At what speed does an Airbus A320 take off?

Before lining up on the runway, an A320 crew enters the takeoff weight and aerodrome conditions and gets three speeds. V1 marks the point of no return: below it the takeoff is aborted, above it the flight continues even if an engine fails. VR is rotation, the moment to raise the nose. V2 guarantees a safe climb with one engine out. In normal operation, these figures fall between 240 and 290 km/h (130-155 kn) indicated.

Weight is the main one. An A320 departing with seventy passengers on a forty-minute hop rotates noticeably earlier than one at maximum weight with fuel to cross the Mediterranean and arrive with a comfortable margin. Configuration also matters: the aircraft has several takeoff flap and slat settings, and the most extended one allows a slower rotation in exchange for a less brilliant initial climb.

The air does the rest. Heat and altitude reduce density, so the wing needs more true airspeed and the engines deliver less thrust; a summer departure from a mountain airport needs more runway than the same aircraft in winter by the sea. A headwind, meanwhile, provides free relative speed and shortens the run.

On most takeoffs the A320 doesn't use all the available thrust. If the runway is long and the weight moderate, reduced power is applied, calculated to meet all safety margins with less engine wear and less noise. The aircraft accelerates somewhat more slowly and covers more ground before rotating, but the target speeds remain the same, because they depend on the wing's aerodynamics and not on the throttle setting.