DUSHANBE, April 23, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Tajik national air carrier, Tajik Air, has taken Airbus Air320 from Lithuania Smart Links on wet leasing basis for a short term, the Tajik Air press center reported.

“A contract was signed at the beginning of the spring and this aircraft is used to operate flights from Dushanbe to Khujand,” said the source, “Two Tajik Air’s Boeings are still under repair, and therefore, it was decided to lease A320 for a short period, until May.”

The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.  The family includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, as well as the ACJ business jet.  The aircraft family can accommodate up to 220 passengers and has a range of 3,100 to 12,000 kilometers, depending on model.

The first member of the A320 family -- the A320 -- was launched in March 1984, first flew on February 22, 1987, and was first delivered in 1988.  The family was soon extended to include the A321 (first delivered 1994), the A319 (1996), and the A318 (2003).

Wikipedia reports that as of 30 March 2011, a total of 4,619 Airbus A320 family aircraft have been delivered, of which 4,532 are in active service. In addition, another 2,306 airliners are on firm order.