Airbus A340

{{Short description|Four-engined twin-aisle airliner family}} {{Redirect|A340|the road in Hampshire and Berkshire|A340 road}} {{pp-vandalism|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}}  {{Infobox aircraft | name = A340 | logo = Logo Airbus A340.svg | image = Frankfurt Airport Lufthansa Airbus A340-313 D-AIGY (DSC02566).jpg | image_caption = An Airbus A340-300 operated by [[Lufthansa]], one of the two launch customers of the aircraft family, as well as its largest operator | aircraft_role = [[Wide-body aircraft|Wide-body airliner]] | national_origin = Multi-national{{efn|Final assembly in France.}} | manufacturers = [[Airbus]] | status = In service | primary_user = [[Lufthansa]]  | more_users = {{ubl|[[Mahan Air]]|[[Conviasa]]|[[European Cargo]]}}  | number_built = 380 (377 delivered to airlines)<ref name="Airbus_Orders"/> | construction_date = 1991{{ndash}}2012<ref>{{cite press release |title= Completion of production marks new chapter in the A340 success story |publisher=Airbus |url= https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/news/en/2011/11/completion-of-production-marks-new-chapter-in-the-a340-success-story.html |date= 10 November 2011 }}</ref> | introduction = 15 March 1993 with [[Lufthansa]] and [[Air France]] | first_flight = {{start date and age|1991|10|25|df=yes}} | developed_from = [[Airbus A300]] }}

The '''Airbus A340''' is a [[long-haul|long-range]], [[wide-body]] passenger [[airliner]] that was developed and produced by [[Airbus]].

In the mid-1970s, Airbus conceived several derivatives of the [[Airbus A300|A300]], its first airliner, and developed the A340 [[quadjet]] in parallel with the [[Airbus A330|A330]] twinjet. In June 1987, Airbus launched both designs with their first orders, and the A340-300 took its maiden flight on 25 October 1991. It was certified along with the A340-200 on 22 December 1992 and both versions entered service in March 1993 with launch customers [[Lufthansa]] and [[Air France]]. The larger A340-500/600 were launched on 8 December 1997; the A340-600 flew for the first time on 23 April 2001 and entered service on 1 August 2002.

Keeping the eight-abreast economy cross-section of the A300, the early A340-200/300 has a similar [[airframe]] to the A330-200/300. Differences include four {{cvt|151|kN|lbf}} [[CFM56]]s instead of two high-thrust [[turbofan]]s to bypass [[ETOPS]] restrictions on trans-oceanic routes, and a three-leg main [[landing gear]] instead of two for a heavier {{cvt|276|t|lb}} Maximum Takeoff Weight ([[Maximum take-off weight|MTOW]]). Both airliners have [[fly-by-wire]] controls, which was first introduced on the [[Airbus A320 family|A320]], as well as a similar [[glass cockpit]]. The A340-500/600 are longer, have a larger [[wing]], and are powered by {{cvt|275|kN|lbf}} [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500]] for a heavier {{cvt|380|t|lb}} MTOW.

The shortest A340-200 measured {{convert|59.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, and had a {{convert|15000|km|nmi|adj=on|abbr=off}} range with 210–250 seats in a three-class configuration. The most common A340-300 reached {{convert|63.7|m|ftin|abbr=on}} to accommodate 250–290 passengers and could cover {{convert|13500|km|nmi|abbr=on}}. The A340-500 was {{convert|67.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long to seat 270–310 over {{convert|16670|km|nmi|abbr=on}}, the longest-range airliner at the time. The longest A340-600 was stretched to {{convert|75.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, then the longest airliner, to accommodate 320–370 passengers over {{convert|14450|km|nmi|abbr=on}}.

As improving engine reliability allowed ETOPS operations for almost all routes, more economical [[twinjet]]s such as the [[Boeing 777]] replaced the A340 and other quadjets on many routes, leading to the A340's gradual withdrawal from service and declining sales, and in response Airbus developed the [[Airbus A350|A350]] as the successor.  On 10 November 2011, Airbus announced that the production reached its end, after 380 [[List of Airbus A340 operators|orders]] had been placed and 377 delivered from [[Toulouse]], France. {{As of|2026|2}}, there were 71 A340 aircraft in active service with 27 operators worldwide. Lufthansa is the largest A340 operator with 16 active aircraft in its fleet.

==Development== {{See also|Airbus A330#Development|l1=Development of the Airbus A330}}

===Background=== [[File:HL7552 Airbus A330-223 Korean Air, CS-TQM Airbus A340-313X Strategic Airlines (HiFly) and VH-ZPL 'Samba Blue' Embraer 190-100IGW Virgin Blue (Virgin Australia) (6600549415).jpg|thumb|Compared to the A340 quadjet (flying), the lighter [[Airbus A330|A330]] (on ground) has two engines and no centre-line wheel [[Landing gear#Large aircraft|bogie]].]]

When Airbus designed the [[Airbus A300]] during the 1970s it envisioned a broad family of airliners to compete against [[Boeing]] and [[McDonnell Douglas]], two established US aerospace manufacturers. From the moment of formation, Airbus had begun studies into derivatives of the Airbus A300B in support of this long-term goal.{{sfn|Wensveen |2007|page=63}} Prior to the service introduction of the first Airbus airliners, Airbus had identified nine possible variations of the A300 known as A300B1 to B9.{{sfn|Gunston|2009 |p={{page needed|date=July 2020}}}} A tenth variation, conceived in 1973, later the first to be constructed, was designated the A300B10.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=18}} It was a smaller aircraft that would be developed into the long-range [[Airbus A310]]. Airbus then focused its efforts on the single-aisle market, which resulted in the [[Airbus A320 family]], which was the first digital [[fly-by-wire]] commercial aircraft. The decision to work on the A320, instead of a four-engine aircraft proposed by the Germans, created divisions within Airbus.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=18}} As the SA or "single aisle" studies (which later became the successful Airbus A320) underwent development to challenge the successful [[Boeing 737]] and [[Douglas DC-9]] in the single-aisle, [[Narrow-body aircraft|narrow-body airliner]] market, Airbus turned its focus back to the [[wide-body aircraft]] market.

The A300B11,<ref name="Eden p.30"/> a derivative of the A310, was designed upon the availability of "ten ton" thrust engines.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=23}} Using four engines, it would seat between 180 and 200 passengers, and have a range of {{convert|6000|nmi}}.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |1999|p=59}} It was deemed a replacement for the less-efficient [[Boeing 707]]s and [[Douglas DC-8]]s still in service.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=23}} The A300B11 was joined by another design, the A300B9, which was a larger derivative of the A300. The B9 was developed by Airbus from the early 1970s at a slow pace until the early 1980s. It was essentially a stretched A300 with the same wing, coupled with the most powerful [[turbofan engine]] available at the time.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=23}} It was targeted at the growing demand for high-capacity, medium-range, transcontinental trunk routes.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=23}} The B9 offered the same [[Range (aircraft)|range]] and payload as the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]], but it used between 25%{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=23}} and 38%<ref>{{cite news |last=Maynard |first=Micheline |date=11 June 2008 |title=To Save Fuel, Airlines Find No Speck Too Small |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/business/11air.html?_r=1 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250824094338/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/business/11air.html?_r=1 |archive-date=24 August 2025 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> less fuel. The B9 was therefore considered a replacement for the DC-10 and the [[Lockheed L-1011 Tristar]].<ref>{{Cite journal |date=17 October 1981 |title=Commercial Aircraft of the World part 2 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1981/1981%20-%203243.html |journal=[[Flight International]] |pages=1155 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103220204/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1981/1981%20-%203243.html |archive-date=3 November 2012 |access-date=23 January 2011}}</ref>

