How to tell the A318, A319, A320 and A321 apart

An Airbus narrowbody jet taxis to the runway – round nose, two engines, Sharklets. That it belongs to the A320 family is quickly clear. But which member is it? This is exactly where many identifications fail, because the A318, A319, A320 and A321 have the same nose, the same fuselage cross-section and practically the same wing. What changes is the length – and with it the number and position of the exits. This guide shows you how to tell the A320 family apart with confidence: with a fixed sequence of emergency exits, doors, proportions and tail, plus the exceptions that trip up even experienced spotters.

The short answer

The most reliable way to tell the four family members apart is by the exits around the wing. One emergency exit per side over the wing: A318 or A319. Two emergency exits per side: A320. No small emergency exits, but large doors directly ahead of and behind the wing: classic A321. After that, you separate the A318 and A319 by length and tail, and for the A321neo you check whether it flies with the Cabin Flex door layout.

Why the four look so similar

The A320 is the original model. Its first flight took place on February 22, 1987, in Toulouse. Airbus derived a whole family from it by inserting and removing fuselage segments: first the stretched A321 (first flight 1993 in Hamburg), then the shortened A319 (first flight 1995) and finally the even shorter A318 (first flight 2002). Cockpit, fuselage cross-section, systems and the basic wing stayed the same – pilots switch between the types with a common type rating. For the A321, however, the wing got modified flaps to carry the higher weight.

For you as a spotter, that means features such as the nose, cockpit windows, landing gear or wingtips only help with the question of whether it is an A320 family member at all and which generation it belongs to. How to do the family check against Boeing is explained in the guide How to tell an Airbus from a Boeing. The question of the specific member is answered by the fuselage.

Feature	A318	A319	A320	A321ceo
Length	31.44 m	33.84 m	37.57 m	44.51 m
Height	12.56 m	11.76 m	11.76 m	11.76 m
Overwing emergency exits per side	1	1 (densely configured: 2)	2	none
Large doors per side	2	2	2	4
ICAO type code	A318	A319	A320	A321
neo counterpart	none	A319neo (A19N)	A320neo (A20N)	A321neo (A21N)

The length figures come from manufacturer data. The wingspan is the same on all four and depends only on the wingtips: about 34.1 meters with small wingtip fences, 35.8 meters with Sharklets.

Step 1: Count the exits over the wing

The overwing emergency exits are small, almost square hatches in the row of windows, often marked with a colored outline or a note in fuselage color. They sit directly above the wing so that passengers can exit over the wing in an emergency. Because the permitted number of seats is tied to the number and type of exits, Airbus gave each fuselage length the matching equipment.

• One emergency exit per side: This is the standard equipment of the A318 and A319. Next to the single exit, the area over the wing looks calm, and the row of windows runs on almost undisturbed.
• Two emergency exits per side: This is the hallmark of the A320. The two hatches sit directly one behind the other over the wing and stand out immediately in side shots.
• No emergency exits, but large doors at the wing: This is the classic A321. Instead of small hatches, it has full-size doors directly ahead of and directly behind the wing.

A practical tip: you count emergency exits best in side shots while taxiing or shortly after touchdown. On a steep approach from below, the wing and engines often hide the area. Here it is worth recounting in peace on your camera display after the sighting.

Step 2: Proportions ahead of and behind the wing

Because Airbus lengthened or shortened the fuselage segments ahead of and behind the wing by different amounts, the ratio of forward to rear fuselage changes. This ratio is a better feature than absolute length, which you can hardly judge without a reference object.

• A318: Very short forward fuselage, and the wing looks almost too big in proportion to the fuselage. Only a few windows sit between the front door and the leading edge of the wing.
• A319: Compact, and the wing sits visually roughly in the middle of the fuselage. The aircraft looks “round” and stubby.
• A320: Balanced, with visibly more fuselage ahead of and behind the wing than on the A319. If you have seen many A320s, this is where you have your inner yardstick.
• A321: Stretched, with strikingly much fuselage ahead of the wing. The wing looks dainty in proportion, and the aircraft almost reminds you of a cigar.

The difference is clearest on the A321. Compared with the A320, a longer fuselage section was added ahead of the wing than behind it, almost seven meters in total. The A319, by contrast, is only about 3.7 meters short of the A320 – that is just a few rows of seats. Anyone who judges between the A319 and A320 by feel alone is therefore wrong more often than with the A321.

Step 3: The tail of the A318

The A318 is so short that the lever arm between the center of gravity and the tail gets smaller. So that the vertical stabilizer still has enough effect, Airbus made it taller. The overall height of the A318 is 12.56 meters, while the A319, A320 and A321 are 11.76 meters – a difference of about 80 centimeters.

