Crash Airbus had good safety record

The type of Airbus which crashed in New York is one of the earlier models but is widely used by airlines across the world and has a good safety record.

The A300-600 is one of three types in the series and has proved to be popular with airlines, according to the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse.

There are about 250 A300-600s flying, with a typical seating capacity of around 266 passengers.

American Airlines has 35 Airbus 300 planes, all assembled in Toulouse.

Wings for the A300 are manufactured at the Airbus factory in Broughton, on the Welsh/English border near Chester.

The A300 first flew in 1983 and entered service a year later.