To differentiate the programme from the SA studies, the B9 and B11 were redesignated the TA9 and TA11 (SA standing for "single aisle" and TA standing for "twin aisle").<ref name="Eden p.30">{{harnvb|Eden|2008|p=30}}</ref> In an effort to save development costs, it was decided that the two would share the same [[wing]] and [[airframe]]; the projected savings were estimated at US$500 million (about £490 million or €495 million).{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=22}} The adoption of a common wing structure also had one technical advantage: the TA11's outboard engines could counteract the weight of the longer-range model by providing bending relief.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=23}} Another factor was the split preference of those within Airbus and, more importantly, prospective airliner customers. Airbus vice president for strategic planning, Adam Brown, recalled, <blockquote>North American operators were clearly in favour of a twin[jet], while Asians wanted a quad[jet]. In Europe, opinion was split between the two. The majority of potential customers were in favour of a quad despite the fact, in certain conditions, it is more costly to operate than a twin. They liked that it could be ferried with one engine out, and could fly 'anywhere'— ETOPS (extend-range twin-engine operations) hadn't begun then.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Airbus A330/A340 |magazine=Flight International |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1997/1997%20-%202917.html |access-date=26 January 2011 |last=Kingsley-Jones |first=Max |date=4 November 1997}}</ref>{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|pp=22–23}}</blockquote>

===Design effort=== The first specifications of the TA9 and TA11 were released in 1982.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |1999|p=24}} While the TA9 had a range of {{convert|3300|nmi}}, the TA11 range was up to {{convert|6830|nmi}}.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |1999|p=24}} At the same time, Airbus also sketched the TA12, a twin-engine derivative of the TA11, which was optimised for flights of a {{convert|2000|nmi}} lesser range.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |1999|p=24}} By the time of the [[Paris Air Show]] in June 1985, more refinements had been made to the TA9 and TA11, including the adoption of the A320 [[Cockpit|flight deck]], [[fly-by-wire]] (FBW) [[Aircraft flight control system|flight control system]] and [[side-stick]] control.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=27}} Adopting a common cockpit across the new Airbus series allowed operators to make significant cost savings; flight crews would be able to transition from one to another after one week of training.{{sfn|Lawrence|Thornton|2005|p=73}} The TA11 and TA12 would use the front and rear fuselage sections of the A310.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=24}} Components were modular and also interchangeable with other Airbus aircraft where possible{{sfn|Lawrence|Thornton|2005|p=73}} to reduce production, maintenance, and operating costs.

[[File:A340-642 flight deck.jpg|thumb|The A330/A340 shares a common flight deck with the A320.]] Airbus briefly considered a [[variable camber wing]]; the concept was that the wing could change its profile to produce the optimum shape for a given phase of flight. Studies were carried out by [[British Aerospace]] (BAe) at [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]] and [[Bristol]]. Airbus estimated this would yield a 2% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=26}} However, the plan was later abandoned on grounds of cost and difficulty of development.<ref name="Eden p.30"/>

Airbus had held discussions with McDonnell Douglas to jointly produce the aircraft, which would have been designated as the ''AM 300''.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=28}} This aeroplane would have combined the wing of the A330 with the fuselage of the [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]].{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=28}} However, talks were terminated as McDonnell Douglas insisted on the continuation of its [[trijet]] heritage.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |1999|p=67}} Although from the start it was intended that the A340 would be powered by four [[CFM56]]-5 turbofans, each capable of {{convert|25000|lbf|kN|order=flip}},{{sfn|Gunston|2009|p=201}} Airbus had also considered developing the aircraft as a trijet due to the limited power of engines available at the time, namely the [[Rolls-Royce RB211]]-535 and [[Pratt & Whitney JT10D]]-232{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=36}} (redesignated PW2000 in December 1980).

As refinements in the A340's design proceeded, a radical new engine option, the [[IAE SuperFan]], was offered by International Aero Engines, a group comprising Rolls-Royce, [[Pratt & Whitney]], [[Japanese Aero Engines Corporation]], [[Fiat]] and [[MTU Aero Engines]] (MTU). The [[Nacelle|engine nacelles]] of the superfan engine consisted of provisions to allow a large fan near the rear of the engine. As a result of the superfan cancellation by IAE, the [[CFM56]]-5C4 was used as the sole engine choice instead of being an alternative option as originally envisioned. The later, longer-range versions, namely the A340-500 and −600, are powered by [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500]] engines.

On 27 January 1986, the Airbus Industrie Supervisory Board held a meeting in [[Munich]], [[West Germany]], after which board chairman [[Franz Josef Strauß]] released a statement, <blockquote>Airbus Industrie is now in a position to finalise the detailed technical definition of the TA9, which is now officially designated the A330, and the TA11, now called the A340, with potential launch customer airlines, and to discuss with them the terms and conditions for launch commitments.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=27}}</blockquote> The designations were originally reversed and were switched so the quad-jet airliner would have a "4" in its name. On 12 May 1986, Airbus dispatched fresh sale proposals to five prospective airlines including [[Lufthansa]] and [[Swissair]].{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=27}}

===Production and testing=== In preparations for production of the A330/A340, Airbus's partners invested heavily in new facilities. [[Filton]] was the site of BAe's [[Pound sterling|£]]7 million investment in a three-storey technical centre with an extra {{convert|15000|m2|sqft}} of floor area.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=51}} BAe also spent £5 million expanding the [[Broughton, Flintshire|Broughton]] wing production plant by {{cvt|14000|m2|sqft}}{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=51}} to accommodate a new production line. However, France saw the biggest changes with [[Aérospatiale]] starting construction of a new [[French franc|Fr.]]2.5 billion ($411 million) assembly plant, adjacent to [[Toulouse-Blagnac Airport]], in [[Colomiers]].{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=52}} By November 1988, the first {{cvt|21|m|ft|adj=on}} pillars were erected for the new ''[[Clément Ader]]'' assembly hall.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=52}} The assembly process, meanwhile, would feature increased automation with holes for the wing-fuselage mating process drilled by eight robots.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=53}} The use of automation for this particular process saved Airbus 20% on labour costs and 5% on time.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=53}}

[[File:Airbus A340-211, Airbus Industrie AN0726637.jpg|thumb|An A340-200 demonstrator at the 1992 [[Farnborough Air Show]]]] British Aerospace accepted £450 million funding from the UK government, short of the £750 million originally requested.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=32}} Funds from the French and West German governments followed thereafter. Airbus also issued subcontracts to companies in Austria, Australia, Canada, China, Greece, Italy, India, Japan, South Korea, Portugal, the United States, and [[Yugoslavia]].{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=55}} The A330 and A340 programmes were jointly launched on 5 June 1987,<ref>{{cite web|title=Timeline 40 Years of Innovation |work=Airbus |url= http://www.airbus.com/fileadmin/media_gallery/files/press_centre/presskits_backgrounders/Airbus_40_years_of_innovation_-_timeline_illustrated.pdf |access-date=8 June 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110527212052/http://www.airbus.com/fileadmin/media_gallery/files/press_centre/presskits_backgrounders/Airbus_40_years_of_innovation_-_timeline_illustrated.pdf |archive-date=27 May 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> just prior to the Paris Air Show. The program cost was $3.5 billion with the A330, in 2001 dollars.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moxon |first=Julian |date=12 June 2001 |title=Long time coming |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/long-time-coming-131205/ |work=[[Flight International]]}}</ref> The order book then stood at 130 aircraft from 10 customers, apart from the above-mentioned Lufthansa and [[International Lease Finance Corporation]] (ILFC). Eighty-nine of the total orders were A340 models.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=32}} At McDonnell Douglas, ongoing tests of the MD-11 revealed a significant shortfall in the aircraft's performance. An important carrier, [[Singapore Airlines]] (SIA), required a fully laden aircraft that could fly from Singapore to Paris, against strong headwinds during mid-winter in the northern hemisphere.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |1999|p=66}} The MD-11, according to test results, would experience [[fuel starvation]] over the Balkans.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |1999|p=66}} Due to the less-than-expected performance figures, SIA cancelled its 20-aircraft MD-11 order on 2 August 1991, and ordered 20 A340-300s instead.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=59}} A total of 200 MD-11s were sold, versus 380 A340s.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |1999|p=67}}

The [[Maiden flight|first flight]] of the A340 occurred on 21 October 1991,{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |1999|p=67}} marking the start of a 2,000-hour test flight programme involving six aircraft.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=65}} From the start, engineers noticed that the wings were not stiff enough to carry the outboard engines at cruising speed without [[Wing warping|warping]] and [[Aeroelastic flutter|fluttering]]. To alleviate this, an underwing bulge called a ''[[plastron]]'' was developed to correct airflow problems around the engine [[Podded engine|pylons]]{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=67}} and to add stiffness. European JAA certification was obtained on 22 December 1992; the FAA followed on 27 May 1993.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=71}} In 1992, the unit cost of an A340-200 was US$105M and US$110M for an A340-300.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=North |first=David M. |date=13 July 1992 |title=A340 Handling, Cockpit Design Improve on Predecessor A320 |url=http://archive.aviationweek.com/issue/19920713#!&pid=38 |magazine=[[Aviation Week & Space Technology]] |pages=38–39}}</ref> (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US-GDP|105|1992 |fmt=c|r=0}} million in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars).

