degree of flexibility when it comes to drawing up flight crew duty rosters. It also means that if it is necessary to change the aircraft scheduled to operate a flight at short notice, there is no need to also swap flight crews.
An important characteristic of the A320 family from the passenger's point of view is the width of the cabin on the four aircraft. This is seven inches more than the cabin of other single aisle airliners, which means passengers enjoy wider seats and more space for carry-on baggage. The extra width also creates a wider aisle, allowing passengers to board and disembark more quickly and cabin service to be carried out more efficiently. Airlines also have more scope for cabin configurations in a choice of four-, five- or six-abreast seating.
Each member of the A320 family also features "Advanced Navigation Technology." This includes "Required Navigation Performance" (RNP) capability, which cuts approach distances for landing while also cutting fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The "Global Position (GPS) Landing System" is also part of Advanced Navigation Technology. This facilitates instrument-type approaches where ground stations are not available. Other Advanced Navigation Technology systems include the "Microwave Landing System" (MLS) and the "Future Air Navigation System" (FANS). The former creates increased approach capability in low visibility conditions while the latter provides an optimized flight path and reduced aircraft spacing.
