IATA 345ICAO A345

Airbus A340-500

Airbus

TravelerPulse profile

Ultra-long-range four-engine widebody for marathon routes.

First flight

2002

Category

Wide-body jet

Seating

293–372 passengers

Range

16,670 km

Engines

4× Rolls-Royce Trent 553 turbofans

Status

In service (limited)

The Airbus A340-500 is an ultra-long-range, wide-body commercial airliner developed as the longest-fuselage variant of the A340 family. Launched in the late 1990s, it was designed specifically to operate non-stop routes of exceptional distance, connecting city pairs that no other commercial aircraft could serve at the time. Powered by four Rolls-Royce Trent 553 turbofan engines, the A340-500 entered service in 2003 and offered airlines the ability to fly routes exceeding 16,000 km non-stop. Its layout typically accommodated around 300 passengers in a three-class configuration, though high-density configurations could seat more. Despite its impressive range capabilities, the A340-500 suffered commercially due to the high operating costs associated with four engines. The rise of more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft such as the Boeing 777-200LR effectively rendered the type economically uncompetitive. Airbus ceased production, and most operators have retired or significantly reduced their fleets.

Notable operators

Emirates and Singapore Airlines were among the earliest and most notable operators, though both have since retired their fleets; some aircraft remain in service with smaller carriers.

Notable facts

›Singapore Airlines operated the world's longest non-stop commercial flight, Singapore to New York Newark, using the A340-500.
›Only 34 A340-500s were built before production ended.
›The type was among the first aircraft capable of non-stop ultra-long-haul flights exceeding 18 hours.
›Emirates retired its A340-500s partly due to the superior fuel efficiency of the Boeing 777-200LR.
›The A340-500 shares its fuselage cross-section with the A330 and other A340 variants.