=== Entry into service and demonstration === The first A340, a −200, was delivered to Lufthansa on 2 February 1993 and entered service on 15 March.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=71}} The 228-seat airliner was named ''Nürnberg''.{{sfn|Eden |2008|p=35}} The first A340-300, the 1000th Airbus, was delivered to Air France on 26 February, the first of nine it planned to operate by the end of the year.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=71}} Air France replaced its [[Boeing 747]]s with A340s on its Paris–Washington D.C. route, flying four times weekly.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=72}} Lufthansa intended to replace aging DC-10s with the A340s on Frankfurt–New York services.

On 16 June 1993, an A340-200 dubbed the ''World Ranger'' flew from the [[Paris Air Show]] to [[Auckland Airport|Auckland]], New Zealand in 21 hours 32 minutes and back in 21 hours 46 minutes after a five-hour stop; this was the first non-stop flight between Europe and New Zealand and the longest [[non-stop flight]] by an airliner at the time.<ref>{{cite press release |url= http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release-detail/detail/world-ranger/ |title= World ranger |date= 16 June 1993 |publisher= Airbus |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170223214116/http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release-detail/detail/world-ranger/ |archive-date= 23 February 2017 |url-status= dead}}</ref> The {{cvt|19,277|km|nmi mi|0}} flight from Paris to Auckland broke six world records with 22 persons and five center tanks.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|pp=73–74}} Taking off at 11:58 local time, it arrived back in Paris 48 hours and 22 minutes later, at 12:20.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|pp=73–74}}{{sfn|Eden |2008|pp=29, 37}} This record held until 1997 when a [[Boeing 777-200ER]] flew {{cvt|20,044|km|nmi mi|0}} from Seattle to Kuala Lumpur.<ref>{{cite press release |url= http://boeing.mediaroom.com/1997-07-29-Boeing-777-Distance-and-Speed-World-Records-Confirmed |title= Boeing 777 Distance and Speed World Records Confirmed |publisher= Boeing |date= 29 July 1997}}</ref>

However, the original A340-300 was proved slow and underpowered in commercial service. A pilot remarked that “on a long flight from Hong Kong to London on the A340-300, they would often leave a lot of baggage behind when the plane was full. The Singapore flight took a long time to take off in the US – three-quarters of the full runway.” <ref>{{cite web |last1=Prisco |first1=Jacopo |title=The Airbus A340 airplane was built to rule long-haul travel. Now it’s vanishing from the skies |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/the-a340-vanishing/index.html |publisher=CNN |access-date=23 April 2026}}</ref>

===Stretch: -500/-600 variants=== [[File:Lufthansa A340-600 D-AIHX on final approach to Boston Oct 2024 3.jpg|thumb|The A340-600 was the longest passenger airliner until the introduction of the [[Boeing 747-8]] in 2010.]]

During the 1990s, the A340-300 was challenged by the first-generation Boeing 777, specifically the 777-200ER, whose twinjet configuration was more fuel-efficient for comparable long-haul routes which made it much more popular with airlines.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aviationtoday.com/regions/weur/3348.html|title=Aviation Today :: A340-300 & B777-200ER Current & Residual Values 'On Watch' Status|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://leehamnews.com/2013/12/08/airbus-engine-oems-make-the-case-for-a340-future/|title=Airbus, engine OEMs make the case for A340 future - Leeham News and Comment|date=9 December 2013|publisher=}}</ref> Nonetheless, Airbus decided to continue the A340 program so they investigated a stretched airframe in the form of the A340-400X, since airlines were looking for replacement aircraft for their 1970s-era Boeing 747-100s and -200s.<ref>{{harvnb|Norris|Wagner|2001|p=105}}</ref> Formulated in 1991, the original A340-400X concept was a simple 12-frame, {{cvt|20|ft|10|in}} stretch of the −300 from 295 to 335 passengers with the MTOW increased to {{cvt|553,360|to|588,600|lb|t|0}} and the range decreased by {{cvt|750|to|5,900|nmi|km|order=flip}}.<ref name=AvWeek24sep2012>{{cite news |url= http://aviationweek.com/blog/a340-400x |title= The A340-400X? |date= 24 September 2012 |author= Brian Bostick |work=[[Aviation Week Network]]|access-date= 29 October 2017 |archive-date= 30 October 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171030093655/http://aviationweek.com/blog/a340-400x |url-status= dead }}</ref> CFM International was then set to develop a new engine for $1–1.5 billion that generated a thrust rating between the 150 kN (34,000 lbf) CFM56 and the 315–400 kN (70–90,000 lbf) GE90.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sedbon |first=Gilbert |date=6 November 1991 |title=New engine for stretched A340 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1991/1991%20-%202859.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107230513/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1991/1991%20-%202859.html |archive-date=7 November 2012 |magazine=[[Flight International]] |page=5}}</ref> In 1994, Airbus was studying a heavier A340 Advanced with a reinforced wing and a selection of 178 kN (40,000 lbf) engines; these included the [[Pratt & Whitney]] advanced ducted propulsor, [[CFM International]] CFMXX or Rolls-Royce RB411, to a −300 stretch for 50 more passengers over the same range, a −300 with the −200 range and a −200 with more range. These models were slated to be introduced in 1996.<ref name="Flight15jun1994">{{cite magazine |author=Daly |first=Kieran |date=15 June 1994 |title=Airbus selects A3XX concept and works to fill gaps in product line |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1994/1994%20-%201453.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030093357/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1994/1994%20-%201453.html |archive-date=30 October 2017 |magazine=[[Flight International]] |page=5}}</ref> In 1995, the A340-400 was slated for introduction in the year 2000, seating 380 passengers with a {{cvt|300|t|lb}} take-off weight. This proved unpopular with customers, as the [[CFM56]] engines were at the limits of their growth capability and the range would have decreased to around {{convert|10000|km|nmi|abbr=on}}. A new plan to develop an A340 variant with a larger wing and engine combination was decided upon. <ref name="Flight6dec1995">{{cite magazine |date=6 December 1995 |title=Airliners of the world |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1995/1995%20-%203565.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601121644/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1995/1995%20-%203565.html |archive-date=1 June 2010 |magazine=Flight International |page=59}}</ref>

In April 1996, [[GE Aviation]] obtained an exclusivity for the {{cvt|13000|km|nmi mi}} 375-passenger −600 stretch with {{cvt|226|kN|lbf}} engines, above the {{cvt|225.5|kN|lbf}} limit of the [[CFM International]] engines made in partnership with [[SNECMA]] and dropping the {{cvt|191|kN|lbf}} CFMXX.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Moxon |first=Julian |date=24 April 1996 |title=GE/Airbus sign for A340-600 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1996/1996%20-%200985.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101004065830/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1996/1996%20-%200985.html |archive-date=4 October 2010 |magazine=[[Flight International]] |page=5}}</ref> The −600 would be stretched by 20–22 frames to {{cvt|75|m|ft}}, unit thrust was raised from {{cvt|227|kN|lbf}} to {{cvt|249|kN|lbf}} and maximum takeoff weight would be increased to {{cvt|330|t|lb}}. The wing area would increase by {{cvt|56|m2}} to {{cvt|420|m2}} through a larger chord needing a three-frame center fuselage insert and retaining the existing front and rear spars, and a span increased by {{cvt|3.5|to|63.8|m|ft}}, alongside a 25% increase in wing fuel capacity and four wheels replacing the center twin-wheel [[bogie]]. A −500 with the larger wing and engines and three extra frames for 310 passengers would cover {{cvt|15,725|km|mi nmi|-1}} to replace the smaller {{cvt|14,800|km|mi nmi}} range of the A340-200. At least $1 billion would be needed to develop the airframe, excluding the $2 billion required for engine development supported by the engine manufacturer. A 12 frame −400 simple stretch would cover {{cvt|11,290|km|nmi mi}} with 340 passengers in a three-class configuration.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Kingsley-Jones |first=Max |author2=Norris |first2=Guy |date=28 August 1996 |title=X-tended players |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/x-tended-players/5957.article |url-access=subscription |magazine=FlightGlobal}}</ref>

