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AIRBUS ACJ318
Airbus ACJ318 for Sale: The A318 That Turned an Airline Cabin Into a Private Jet
The 2005 A318 Transformation
Airbus ACJ318 for Sale: The A318 That Turned an Airline Cabin Into a Private Jet
The Short Story
The ACJ318 is an unusual aircraft.
Airbus took the smallest member of the A320 family and built a corporate aircraft around the thing it already had in abundance: cabin space. The A318 Elite was launched in 2005, giving private operators access to an aircraft with the dimensions and systems of a commercial airliner, but with a completely different interior mission.
That decision still explains the ACJ318 today.
You are looking at a 21.26 m long aircraft with a 3.70 m wide fuselage, fly-by-wire controls and an A320-family cockpit. Depending on the completion, the cabin can be arranged for 14 or 19 passengers, with lounges, dining areas, offices and sleeping accommodation.
It is a lot of airplane for a private cabin.
The important part for a buyer is that ACJ318s are not identical. Engine type, auxiliary fuel, interior weight, avionics, maintenance status and the actual completion can change the aircraft's value and mission considerably.
The Short Story
The ACJ318 is an unusual aircraft.
Airbus took the smallest member of the A320 family and built a corporate aircraft around the thing it already had in abundance: cabin space. The A318 Elite was launched in 2005, giving private operators access to an aircraft with the dimensions and systems of a commercial airliner, but with a completely different interior mission.
That decision still explains the ACJ318 today.
You are looking at a 21.26 m long aircraft with a 3.70 m wide fuselage, fly-by-wire controls and an A320-family cockpit. Depending on the completion, the cabin can be arranged for 14 or 19 passengers, with lounges, dining areas, offices and sleeping accommodation.
It is a lot of airplane for a private cabin.
The important part for a buyer is that ACJ318s are not identical. Engine type, auxiliary fuel, interior weight, avionics, maintenance status and the actual completion can change the aircraft's value and mission considerably.
Specifications That Combined Scale and Luxury
- Range: 7,778 km (4,000 nm) - transatlantic with reserves.
- Maximum takeoff weight: up to 68,000 kg, depending on the certified variant.
- Cabin width: 3.70 m.
- Cabin height: 2.25 m at the standard cabin reference point.
- Passenger capacity: up to 19 in corporate configurations.
- Maximum operating altitude: 41,000 ft.
- Maximum fuel: up to 25,859 litres in the ACJ configuration with an auxiliary centre tank, according to Airbus aircraft characteristics data.
- Engines: CFM56-5B or Pratt & Whitney PW6000 family, depending on the A318 variant. EASA's current A.064 certification record covers the A318 family.
- Maximum speed: 440 kt.
Three Things Worth Knowing
- Same model. Different airplane.
EASA's A.064 certification material covers multiple A318 variants, while CFM documentation confirms the CFM56-5B application to the A318.
When comparing two aircraft, I would start with the serial number, engine model, fuel installation and completion weight.
Not the advertisement headline.
- The cabin is the real advantage.
A current 19-seat example can sleep eight passengers, while the same basic airframe can be arranged around private living and working areas. Another ACJ318 operated by Gama Aviation was configured for 14 VIP passengers.
That flexibility is difficult to reproduce in a conventional business jet without moving into a much larger aircraft.
- Airbus support is still part of the equation.
Airbus currently maintains ACJ Care, dedicated customer support and an ACJ Service Centre Network. Airbus lists eight approved facilities covering maintenance, cabin refurbishment and system upgrades.
EASA's A.064 certificate remains active, with the current record showing Issue 92 in June 2026.
That does not make an individual aircraft automatically easy or cheap to own. It does mean the buyer is dealing with a supported Airbus type rather than an orphaned airframe.
Three Reasons an Owner Might Choose It
- The cabin gives you room to work with.
The 3.70 m fuselage width allows an interior designer to create spaces that feel closer to a small private residence than a traditional business jet. Actual ACJ318 completions show lounges, dining areas, offices and bedrooms rather than just rows of executive seats.
If several passengers travel together regularly, that space can be used every minute of the flight.
- The aircraft can carry a group without becoming a small airliner inside.
That is a useful combination. One aircraft can work for a family trip, a corporate group or a VVIP mission without changing the basic platform.
- You accept the size because you want the cabin.
The ACJ318 is heavier and more complex than a conventional business jet in the same mission class, and the airframe's age now needs to be considered alongside engine and maintenance status.
For an owner who regularly carries ten or more passengers, that trade can work very well. For a smaller passenger load, a Global, Gulfstream or Falcon may be the more practical aircraft.
The Verdict
The ACJ318 is a specialist aircraft with a very clear reason for existing.
Its cabin is the attraction. The A320-family platform, Airbus support structure and capacity for up to 19 passengers make it unusual among private aircraft.
