The Airbus A370 is not a real production aircraft. Learn why the name appears in simulators, how it differs from the A380, and how to verify a model.
No. In Aviation & Real-World Flying, the Airbus A370 is not the designation of a real Airbus production aircraft or certificated airliner type. The name usually comes from fictional flight-simulator add-ons, speculative artwork, or confusion with the Airbus A380, the genuine four-engine, full-length double-deck airliner.
Why does the Airbus A370 name appear?
The A370 name appears because Airbus-style model numbers look sequential, even though Airbus does not assign them as a complete counting series. Airbus has produced the A300, A310, A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380 families, but the gaps do not imply that an A360 or A370 must exist.
Family numbers, variants and development codes serve different purposes. Our explanation of the A320 family and Airbus aircraft designations gives useful context for reading names such as A320-200 and A321neo.
An unused number does not prove that a future aircraft is planned. A rumour, concept rendering or plausible designation is not a launched programme, a type certificate or an aircraft in airline service. No airline operates an Airbus certificated as the A370.
Is the A370 another name for the A380?
No; A370 is not an alternative name for the Airbus A380. The real aircraft is the A380-800, and it has four engines and two full-length passenger decks.
Before receiving the A380 name, the programme was widely known by the development designation A3XX. That code sometimes adds to the confusion, but it was not the service name of a separate aircraft.
| Designation | Status | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A370 | Not a certificated Airbus production type | Usually a fictional simulator aircraft, speculative concept or mistaken name |
| A380-800 | Real Airbus airliner | The production four-engine, full-length double-deck aircraft |
| A3XX | Development designation | The early programme name for the aircraft that became the A380 |
| A388 | Operational type code | The ICAO aircraft type designator for the A380-800, not another Airbus model |
The engine count is a quick visual check. A double-deck twinjet labelled A370 is a fictional concept, not an A380. For comparison in a simulator, our A380 package for FSX and Prepar3D represents the genuine Airbus type rather than an invented A370.
Why do flight simulator add-ons use A370?
Simulator authors use A370 as a plausible fictional designation for concept and what-if aircraft. Flight-simulation libraries have long included imagined designs alongside representations of certificated aircraft.
A mistake we see repeatedly in our community is treating a convincing model name, airline livery or virtual cockpit as proof that the aircraft exists. Repaint authors can apply a real carrier's colours to any airframe, while fictional packages may reuse the panel, sounds or flight-dynamics data from another aircraft.
Internal simulator labels are not evidence either. In an FSX or Prepar3D aircraft.cfg, the title= entry inside an [fltsim.x] section merely identifies that installed variation to the simulator; its author can call it A370 without creating a real-world type.
When browsing our freeware aircraft and add-on library, read the description and included documentation for terms such as fictional, concept, what-if or fantasy. Choose an A380-800 package when accurate airline procedures and configuration matter. Choose an A370 only when you knowingly want a fictional aircraft, and do not assume real A380 performance data or checklists apply to it.
How can I check whether an Airbus model is real?
Verify the exact family and variant against manufacturer and certification records rather than relying on artwork, a download title or an airline paint scheme.
- Read the complete designation. Established commercial names include A320-200, A330-300, A350-900 and A380-800. A realistic-looking suffix added to A370 does not make it official.
- Check the aircraft's status. For a genuine type, the manufacturer's family material, type-certificate data and operator records identify the same aircraft. A370 does not appear as a certificated Airbus airliner.
- Separate model names from other codes. A3XX was a development designation, while A388 is the operational type code for the A380-800. Neither means A370.
- Inspect the add-on documentation. The description or readme should disclose when a package is fictional, conceptual or based on another aircraft's systems.
- Compare the physical configuration. A package depicting a large double-deck Airbus with two engines cannot be an accurate A380-800, which has four. Mixed features from several Airbus families are another strong sign of a fantasy design.