It was enlarged by 40% to compete with the second-generation Boeing 777 (eventually released as the 777-300ER/200LR) that was in development: the wing would be expanded with a tapered wing box insert along the span extension, it would have enlarged horizontal stabilizers and the larger A330-200 fin and it would need 222–267 kN (50–60,000 lbf) of unit thrust. The ultra-long-haul {{cvt|1.53|m|ft}} -500 stretch would seat 316 passengers, a little more than the −300, over {{cvt|15,355|km|nmi mi|-1}}, while the {{cvt|10.07|m}} -600 stretch would offer a 25% larger cabin for 372 passengers over a range of {{cvt|7400|nmi|km|disp=output only}} (7,400 nmi; {{cvt|7400|nmi|mi|disp=output only}}).<ref name="Flight9oct1996">{{cite magazine |author=Learmount |first=David |date=9 October 1996 |title=Airbus pushes on with new versions of A340 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1996/1996%20-%202680.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030002940/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1996/1996%20-%202680.html |archive-date=30 October 2017 |magazine=[[Flight International]]}}</ref> MTOW was increased to {{cvt|356|t|lb}}.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=4 December 1996 |title=Airliners of the world |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1996/1996%20-%203216.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030041153/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1996/1996%20-%203216.html |archive-date=30 October 2017 |magazine=[[Flight International]] |page=44}}</ref>

Unwilling to commit to a $1 billion development without good [[return on investment]] prospects and a second application, in 1997 [[GE Aviation]] stopped exclusivity talks for [[GE90]] scaled down to 245–290 kN (55–65,000 lbf), leaving [[Rolls-Royce Holdings|Rolls-Royce]] proposing a more cost-effective [[Rolls-Royce Trent]] variant needing less development and [[Pratt & Whitney]] suggesting a [[PW2000]] advanced ducted propulsor, a [[PW4000]] derivative or a new [[geared turbofan]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Doyle |first=Andrew |date=25 February 1997 |title=Airbus suffers setback as GE walks away from A340-600 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1997/1997%20-%200352.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218064046/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1997/1997%20-%200352.html |archive-date=18 February 2010 |work=[[Flight International]] |page=6}}</ref> In June 1997, the 250 kN (56,000 lbf) [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500]] was selected, with growth potential to {{cvt|275|kN|lbf}}, derived from the A330 [[Rolls-Royce Trent 700]] and the B777 [[Rolls-Royce Trent 800]] with a reduced fan diameter and a new LP turbine, for a 7.7% lower [[Thrust specific fuel consumption|TSFC]] than the 700. Airbus claims 10% lower operating costs per seat than the −300, 3% below those of what Boeing was then advertising for the 777-300X.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Moxon |first=Julian |date=18 June 1997 |title=Airbus makes Trent 500 deal with Rolls-Royce |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1997/1997%20-%201520.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216212200/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1997/1997%20-%201520.html |archive-date=16 February 2019 |magazine=[[Flight International]]}}</ref> The $2.9 billion program was launched in December 1997 with 100 commitments from seven customers worth $3 billion, aiming to fly the first −600 in January 2001 and deliver it from early 2002 to capture at least half of the 1,500 sales forecast in the category through 2010.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Kingsley-Jones |first=Max |last2=O'Toole |first2=Kevin |date=17 December 1997 |title=Airbus board gives the goahead for A340 offspring |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1997/1997%20-%203414.html |magazine=[[Flight International]]}}</ref>

In 1998, the −600 stretch was stabilised at 20 frames for {{cvt|10.6|m|ft}}, the MTOW rose to {{cvt|365|t|lb}} and the unit thrust to {{cvt|52,000|to|60,000|lbf|kN}}, keeping the Trent 700 {{cvt|2.47|m|ft}} fan diameter with its scaled {{abbr|IP|intermediate pressure}} and {{abbr|HP| high pressure}} compressors and the high-speed, low-loading HP and IP turbines of the Trent 800.<ref name="Flight2sep1998">{{cite magazine |author=Kingsley-Jones |first=Max |date=2 September 1998 |title=Have four engines, will travel far |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1998/1998%20-%202365.html |url-status=dead |magazine=Flight International |access-date=29 October 2017 |archive-date=30 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030040952/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1998/1998%20-%202365.html }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" |+ A340 stretch concepts ! Period !! 1991<ref name=AvWeek24sep2012/> !! 1994<ref name=Flight15jun1994/> !! 1995<ref name=Flight6dec1995/> !! 1996<ref name=Flight9oct1996/> !! 1998<ref name=Flight2sep1998/> |- | Unit thrust || || 178 kN (40,000 lbf) || || 267 kN (60,000 lbf) || 267 kN (60,000 lbf) |- | Stretch || 12 frames (40 pax) || 50 pax || || 20–22 frames, {{cvt|10.07|m}} || 20 frames, {{cvt|10.6|m|ft}} |- | Passengers || 335 || || 380 || 375 || 380 |- | Range || {{cvt|5900|nmi|km|disp=output only}} (5,900 nmi; {{cvt|5900|nmi|mi|disp=output only}}) || same as −300 || || {{cvt|7400|nmi|km|disp=output only}} (7,400 nmi; {{cvt|7400|nmi|mi|disp=output only}}) || {{cvt|13900|km|nmi mi}} |- | MTOW || {{cvt|588,600|lb|t|order=flip}} || || {{cvt|300|t|lb}} || {{cvt|356|t|lb}} || {{cvt|365|t|lb}} |}

Despite the −500/600 introduction, sales slowed in the 2000s as the Boeing 777-200LR/-300ER dominated the long-range 300–400 seat market. The A340-500IGW/600HGW high gross weight variants did not arouse much sales interest.<ref name=Flight29Nov2005/><ref name="AvWeek14nov2011">{{Cite news |last=Flottau |first=Jens |date=14 November 2011 |title=Airbus Bids Adieu to A340, Postpones A350 Delivery |url=https://aviationweek.com/airbus-bids-adieu-a340-postpones-a350-delivery |access-date=21 September 2025 |work=[[Aviation Week & Space Technology]]}}</ref><ref name="Bloomberg10nov2011">{{cite news |author=Rothman |first=Andrea |date=10 November 2011 |title=Airbus's Longest Plane Proves Short-Lived as A340 Orders Dry Up |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-11-10/airbus-s-longest-plane-proves-short-lived-as-a340-orders-dry-up |url-access=subscription |work=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] |agency=}}</ref> In January 2006, Airbus confirmed it had studied an A340-600E (''Enhanced'') that was more [[Fuel economy in aircraft|fuel-efficient]] than earlier A340s, reducing the per-seat fuel consumption by 8–9% compared to the −600. This model would become more competitive with the Boeing 777-300ER by utilizing new [[Rolls-Royce Trent#Trent 1500|Trent 1500]] engines and technologies from the A350 initial design.<ref name="Flight29Nov2005">{{cite magazine |last=Kingsley-Jones |first=Max |last2=Norris |first2=Guy |date=29 November 2005 |title=Enhanced A340 to take on 777 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/exclusive-enhanced-a340-to-take-on-777-203391/ |url-access=subscription |magazine=[[Flight International]]}}</ref>

At 380 passengers, the advertised three-class [[seating capacity|seating]] of the −600 was well above the real world average of 323 seats, while the B777-300ER is advertised for 365 and offers 332, impacting [[seat cost]]s. By 2018, a 2006 -600 was worth $18M and a 2003 one $10M, projected to fall to $7M in 2021 with a $200,000/month lease rate falling to $180,000 in 2021; its [[D check]] cost $4.5M and its [[Aircraft maintenance#Engines|engine overhaul]] $3–6M.<ref>{{cite news |date=20 August 2018 |title=A340-600 Values Represent Disaster for Owners |url=http://www.aircraftvaluenews.com/a340-600-values-represent-disaster-for-owners/  |url-access=subscription |work=Aircraft Value News}}</ref>

