After the success of the Airbus A300 and the smaller sister Airbus A310 began in the'80s, a new model under the name SA1 and SA2 (SA stands for single aisle) to develop. This was in competition with the then world leaders in the so-called "volume class" of airlines, which are found in the market segment of approximately 100 to 200 passengers making airplanes. This volume class is due to their high volumes for both the aircraft manufacturers as well as for the major airlines division. In the 80s, this aircraft like the Boeing 727 and Boeing 737 and the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 filled. One of the fathers of the A320 family: Hartmut MehdornAnfangs these plans were mainly from the French side ahead because of DASA, the project was too risky and the government was still Lufthansa urged Airbus to develop the concept under the name TA11 famous Airbus A340. After lengthy negotiations, especially where the current chief of Deutsche Bahn, Hartmut Mehdorn, the development would prevail, fell on 4 June 1981 the unofficial decision to develop the A320 and therefore for sale ( "Authorization to Offer"). Two days later Air France ordered 25 aircraft of this type and signed 25 purchase options. To log off from the existing market, various strategies have been applied. Thus the basic A320 with a loading capacity of 20% over that of the Boeing 737-300 was developed. The operating cost should be around 50% lower than for the popular Boeing 727 and beyond, the comfort with a larger fuselage cross-section increased. Also submitted to the A320, for example, as regards the wings from the beginning for other versions with different lengths of trunk. The design phase lasted almost three years. The launch of the program under the leadership of the German Wolfgang Schneider was officially on 2 March 1984 announced. After an almost three years as the main development time of the rollout was held on 14 February 1987 in Toulouse instead. Princess Diana and Prince Charles baptized there the first plane. Already at this performance were more than 260 orders, as well as more than 150 purchase options for this type before. The first flight was originally on Saturday, 21 February, which was built on the following day because the full media presence for this first flight wanted to have this would be through rugby games on this day have been restricted. The approval followed a year later on 26 February 1988 .The first batch of specimens have been sent to the launch customer Air France and British Airways delivered. British Airways acquired with the purchase of the British Caledonian also affected by this airline Orders Ten A320. The service was scheduled on 18 April 1988 recorded. Because the first customers are the engines from CFM International had chosen, after the certification programs are members of the A320 family first with the CFM-56-turbofan engines allowed. The respective competition drives, in the case of A319 to A321 and the IAE V2500 in the case of the A318 Pratt & Whitney PW6000 followed more or less short time. At the beginning of 2007 was amended by an order of the 5000th Spirit Airlines Aircraft from the A320 family ordered . After various developments of individual variants, which differ only in passenger capacity differed, there Airbus formally beginning in July 2006 announced that a revised version of the A320 with the (provisional) Title Enhanced A320 was planned.