Range should be evaluated aircraft by aircraft. A current real-world ACJ318 example is published at 3,450 nm, while other ACJ318 configurations have been marketed with longer range capability.
For an owner moving eight to 19 passengers on regional and intercontinental missions where cabin space is important, the ACJ318 deserves a serious look.
Looking for an Airbus ACJ318 for Sale?
Give us the mission first:
Its cabin is the attraction. The A320-family platform, Airbus support structure and capacity for up to 19 passengers make it unusual among private aircraft.
Range should be evaluated aircraft by aircraft. A current real-world ACJ318 example is published at 3,450 nm, while other ACJ318 configurations have been marketed with longer range capability.
For an owner moving eight to 19 passengers on regional and intercontinental missions where cabin space is important, the ACJ318 deserves a serious look.
Looking for an Airbus ACJ318 for Sale?
Give us the mission first:
- How many passengers?
- Which routes?
- How much range do you need?
- What year or configuration do you prefer?
- What are your requirements for engines, maintenance and avionics?
- Where will the aircraft be registered and operated?
AIRBUS ACJ318 OVERVIEW
AIRBUS ACJ318 ROUTE PERFOMANCE
AIRBUS ACJ318 VS COMPETITORS
ACJ318 vs the competition. Who really wins?
Note: Seats (max) indicates maximum seating capacity; actual seating may vary by aircraft configuration. Range is indicative and may vary depending on configuration, payload, weather, operating conditions and other factors. Price ranges reflect current market asking prices and are provided for reference only. Actual prices may vary depending on the specific aircraft, condition, configuration, maintenance status and market conditions.
FAQ | AIRBUS ACJ318
To buy, or not to buy?
Time is money.
Lost time costs more than the jet.
Time is money.
Lost time costs more than the jet.
Q:
Why an ACJ318?
Support:
Because you don't always need more.
You need the right aircraft.
The ACJ318 gives you Airbus scale, private-cabin freedom and a very different ownership proposition.
Big enough to impress. Small enough to make sense.
You need the right aircraft.
The ACJ318 gives you Airbus scale, private-cabin freedom and a very different ownership proposition.
Big enough to impress. Small enough to make sense.
Q:
ACJ318 or ACJ319?
Support:
The ACJ319 gives you more.
The real question is:
Do you need more?
If not, you're paying for capacity you won't use.
Luxury is not having more. It's having exactly what you want.
The real question is:
Do you need more?
If not, you're paying for capacity you won't use.
Luxury is not having more. It's having exactly what you want.
Q:
ACJ318 or Gulfstream G500?
Support:
Don't compare the logos.
Compare your life.
How far you fly. Who flies with you. What you need inside. How you want to use the aircraft.
A business jet is built around a mission. An ACJ can be built around an owner.
Compare your life.
How far you fly. Who flies with you. What you need inside. How you want to use the aircraft.
A business jet is built around a mission. An ACJ can be built around an owner.
Q:
Can I make the cabin truly mine?
Support:
That's the whole point.
Bedroom.
Office.
Lounge.
Dining.
Meeting space.
Whatever your operation requires.
No airline seat map. No standard answer. No one else's idea of luxury.
Bedroom.
Office.
Lounge.
Dining.
Meeting space.
Whatever your operation requires.
No airline seat map. No standard answer. No one else's idea of luxury.
Q:
Are you a broker or an operator?
Support:
Both.
But there is a difference.
We own aircraft.
We fly them.
We manage them.
We maintain them.
We know what happens when the sales team leaves and the first maintenance invoice arrives.
That's where ownership becomes real.
But there is a difference.
We own aircraft.
We fly them.
We manage them.
We maintain them.
We know what happens when the sales team leaves and the first maintenance invoice arrives.
That's where ownership becomes real.
Q:
What's the most expensive mistake?
Support:
Buying the cheapest aircraft.
The purchase price gets headlines.
Maintenance gets the money.
A cheap ACJ318 can become a very expensive ACJ318.
The purchase price gets headlines.
Maintenance gets the money.
A cheap ACJ318 can become a very expensive ACJ318.
Q:
Can you find one off-market?
Support:
Sometimes.
We don't stop when the public listings end.
Private owners. Operators. Direct opportunities.
The aircraft you want may not be for sale. Yet.
We don't stop when the public listings end.
Private owners. Operators. Direct opportunities.
The aircraft you want may not be for sale. Yet.
Q:
Why BUSINESSAVIATION.com?
Support:
Because we don't just sell aircraft from behind a desk.
We own them.
We fly them.
We manage them.
We maintain them.
Since 1995.
So before we recommend an ACJ318, we ask one question:
“Would we put our own people on it?”
If the answer is no, you will hear it from us.
That's not brokerage. That's accountability.
We own them.
We fly them.
We manage them.
We maintain them.
Since 1995.
So before we recommend an ACJ318, we ask one question:
“Would we put our own people on it?”
If the answer is no, you will hear it from us.
That's not brokerage. That's accountability.