=== End of production === In 2005, 155 B777s were ordered against 15 A340s: twin engine [[ETOPS]] restrictions were overcome by lower operating costs compared to quad jets and the relaxation of ETOPS requirements for the A330, 777, and other twin jets.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.aviationtoday.com/regions/weur/3348.html |work= Aviation Today |title= A340-300 & B777-200ER Current & Residual Values 'On Watch' Status |date= 23 January 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150429135614/http://www.aviationtoday.com/regions/weur/3348.html |archive-date= 29 April 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2007, Airbus predicted that another 127 A340 aircraft would likely be produced through 2016, the projected end of production.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://aviationweek.com/awin/airbus-a340-4 |title= Airbus A340 |work= [[Aviation Week & Space Technology]] |date= 29 October 2007 |page= 63 |url-access= subscription}}</ref>

In 2011, the unit cost of an A340-300 was US$238.0M (${{inflation|USD|238|2011|r=1}}M today), US$261.8M for an A340-500 (${{inflation|USD|261.8|2011|r=1}}M today) and US$275.4M for an A340-600 (${{inflation|USD|275.4|2011|r=1}}M today).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://speednews.com/documentaccess/1682.pdf |title= Airbus aircraft 2011 average list prices |publisher= Airbus |date= January 2011}}</ref> On 10 November 2011, Airbus announced the end of the A340 program, stating that all firm orders were delivered.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Flottau |first=Jens |date=10 November 2011 |title=Airbus Delays A350-900, Terminates A340 Program |url=http://aviationweek.com/awin/airbus-delays-a350-900-terminates-a340-program |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121003322/http://aviationweek.com/awin/airbus-delays-a350-900-terminates-a340-program |archive-date=21 January 2016 |work=[[Aviation Week & Space Technology]] |quote=The company also announced that it is terminating the A340 program, which has not seen any sales recently. All of the 246 Airbus A340-200s and −300s are delivered. Airbus lists 133 orders and 129 deliveries for the A340-500/600 program.}}</ref> The decision to terminate the program came as A340-500/600 orders came to a halt, with analyst Nick Cunningham pointing out that the A340 "was too heavy and there was a big fuel burn gap between the A340 and Boeing's 777 [specifically the A340-600 against the 777-300]". Bertrand Grabowski, managing director of [[DVB Bank]], noted, "in an environment where the fuel price is high, the A340 has had no chance to compete against similar twin engines, and the current lease rates and values of this aircraft reflect the deep resistance of any airlines to continue operating it".<ref name=Flight29Nov2005/><ref name=AvWeek14nov2011/><ref name=Bloomberg10nov2011/>

As a sales incentive amid low customer demand during the [[Great Recession]], Airbus had offered buy-back guarantees to airlines that chose to procure the A340. By 2013, the resale value of an A340 declined by 30% over ten years, and both Airbus and Rolls-Royce were incurring related charges amounting to hundreds of millions of euros. Some analysts have expected the price of a flight-worthy, CFM56-powered A340 to drop below $10 million by 2023.<ref>Compart, Andrew. "Young at Part". ''Aviation Week & Space Technology'', 15 April 2013. pp. 44–46.</ref>

Airbus could offer used A340s to airlines wishing to retire older aircraft, such as the Boeing 747{{Hyphen}}400, claiming that the cost of purchasing and maintaining a second-hand A340 with increased seating and improved engine performance reportedly compared favourably to the procurement costs of a new [[Boeing 777]].<ref>{{cite news |date=5 December 2013 |title=Haunted by old pledges, Airbus aims to boost A340 value |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/business/haunted-by-old-pledges-airbus-aims-to-boost-a340-value-idUSBRE9B414E/ |access-date=21 September 2025 |work=[[Reuters]] |agency=}}</ref>

In 2013, as the ultra-long range market is a niche, the A340 was less attractive, with the best usage on long, thin routes from [[hot-and-high]] airports or as interim [[air charter]]. A 10-year-old A340-300 had a base value of $35m and a market value of $24m, leading to $320,000/mo ($240,000–$350,000) lease rate, while a −500 is $425,000 and a −600 is leased $450,000 to $500,000 per month, versus $1.3m for a 777-300ER. The lighter A340-300 consumes 5% less fuel per trip with 300 passengers than the 312 passengers 777-200ER while the heavier A340-600 uses 12% more fuel than a 777-300ER.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://leehamnews.com/2013/12/08/airbus-engine-oems-make-the-case-for-a340-future/ |title=Airbus, engine OEMs make the case for A340 future – Leeham News and Comment |date=9 December 2013 |work= Leeham}}</ref>

As an effort to support the A340's resale value, Airbus has proposed reconfiguring the aircraft's interior for a single class of 475 seats. As the Trent 500 engines are half the maintenance cost of the A340, Rolls-Royce proposed a cost-reducing maintenance plan similar to the company's existing program that reduced the cost of maintaining the [[Rolls-Royce RB211|RB211]] engine powering Iberia's [[Boeing 757]] freighters. Key to these programs is the salvaging, repair and reuse of serviceable parts from retired older engines.<ref>"Weight in waiting." ''Aviation Week and Space Technology'', 14 April 2014. pp. 54–55.</ref> Airbus has positioned the larger versions of the [[Airbus A350|A350]], specifically the A350-900 and A350-1000, as the successors to the A340-500 and A340-600.

The ACJ340 is listed on the [[Airbus Corporate Jets]] website, as Airbus can convert retired A340 airliners to VIP transport configuration.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.airbus.com/aircraft/corporate-jets/acj-family/acj340.html |title= Corporate Jets > ACJ340 |publisher= Airbus |access-date= 21 April 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180418150904/http://www.airbus.com/aircraft/corporate-jets/acj-family/acj340.html |archive-date= 18 April 2018 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

==Design== [[File:A340-600 clean-wing bottom plan-view.jpg|thumb|The 9.2 [[wing aspect ratio|aspect ratio]] and 31° [[wing sweep|sweep]] of the A340-600 wing]]

The Airbus A340 is a [[twin-aisle]] passenger airliner that was the first long-range Airbus,{{sfn|Obert|2009|p=261}} powered by four [[turbofan]] jet engines.<ref name="Montalk">{{cite web |last=de Montalk |first=J.P. Potocki |title= New Avionics Systems — Airbus A330/A340 |url= http://www.davi.ws/avionics/TheAvionicsHandbook_Cap_30.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160331163457/http://www.davi.ws/avionics/TheAvionicsHandbook_Cap_30.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 31 March 2016 |date= 2001 |publisher= CRC Press LLC}}</ref> It was developed with technology from earlier Airbus aircraft and their features, like the A320 [[glass cockpit]]; it shares many components with the A330, notably identical [[fly-by-wire]] control systems and similar wings.{{sfn|Lawrence|Thornton|2005|p=73}}{{sfn|Obert|2009|pp=261, 448}} Its features and improvements were usually shared with the A330.{{sfn|Gunston|2009|p=188}} The four engines configuration avoided the [[ETOPS]] constraints such as more frequent inspections.

