Airbus introduced electronic flight instrument displays in the A310 flight deck that replaced many of the traditional analogue dials on the main instrument panel. The A310 "glass cockpit" used six computer-driven cathode ray tube displays to show centralized flight and navigation information and monitoring and warning data.
With the A310-200, Airbus also introduced the use of lighter-weight carbon fiber reinforced plastic on secondary structures such as spoilers, airbrakes and rudder (after an earlier trial on the A300).The -300 model had an increased maximum take-off weight (337,300 lbs) and an increase in range (4,830 statute miles), provided by additional center and horizontal stabilizer fuel tanks. On the -300, Airbus first used composites on primary structures and added drag-reducing wing-tip devices that improved fuel efficiency.
In 1991, Delta acquired transatlantic routes; hub operations at New York-JFK and Frankfurt, Germany; and Shuttle from a bankrupt Pan Am and became a major provider of service across the Atlantic. The transaction included lease and purchase agreements for 45 aircraft, including 21 Airbus A310s from Pan Am—the first Airbus aircraft to join the Delta fleet:
- 7 Airbus A310-200 (3 owned, 4 leased)
- 14 Airbus A310-300 (all leased, powered with Pratt & Whitney PW4152 engines)
Delta did not fly the A310s for very long. During a difficult economic period, the airline was forced to reduce service on its new transatlantic routes and take significant steps to lower overall operating costs. At the time, most of Delta's fleet were Boeing and McDonnell Douglas aircraft.
In 1993, Delta retired nine of the former Pan Am planes and replaced them with new A310-300s leased from Airbus and returned the remaining 12 former Pan Am A310s to Airbus. The leased Airbus A310s exited the fleet in late 1995, and were replaced by Boeing 767-300s.
