It's disappointing how easily some on here discount the milestones that were set by the A300. For example, the A300 was the first widebody jet to introduce the two-crew cockpit. That was a HUGE innovation for airlines, and it really speaks to the level of technical innovation on the A300's flight deck.

The A300 also introduced auto-land Cat 3 capability, which was also huge for obvious reasons, and it was the first aircraft of any configuration to be certified as ETOPS-compliant.

Comments about the A300 having too short a range may be misguided, since the A300 was not designed as a long haul aircraft. According to the Airbus website, it was designed for high capacity, short to moderate range routes as a result of requests from Air France and American Airlines. That allowed airbus to use existing GE CF6 engines and not require new engines to be developed, accelerating development time while reducing cost. Its range was comparable to that of its main competitors, the domestic variant DC10 and the L1011-100.

I don't get caught up in the Airbus vs Boeing stuff, but as a bit of a jet nerd I like to at least give credit where it's due. The A300 shouldn't be dismissed so lightly. It's a shame AC never had them, as they would have been great on transcons.