The A340 has a low [[cantilever wing]]; the A340-200/300 wing is virtually identical to that of the A330, with both engine pylons used while only the inboard one is used on the A330. The two engines for each wing provide a more distributed weight and a more outboard engine weight for a lower wing root bending moment at equal {{abbr|TOW|take off weight}}, allowing a higher wing limited [[MTOW]] for more range. However, the four engines of the A340-200/300 burn more fuel than the A330-200/300. The wings were designed and manufactured by BAe, which developed a long, slender wing with a high [[wing aspect ratio|aspect ratio]] for a higher aerodynamic efficiency.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner|2001|pages=50–51}}{{efn|The higher the aspect ratio, the greater the aerodynamic efficiency: ''A higher aspect ratio wing has a lower drag and a slightly higher lift than a lower aspect ratio wing''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/geom.html|publisher=NASA|access-date=17 March 2011|title=Wing Geometry Definitions|archive-date=7 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307125108/http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/geom.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

The wing is swept back at 30 degrees, allowing a maximum operating [[Mach number]] of 0.86.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=50}}<ref name=Airbus_A330-300_specs/> To reach a long span and high [[Aspect ratio (wing)|aspect ratio]] without a significant weight penalty, the wing has a relatively high [[thickness-to-chord ratio]] of 11.8%<ref>{{cite web |author=Ciornei |first=Simona |date=31 May 2005 |title=Mach number, relative thickness, sweep and lift coefficient of the wing – An empirical investigation of parameters and equations |url=https://www.fzt.haw-hamburg.de/pers/Scholz/arbeiten/TextCiornei.pdf |publisher=Hamburg University of Applied Sciences}}</ref> or 12.8%.{{sfn|Gunston|2009|p=195}}{{efn|This is the thickness to chord ratio of the early Airbus A340 variants, which share the same wing with the A330}} Jet airliners have thickness-to-chord ratios ranging from 9.4% ([[MD-11]] or [[Boeing 747]]) to 13% ([[Avro RJ]] or [[737 Classic]]).<ref>{{cite web |url= https://booksite.elsevier.com/9780340741528/appendices/data-a/default.htm |title=Aircraft Data File |publisher= Elsevier |work= Civil Jet Aircraft Design |date= July 1999}}</ref> Each wing also has a {{cvt|2.74|m|ft|adj=on}} tall [[Wingtip device|winglet]] instead of the wingtip fences found on earlier Airbus aircraft. The failure of the ultra-high-bypass [[IAE SuperFan]], promising around 15% better [[Fuel economy in aircraft|fuel burn]], led to wing upgrades to compensate.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=31}}{{sfn|Gunston|2009|p=197}} Originally designed with a {{cvt|56|m|ft}} [[Wingspan|span]], the wing was later extended to {{cvt|58.6|m|ft}} and finally to {{cvt|60.3|m|ft}}.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=31}} This wingspan is similar to that of the larger [[Boeing 747]]-200, but with 35% less wing area.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=50}}<ref name="Airbus_A330-300_specs">{{cite web |title=A330-300 Dimensions & key data |url=http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/passengeraircraft/a330family/a330-300/specifications/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102173736/http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/passengeraircraft/a330family/a330-300/specifications/ |archive-date=2 November 2012 |access-date=20 November 2012 |website=[[Airbus]] |publisher=}}</ref>

The A340 uses a modified A320 [[glass cockpit]], with [[side-stick]] controls instead of a conventional [[Yoke (aircraft)|yoke]]. The main instrument panel is dominated by six [[Electronic visual display|display]]s, [[cathode-ray tube]] monitors initially then [[liquid crystal display]]s.<ref name="Montalk"/> Flight information is directed via the [[Electronic Flight Instrument System]] (EFIS) and systems information through the [[Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor]] (ECAM).<ref>{{cite web |title=Airbus A330 Wide-Bodied Medium/Long-Range Twin-Engine Airliner, Europe |url=http://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/a330/ |access-date=31 January 2011 |website=Airport Technology |publisher=}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=domain on WP:BLACKLIST|date=June 2016}}<ref>{{cite web |date=March 1999 |title=A330 Flight deck and systems briefing for pilots |url=http://www.smartcockpit.com/data/pdfs/plane/airbus/A330/misc/A330_Flight_Deck_and_Systems_Briefing_For_Pilots.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091228233548/http://www.smartcockpit.com/data/pdfs/plane/airbus/A330/misc/A330_Flight_Deck_and_Systems_Briefing_For_Pilots.pdf |archive-date=28 December 2009 |access-date=31 January 2011 |website=[[Airbus]] |publisher= |page=173}}</ref>

The aircraft monitors various sensors and automatically alerts the crew to any parameters outside their normal range. Pilots can also inspect individual systems. Electronic manuals are used instead of paper ones, and web-based updates are optional. Maintenance difficulty and cost were reduced to half of that of the earlier and smaller [[Airbus A310]].<ref name="smart">{{Cite news |last=Debois |first=Thierry |date=1 June 2003 |title=Airbus A340: Smart Design |url=http://www.aviationtoday.com/regions/usa/Airbus-A340-Smart-Design_286.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813084012/http://www.aviationtoday.com/regions/usa/Airbus-A340-Smart-Design_286.html#.U2kn201OWmQ |archive-date=13 August 2016 |access-date=21 September 2025 |work=Aviation Today}}</ref> Improved engine control and monitoring improved time on the wing. The centralised maintenance computer can transmit real-time information to ground facilities via the onboard satellite-based [[ACARS]] datalink.<ref name="Montalk"/><ref name="smart"/> Heavy maintenance, like structural changes, remained unchanged, while cabin enhancements, like the [[in-flight entertainment]], were increased over preceding airliners.<ref name="smart"/>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="160px"> File:Airbus A340-313E, Finnair JP7679383.jpg|The A340-200/300 is powered by four [[CFM56]]-5Cs with [[exhaust mixer]]s. File:STC 0024 (4280288402).jpg|The A340-500/600 is powered by four larger [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500]]s with separate flows. </gallery>

==Operational history== [[File:18cg_-_Airlanka_Airbus_A340-311;_4R-ADA@FRA;01.04.1998_(5445375360).jpg|thumb|[[Air Lanka]] was the Asian launch customer of the aircraft.]] The first variant of the A340 to be introduced, the A340-200, entered service with the launch customer, Lufthansa, in 1993. It was followed shortly thereafter by the A340-300 with its operator, Air France. Lufthansa's first A340, dubbed ''Nürnberg'' (D-AIBA),{{sfn|Eden |2008|p=35}} began revenue service on 15 March 1993.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p=71}}{{sfn|Eden|2008|p=36}} Air Lanka (later renamed [[SriLankan Airlines]]) became the Asian launch customer of the Airbus A340; the airline received its first A340-300, registered (4R-ADA), in September 1994. British airline [[Virgin Atlantic]] was an early adopter of the A340; in addition to operating several A340-300 aircraft, Virgin Atlantic announced in August 1997 that it would be the worldwide launch customer for the new A340-600.<ref name="virgin">[http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/tridion/images/LH_Timeline_tcm20-1014744.pdf "A brief history of Virgin Atlantic."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233849/http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/tridion/images/LH_Timeline_tcm20-1014744.pdf |date=3 March 2016 }} ''Virgin Atlantic'', Retrieved: 11 May 2014.</ref> Virgin performed the first commercial flight of the A340-600 in July 2002.<ref name="virgin"/>

Singapore Airlines ordered 17 A340-300s and operated them until October 2003. Boeing purchased those A340-300s as part of an order for [[Boeing 777]]s in 1999.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zuckerman|first=Laurence|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/01/business/boeing-and-airbus-battle-over-singapore-airline-sales.html|title=Boeing and Airbus Battle Over Singapore Airline Sales|newspaper=The New York Times|date=1 July 1999|access-date=19 July 2016}}</ref> The airline then purchased five long-range A340-500s, which joined the fleet in December 2003. In February 2004, the airline's A340-500 performed the longest non-stop commercial air service worldwide, conducting a non-stop flight between Singapore and Los Angeles.<ref>[http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release-detail/detail/airbus-press-centre-press-release-35/ "Singapore Airlines A340-500 Flies Into The Record Books".] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622013058/http://www.airbus.com/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release-detail/detail/airbus-press-centre-press-release-35/ |date=22 June 2016 }} ''Airbus S.A.S'', 4 February 2004.</ref> In 2004, Singapore Airlines launched an even longer non-stop route using the A340-500 between [[Newark Liberty International Airport|Newark]] and [[Singapore Changi Airport|Singapore]], [[Singapore Airlines Flight 21|SQ 21]], a {{convert|15344|km|nmi mi}} journey that was the longest scheduled [[Non-stop flight|non-stop commercial flight]] in the world.<ref name="CNN long flight"/> The airline continued to operate this route regularly until the airline decided to retire the type in favour of new [[Airbus A380|A380]] and A350 aircraft;<ref>{{cite web |last=Peterson |first=Barbara |date=24 October 2012 |title=Singapore Airlines to End World's Longest Flight |work=The Daily Traveler |url= http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/2012/10/singapore-air-worlds-longest-flight-end-a380-newark |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140512214916/http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/2012/10/singapore-air-worlds-longest-flight-end-a380-newark |archive-date=12 May 2014}}</ref> its last A340 flight was performed in late 2013.[[File:Line-up_of_Mahan_Air_Airbus_A340s_at_IKIA.jpg|thumb|alt=Line up of Mahan Air Airbus A340 at IKA Airport|Line up of Mahan Air Airbus A340 at IKA Airport]]