In a photo, this makes the tail of the A318 look strikingly large in proportion to the short fuselage. Especially against the A319, which also has only one emergency exit per side, this is the decisive feature: a short fuselage plus a normal tail makes an A319, an even shorter fuselage plus a tall tail an A318.

Add to that its rarity. The A318 was built in only small numbers – our profile of the Airbus A318 lists 80 aircraft – and has become rare in scheduled service. Some aircraft fly as business jets. If you suspect an A318, it is therefore always worth a look at the registration and type code.

Step 4: The doors of the A321 – ceo or neo

On the A321, the door layout also helps with the question of generation.

• A321ceo: Always four pairs of doors – at the front, directly ahead of the wing, directly behind the wing and at the rear. There are no overwing emergency exits.
• A321neo with classic door layout: Four pairs of doors like the ceo.
• A321neo with Airbus Cabin Flex: The pair of doors ahead of the wing is deleted. Instead, there are two pairs of emergency exits over the wing, and the door behind the wing is located farther back. That gives the cabin room for additional seats.

A useful rule of thumb follows: a very long A320 family fuselage with emergency exits over the wing is practically always an A321neo. The reverse does not hold, because there are also A321neos with the classic door layout. Be careful about confusing it with the A320: it also has two emergency exits per side. The length ahead of the wing and the additional door behind the wing then show you that it is the A321neo. You can find more on both generations in the profiles Airbus A321 and Airbus A321neo; the long-range variant is described on the page for the Airbus A321XLR.

In the end, though, you decide between ceo and neo not by the door layout but by the engines: the neo nacelles are clearly larger in diameter. How to recognize this reliably is explained in the guide How to tell the A320neo from the ceo. Wingtip fences and Sharklets help only to a limited extent – why is covered in Recognizing winglets, Sharklets and raked wingtips.

The typical mix-ups

A319 or A320

The most common question at the fence. Count the emergency exits – in most cases that is all you need. If you see two hatches but doubt the length, compare the distance between the front door and the leading edge of the wing: on the A320 it is visibly longer. Many airlines operating in central Europe use both types in parallel, such as easyJet or Lufthansa. So the airline alone does not get you anywhere. The profiles of the A319 and the A320 show further details.

A318 or A319

Both have one emergency exit per side. The difference lies in about 2.4 meters of fuselage and the taller tail of the A318. Since the A318 is rare, a simple probability rule applies: a short Airbus is almost always an A319 – unless the tail catches your eye.

A320 or A321neo with Cabin Flex

Both have two emergency exits per side. But the A321neo is about seven meters longer, has large neo engines and an additional door behind the wing. In a side photo the difference is unambiguous, but on a head-on approach it can be hard to see. Then the type code and registration help.

A321 or Boeing 757

At long distances, beginners like to confuse long narrowbody jets with each other. The 757 has a pointed Boeing nose, tall landing gear and clearly larger engines. The Boeing side of identification is covered by the guides on the Boeing 737 generations and on Boeing 757 and 767.

What to keep in mind

• Deactivated exits: If an aircraft flies with fewer seats than its exits would allow, individual exits are sometimes out of service. The outline usually stays visible – so count outlines, not just marked hatches.
• Livery deceives: Cheatlines, titles and special liveries shift the visual impression of length. A dark belly makes a fuselage look shorter, a long title longer.
• Mind the perspective: With a long focal length from an oblique front angle, the fuselage is compressed. Side shots are best for length comparisons.
• The wing stays the same: Because all four variants have practically the same wing, it is your best yardstick. The smaller it looks in relation to the fuselage, the longer the aircraft.
• Don’t go by airline alone: Almost every large European airline with an Airbus narrowbody fleet operates several lengths.

Where to see the whole family

The best places to learn are airports with lots of Airbus short-haul traffic and a good side view of taxiways. In Hamburg there is a bonus: at Airbus in Finkenwerder, members of the A320 family are assembled, and the first flights of the A321 and A319 also took place there. How to experience the plant is covered in the guide Spotting at Airbus Finkenwerder. At Hamburg Airport, the Affenfelsen and the observation deck offer good views of taxiing aircraft – ideal for counting emergency exits.

If you are just starting out, the guide Identifying aircraft types for beginners has the basic framework on which this guide builds.

Conclusion

The A320 family cannot be told apart by the nose, but by the fuselage. The overwing emergency exits separate the A318/A319 from the A320, and the large doors at the wing mark the classic A321. Proportions and tail do the rest, and on the A321neo the Cabin Flex door layout gives you an additional clue. With a bit of practice, a glance at the wing area is enough for you at the fence.