Airbus A340

Airbus A340
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Name	Airbus A340
Type	Wide-body jet airliner
National origin	Multinational
Manufacturer	Airbus
First flight	25 October 1991
Introduction	March 1993 with Lufthansa
Status	In limited service
Primary users	Lufthansa, Mahan Air, South African Airways, Azerbaijan Airlines
Produced	1991–2011
Number built	377

Airbus A340. The Airbus A340 is a long-range, wide-body passenger airliner developed and produced by the European aerospace consortium Airbus. It was designed in parallel with the twin-engine Airbus A330 and first flew in 1991, entering service with launch customer Lufthansa in 1993. The four-engine configuration was initially favored by many airlines for its extended range and performance on long overwater routes under ETOPS regulations of the time.

Development and design

The program was launched in June 1987 alongside the Airbus A330, sharing a common fuselage and wing design to reduce development costs. The design philosophy centered on a four-engine layout to achieve very long range, appealing to carriers operating major intercontinental routes like those across the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Key partners included Aérospatiale, Deutsche Airbus, and British Aerospace, with major assemblies produced across France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain. The aircraft incorporated advanced fly-by-wire technology and featured a two-crew glass cockpit with side-stick controllers, similar to the systems pioneered on the Airbus A320. The initial variants, the A340-200 and A340-300, were powered by four CFM International CFM56 turbofan engines.

Operational history

The A340 entered commercial service with Lufthansa on the Frankfurt to New York JFK route in March 1993. It became a mainstay on long-haul networks for major flag carriers such as Air France, Iberia, Virgin Atlantic, and Singapore Airlines, often serving prestigious hubs like Heathrow, Changi Airport, and Charles de Gaulle Airport. The aircraft was particularly popular on "ultra-long-haul" routes, including Singapore Airlines' non-stop flights between Singapore and Los Angeles. However, with the advancement of more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft like the Boeing 777 and later the Airbus A350, sales declined, leading to the end of production in 2011. Many have since been retired by major operators and placed into storage at facilities like Teruel Airport.

Variants

The initial A340-300 and shorter-fuselage A340-200 were the first models offered. The significantly larger and more powerful A340-500 and A340-600 were developed in the late 1990s, with the -500 holding the title for the world's longest-range commercial airliner upon its introduction with Emirates. The A340-600, the longest variant, entered service with Virgin Atlantic and featured a distinctive four-wheel center main landing gear bogie. A proposed freighter version, the A340-800F, was studied but never launched. All variants were offered with engine choices from either CFM International or, for the -500/-600, Rolls-Royce with its Trent 500 engine.

Specifications

Specifications vary significantly between variants. The A340-300 typically seats around 295 passengers in a three-class layout and has a range of approximately 13,700 km. The ultra-long-range A340-500 could fly over 16,700 km, enabling non-stop routes like Newark to Singapore. The largest variant, the A340-600, stretches over 75 meters in length and can accommodate around 380 passengers. The aircraft's wingspan is just under 63 meters across all models, with the -500/-600 featuring larger winglets. Maximum takeoff weights range from around 275 tonnes for the -200 to over 380 tonnes for the -600.

Operators

As of recent years, the largest operator of the A340 is Lufthansa, which continues to fly several A340-300s and A340-600s. Other significant current operators include Mahan Air of Iran, South African Airways, and Azerbaijan Airlines. Many former flagship operators like Air France, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines have fully retired their fleets. Numerous aircraft are now operated by smaller charter and leasing companies, such as Hi Fly Malta and Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas. A small number are in service with government and state operators, including the Royal Saudi Air Force.

Incidents and accidents

The A340 has an excellent safety record with very few hull losses. The most serious accident was the destruction of an Air France A340-300 at Toronto Pearson International Airport in 2005 after an overrun during a storm; all passengers and crew survived. Another notable incident involved a Virgin Atlantic A340-600 at London Heathrow Airport in 2005, which suffered a landing gear collapse. An Emirates A340-500 was substantially damaged in a tailstrike incident at Melbourne Airport in 2009. The type has also been involved in several non-fatal runway excursions and ground handling incidents at airports worldwide.

Category:Airbus aircraft Category:Four-engined jet aircraft Category:Aircraft first flown in 1991