IATA 340

Airbus A340

Airbus

TravelerPulse profile

Airbus's long-range four-engine wide-body jetliner.

First flight

1991

Category

Wide-body jet

Seating

239–380 passengers depending on variant and configuration

Range

Up to 16,670 km (A340-500)

Engines

Four turbofan engines; CFM International CFM56 (A340-200/300) or Rolls-Royce Trent 500 (A340-500/600)

Status

In service (limited, mostly retired)

The Airbus A340 is a long-range, wide-body commercial jetliner manufactured by Airbus. It was developed alongside the twin-engine A330, sharing the same fuselage cross-section and wing design but featuring four CFM56 or Rolls-Royce Trent engines to meet ETOPS regulations of the 1990s, enabling ultra-long-haul routes over oceans and remote areas. The A340 entered service in 1993 and was produced in four main variants: the shorter A340-200, the popular A340-300, and the stretched ultra-long-range A340-500 and A340-600. The -500 variant set records for the world's longest nonstop commercial flights when introduced by Singapore Airlines and others. Production of the A340 ended in 2011 as the more fuel-efficient twin-engine Boeing 777 and later the A350 made the four-engine design economically uncompetitive. Many airlines have retired their fleets, though some operators continue to fly the type on long-haul routes.

Notable operators

Major operators included Lufthansa, Air France, South African Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Iberia.

Notable facts

›The A340-500 held the record for the world's longest nonstop commercial flight when Singapore Airlines operated the Singapore–Los Angeles route.
›The A340 shares its fuselage and wing with the twin-engine Airbus A330, developed simultaneously under a common program.
›Production ceased in 2011 after 377 aircraft were delivered, with the type losing market share to more fuel-efficient twin-engine rivals.
›The A340-600 is one of the longest commercial aircraft ever built, stretching approximately 75.36 metres.
›The four-engine layout was chosen to comply with stringent ETOPS rules that limited twin-engine jets on long overwater routes in the 1990s.