The A340 was typically used by airlines as a medium-sized long-haul aircraft and was often a replacement for older [[Boeing 747]]s as it was more likely to be profitable than the less efficient 747.{{sfn|Doganis|2002|pp=133–135}} Airbus produced several A340s as large private jets for [[VIP]] customers, often to replace ageing Boeing 747s in this same role. In 2008, Airbus launched a dedicated corporate jetliner version of the A340-200: one key selling point of this aircraft was a range of up to {{convert|8000|nmi|km}}. Airbus had built up to nine different customised versions of the A340 to satisfy private customers' specific demands before 2008.<ref>Lombardo, David A. [http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2008-05-27/airbus-unveils-a340-200-bizliner "Airbus unveils A340-200 bizliner."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514001915/http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2008-05-27/airbus-unveils-a340-200-bizliner |date=14 May 2016 }} ''Aviation International News'', 27 May 2008.</ref>

[[File:South African Airways Airbus A340 ZS-SXD Perth 2018 (01).jpg|thumb|A [[South African Airways]] A340-300 with 2-wheel centre-line bogie in 2018]] The A340 has frequently been operated as a dedicated transport for [[head of state|heads of state]]. A pair of A340-300s were acquired from [[Lufthansa]] by the ''[[Konrad Adenauer (aircraft)|Flugbereitschaft]]'' of the [[German Air Force]]; they serve as VIP transports for the [[Chancellor of Germany|German Chancellor]] and other key members of the [[Politics of Germany|German government]].<ref>{{Cite news|title= Bundeswehr will im Eiltempo neue Regierungsflugzeuge anschaffen |work=Der Spiegel |url= http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,540155,00.html |date= 7 March 2008 |access-date =12 March 2008}}</ref> The A340-200 was also operated by the air transport division of the [[French Air and Space Force]], where it was used as a strategic transport for troop deployments and supply missions, as well as to transport government officials, until both aircraft were sold in 2020.<ref>Osborne, Tony. [http://aviationweek.com/blog/french-air-force-a400m-breaks-cover "French Air Force A400M Breaks Cover."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514001914/http://aviationweek.com/blog/french-air-force-a400m-breaks-cover |date=14 May 2016 }} ''Aviation Week & Space Technology'', 17 January 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sipinski |first=Dominik |date=15 December 2020 |title=French Air Force sells both A340-200s |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/98370-french-air-force-sells-both-a340-200s |work=Ch-aviation |location= |publisher= |access-date=22 May 2025}}</ref> A one-of-a-kind aircraft, the A340-8000, was originally built for Prince [[Jefri Bolkiah]], brother of the Sultan of [[Brunei]] [[Hassanal Bolkiah]]. The aircraft was unused and stored in [[Hamburg]] until it was procured by Prince [[Al-Waleed bin Talal]] of the [[House of Saud]],<ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/picture-former-sultan-of-brunei39s-unique-a340-8000-derivative-destined-for-saudi-arabian-vip-212460/ |title=Picture: Former Sultan of Brunei's unique A340-8000 derivative destined for Saudi Arabian VIP after nine years storage |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160514002156/http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/picture-former-sultan-of-brunei39s-unique-a340-8000-derivative-destined-for-saudi-arabian-vip-212460/ |archive-date=14 May 2016 |magazine=Flight International |date=7 March 2007}}</ref> and later sold to Colonel [[Muammar Gaddafi]], then-[[President of Libya]]; the aircraft was operated by [[Afriqiyah Airways]] and was often referred to as ''Afriqiyah One''.<ref>Whyte, Alasdair. [http://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/articles/selling-a-vip-business-jet-to-muammar-gadafi/ "Selling a VIP business jet to Colonel Gaddafi."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416002634/http://www.corporatejetinvestor.com/articles/selling-a-vip-business-jet-to-muammar-gadafi/ |date=16 April 2016 }} ''corporatejetinvestor.com'', 16 August 2013.</ref>

In 2008, [[Price of petroleum|jet fuel prices]] doubled compared to the year before; consequently, the A340's fuel consumption led airlines to reduce flight stages exceeding 15 hours. [[Thai Airways International]] cancelled its 17-hour, nonstop [[Suvarnabhumi Airport|Bangkok]]–[[John F. Kennedy International Airport|New York/JFK]] route on 1 July 2008, and placed its four A340-500s for sale. While short flights stress aircraft more than long flights and result in more frequent fuel-thirsty take-offs and landings, ultra-long flights require completely filled fuel tanks to ensure an adequate fuel supply upon landing. The higher weights in turn require a greater proportion of an aircraft's [[fuel fraction]] just to take off and to stay airborne. In 2008, [[Air France-KLM]]'s chief executive {{ill|Pierre-Henri Gourgeon|fr|Pierre-Henri Gourgeon}} disparagingly referred to the A340 as a "flying tanker with a few people on board".<ref>Michaels, Daniel. [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121547453054734059 "Airlines Cut Long Flights To Save Fuel Costs."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228005521/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121547453054734059.html |date=28 December 2011 }} ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', 8 July 2008.</ref> While Thai Airways consistently filled 80% of the seats on its New York City–Bangkok flights, it estimated that, at 2008 fuel prices, it would need an impossible 120% of seats filled just to break even.<ref>Airlines curb Long Flights to Save on Fuel, ''The Wall Street Journal'', 8 July 2008, pp. B1-B2.</ref> Other airlines also re-examined long-haul flights. In August 2008, [[Cathay Pacific]] issued a declaration expressing concern over the adverse impact of escalating fuel expenses on its trans-Pacific long-haul routes, emphasizing a disproportionate burden on these particular flights. Consequently, the airline outlined its strategic decision to curtail the frequency of such flights and reallocate its fleet to cater to shorter routes, notably those connecting Hong Kong and Australia. The company's primary objective, as articulated by the airline's CEO Tony Tyler, entailed a comprehensive network restructuring aimed at optimizing operational efficiency by ensuring flights were directed to destinations that would yield cost coverage and financial gain simultaneously.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cathay Pacific To Cut Flights To Los Angeles |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121850655478832111 |access-date=4 September 2023 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=12 August 2008 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> ''Aviation Week'' noted that rapid performance increases of twin-engine aircraft has led to the detriment of four-engine types of comparable capacity such as the A340 and 747; at this point most 747s had accumulated significant flying hours before retirement in contrast to A340s which were relatively young when grounded.<ref>Broderick, Sean. [http://aviationweek.com/awin/a340-operators-spend-interiors-engines "A340 Operators Spend On Interiors, Engines."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514001912/http://aviationweek.com/awin/a340-operators-spend-interiors-engines |date=14 May 2016 }} ''Aviation Week'', 23 September 2013. "...Technology, particularly in twinjet airframe and engine design, simply got better. And it doomed almost all quad jets—and certainly those battling twins of comparable capacity—in the process."</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-12-02/airbus-to-customers-your-200-million-plane-is-not-a-lemon|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203073243/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-12-02/airbus-to-customers-your-200-million-plane-is-not-a-lemon|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2013|title=Airbus's A340 Resale Value Guarantee Could Cost Billions – Businessweek|author=Carol Matlack|work=Businessweek.com|access-date=1 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/printer/articles/171362-airbuss-guarantee-to-a340-buyers-could-cost-it-2-billion|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924150106/http://www.businessweek.com/printer/articles/171362-airbuss-guarantee-to-a340-buyers-could-cost-it-2-billion|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 September 2015|title=Airbus's A340 Resale Value Guarantee Could Cost Billions – Businessweek|author=Carol Matlack|work=Businessweek.com|access-date=1 April 2015}}</ref>

