The Airbus A320 is the second best selling airliner of all time behind the Boeing 737. It's the first airliner to use a fly-by-wire control system.

The Airbus A320 is a short-haul workhorse and with 12,000+ orders it is a direct rival to Boeing’s 737.

One of the world's most widely used aircraft, it is flown by virtually every U.S. airline, and one of the A320 fleet's jets takes off or lands every 2.5 seconds. Get concise answers to your questions.

The cause is under investigation. About 3,660 of the A320 are in operation worldwide, according to Airbus. The A320 family is a popular single-aisle aircraft, with 6,200 flying worldwide.