Originally Posted by
readywhenyouare
PMDL had the textbook version of this with the 737-800 and 737-700. The -800 was ordered in the greatest number due to its great capacity. The -700 was ordered in limited numbers for airports where its performance was necessary. So why did NWA, UA, and US order so many A319's? This question has been bugging me for the longest time and no one has been able to answer to it.
From my (limited) understanding, the A319/A320 can be configured with load and power specs for each artiness specific needs. It appears navigation and handling fees depend on MTOW so assiging lower MTOW on A319s would make them less costly to operate than A320s. Also, from what I have gathered, the most popular configurations of A319s allow for 800nm longer range than an A320 so the A319s can operate longer routes with lower MTOW configuration. That makes A319s more route flexible at a lower operating cost.