While the Airbus A320 family as a whole has been a hit with airlines, one variant sticks out in terms of commercial success. Affectionately known as the 'Baby Bus,' the Airbus A318 is the smallest variant of the A320 family. Airbus produced less than 100 examples of the A318, which remains in limited service today. But how much is one worth?
Today's market value
Aircraft database ch-aviation.com is a useful resource when it comes to establishing the present market value of a given aircraft type. According to data on the site, this figure presently ranges from $4.33 million to $6.96 million. As you might expect, when looking at individual aircraft, there is something of a correlation between age and market value.
Indeed, ch-aviation's data shows that the oldest active A318s are also the lowest in value. The three oldest examples fly for Air France, and range from 17.9 to 18.01 years old. These are all worth $4.33 million, as are two older examples that Air France has stored.
The next-highest market value listed by ch-aviation is $4.78 million. This applies to four examples between 16.96 and 19.79 years old. Meanwhile, A318s around the 16-year mark are valued at $5.21 million. Seven A318s between 14.9 and 15.72 years old are listed at $5.66 million, while the youngest three (13.92-14.78 years old) come in at $6.2 million.
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A fraction of the list price
The market value of the Airbus A318 serves to demonstrate the rate at which aircraft depreciate. After all, the aforementioned figures are just a fraction of its list price. As Simple Flying explored in January 2021, the list price for a Baby Bus was $77.5 million. Of course, it is worth noting that airlines generally pay less than the list price by ordering aircraft in bulk.
Now 18 years since it entered service with Frontier, operators can get their hands on the A318 for far less money. However, whether there is much of a second-hand market remains to be seen, given its general lack of popularity among airlines worldwide. After all, it is the only A320 family variant that Airbus has not updated with a 'neo' series version.
Remaining examples
A key problem with the A318 was that, while it had a lower capacity, it couldn't be classified as a regional jet. This was due to the fact that regulators in Europe and the US placed it in the same category as larger variants of the A320 family. As such, it was hard to find the right niche for the type, and Airbus ended up producing just 80 examples of the A318.
According to data from ch-aviation, 20 of these short-fuselage twinjets remain active today. 16 fly for Air France, with the remaining four serving Romanian flag carrier TAROM. The French national airline also has a further two inactive examples in storage. A third inactive A318 recently came out of maintenance in Toulouse, re-entering service this week.
What do you make of the Airbus A318? Have you ever flown on a 'Baby Bus'? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!