AIRBUS A300-600F

The A300-600 jetliner’s wide-body fuselage cross-section, high versatility and low operating costs make it an ideal regional freighter.

In the A300-600F variant, this aircraft carries significant tonnage and volume on the main deck, as well as in the generous underfloor holds – accommodating the full range of existing cargo containers and pallets.

With its range of more than 4,000 nautical miles, the A300-600 has the capability to fly all major regional routes of the world’s principal economic regions.

Total cargo volume available on the A300-600F is 115.7 square metres. The aircraft is fitted with a 141 X 101-inch primary cargo door on the forward fuselage that facilitates the loading of industry-standard containers and pallets on the main deck, while large doors for the lower cargo holds facilitate the handling of freight in these below-deck zones.

On the main deck, the A300-600F’s capacity is 15 96 X 96 X125-inch pallets in single-row loading, or the side-by-side loading of up to 21 pallets sized at 88 X 96 X 125-inches. The underfloor cargo holds accept both LD3 containers (a total of 23) and pallets.

Aircraft with similar capabilities are: McDonnell Douglas DC10, Ilyushin IL-86, Boeing 767, Lockheed L-1011 ‘Tristar’.

The A300 became widely used by air freight operators; according to Airbus, it is the best selling freight aircraft of all time. Various variants of the A300 were built to meet customer demands, often for diverse roles such as aerial refuelling tankers, freighter models (new-build and conversions), combi aircraft, military airlifter, and VIP transport. Perhaps the most visually unique of the variants is the A300-600ST Beluga, an oversized cargo-carrying model operated by Airbus to carry aircraft sections between their manufacturing facilities. The A300 was the basis for, and retained a high level of commonality with, the second airliner produced by Airbus, the smaller Airbus A310.