By 2014, Singapore Airlines had phased out the type, discontinuing [[Singapore Airlines Flight 21|SQ21 and SQ22]], which had been the longest non-stop scheduled flights in the world. [[Emirates (airline)|Emirates]] decided to accelerate the retirement of its A340 fleet, writing down the value of the A340-500 type to zero despite the oldest −500 only being 10 years old, with president Tim Clark saying they were "designed in the late 1990s with fuel at $25–30. They fell over at $60 and at $120 they haven't got a hope in hell".<ref name="reedbusinessinformationlimited">{{cite web|first=Max|last=Kingsley-Jones|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/emirates-begins-parting-out-its-a340-500s-390832/|title=Emirates begins parting out its A340-500s|work=Flightglobal|access-date=19 July 2016}}</ref>

[[File:Airbus A340-642, Etihad Airways AN1620901.jpg|thumb|Eight-abreast, 2-4-2 economy cabin]] [[International Airlines Group]], the parent of [[Iberia Airlines]] (which is also the operator of the last production A340 built), is overhauling its A340-600s for continued service for the foreseeable future, while it is retiring its A340-300s. The IAG overhaul featured improved conditions and furnishings in the business and economy classes; the business-class capacity was raised slightly while not changing the type's overall operating cost. [[Lufthansa]], which operates both Airbus A340-300s and −600s, concluded that, while it is not possible to make the A340 more fuel efficient, it can respond to increased interest in business-class services by replacing first-class seats with more business-class seats to increase revenue.<ref name="reedbusinessinformationlimited"/><ref>Haria, Rupa. "Weight in Waiting." ''Aviation Week and Space Technology'', 14 April 2014. pp. 54–55.</ref>

In 2013, [[Snecma]] announced that they planned to use the A340 as a flying testbed for the development of a new [[Propfan|open rotor engine]]. This test aircraft is forecast to conduct its first flight in 2019.{{update inline|date=January 2025}} Open rotor engines are typically more fuel-efficient but noisier than conventional turbofan engines; introducing such an engine commercially has been reported as requiring significant legislative changes within engine approval authorities due to its differences from contemporary jet engines. The engine, partly based on the [[Snecma M88]] turbofan engine used on the [[Dassault Rafale]], is being developed under the European Clean Sky research initiative.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Gubisch |first=Michael |url= http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/snecma-to-flight-test-open-rotor-on-a340-in-2019-394504/ |title=Snecma to flight-test open rotor on A340 in 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160514011148/http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/snecma-to-flight-test-open-rotor-on-a340-in-2019-394504/ |archive-date=14 May 2016 |magazine=Flight International |date=2 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Warwick |first=Graham |url= http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/snecma-prepares-crucial-open-rotor-tests |title=Snecma Prepares For Crucial Open-rotor Tests |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160514001910/http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/snecma-prepares-crucial-open-rotor-tests |archive-date=14 May 2016 |magazine=Aviation Week |date=19 June 2013}}</ref>

In January 2021, Lufthansa, which was the largest remaining operator by then, announced that their entire Airbus A340-600 fleet will be retired with immediate effect and not return to service in the wake of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>[https://www.aero.de/news-38351/Lufthansa-rechnet-mit-Erholung-im-Sommer.html aero.de] (German) 21 January 2021</ref> Ultimately, Lufthansa reactivated their A340-600s in the summer of 2022,<ref>{{cite web |title=Lufthansa strengthens its premium hub in Munich |url=https://newsroom.lufthansagroup.com/en/lufthansa-strengthens-its-premium-hub-in-munich/ |website=newsroom.lufthansagroup.com |publisher=[[Lufthansa]] |access-date=15 May 2024 |language=English |date=25 June 2021 }}</ref> while remaining committed to operating the smaller Airbus A340-300.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Dominik Sipinski |title=Lufthansa to reactivate A340-600s due to premium demand |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/105123-lufthansa-to-reactivate-a340-600s-due-to-premium-demand |website=ch-aviation.com |publisher=Ch-Aviation |access-date=15 May 2024 |language=English |date=28 June 2021 }}</ref> Later in 2021, the Portuguese charter carrier [[Hi Fly (airline)|HiFly]] landed an A340 in Antarctica for the first time in history.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Spalding|first=Katie|date=26 November 2021|title=Airbus 340 Plane Lands In Antarctica For First Time In History|url=https://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/airbus-340-plane-lands-in-antarctica-for-first-time-in-history/|url-status=live|access-date=1 December 2021|website=IFL Science|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127172443/https://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/airbus-340-plane-lands-in-antarctica-for-first-time-in-history/ |archive-date=27 November 2021}}</ref>

As of December 2021, the global A340 fleet had carried over 600 million passengers and completed more than 2.5 million flights over 20 million block hours since its entry into service with 99 percent operational reliability<ref>{{cite news |title=A340 Family: Versatility on long-range and ultra-long-range flights |url=https://www.airbus.com/en/who-we-are/our-history/commercial-aircraft-history/previous-generation-aircraft/a340-family |date= 16 January 2022 |publisher= Airbus }}</ref> and zero fatal accidents.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/dblist.php?sorteer=casualties,datekey&kind=%&cat=%&page=1&field=typecode&var=024%|title=ASN Aviation Safety Database - A340|work=[[Aviation Safety Network]]|date=11 July 2023|access-date=11 July 2023}}</ref>

==Variants== [[File:Airbus A340 family v1.0.png|thumb|left|Airbus A340 family]]

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right;" |+Airbus A340 variants |- ![[International Civil Aviation Organization|ICAO]] code<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icao.int/anb/ais/8643/8643_List2.cfm|title=ICAO Document 8643|work=[[International Civil Aviation Organization]]|access-date=9 February 2011|archive-date=30 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830215121/http://www.icao.int/anb/ais/8643/8643_List2.cfm|url-status=dead}}</ref> !Model(s) |- |A342 |A340-200 |- |A343 |A340-300 |- |A345 |A340-500 |- |A346 |A340-600 |}

There are four variants of the A340. The A340-200 and A340-300 were launched in 1987 with introduction into service in March 1993 for the −200. The A340-500 and A340-600 were launched in 1997 with introduction into service in 2002. All variants were available in a [[Airbus Corporate Jets|corporate version]].

=== A340-200 === [[File:Aerolíneas Argentinas A340-200 LV-ZPO FCO 2006-8-27.png|thumb|[[Aerolíneas Argentinas]] A340-200]] The −200 is one of two initial versions of the A340; it has seating for 261 passengers in a three-class cabin layout with a [[Range (aircraft)|range]] of {{convert|13800|km|nmi mi}} or seating for 240 passengers also in a three-class cabin layout for a range of {{convert|15000|km|nmi mi}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a330a340 |title=A330/A340 family: Twin-and four-engine efficiency |publisher=Airbus |access-date=1 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119010055/http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a330a340 |archive-date=19 November 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This is the shortest version of the family and the only version with a wingspan measuring greater than its fuselage length. It is powered by four CFMI [[CFM International CFM56|CFM56-5C4]] engines and uses the [[Honeywell]] 331–350[A] [[auxiliary power unit]] (APU).<ref name="Product Catalog">{{cite web|url=https://commerce.honeywell.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ECategoryDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10651&categoryId=32443&langId=-1 |access-date=18 November 2010 |title=Product Catalog |publisher=Honeywell |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712215914/https://commerce.honeywell.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ECategoryDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10651&categoryId=32443&langId=-1 |archive-date=12 July 2011 }}</ref> It initially entered service with Air France in May 1993. Due to its large wingspan, four engines, low capacity and general inferiority to the larger and more improved A340-300, the −200 proved very unpopular with mainstream airlines. Only 28 A340-200s were produced. Boeing did not produce a direct competitor.

One version of this type (referred to by Airbus as the ''A340-8000'') was ordered by the prince [[Jefri Bolkiah]], with the request for a non-stop range of {{convert|15000|km|nmi mi}}. This A340-8000, in the Royal Brunei Airlines livery had an increased fuel capacity, an [[Maximum Take-Off Weight|MTOW]] of {{convert|275|t|lb}}, similar to the A340-300, and minor reinforcements to the [[Landing gear|undercarriage]]. It is powered by the {{convert|150|kN|lbf|lk=on}} thrust [[CFM International CFM56|CFM56-5C4s]] similar to the −300E. Only one A340-8000 was produced. Besides the −8000, some A340-200s are used for [[Very Important Person|VIP]] or military use; these include [[Royal Brunei Airlines]], [[Qatar Amiri Flight]], [[Politics of Egypt|Arab Republic of Egypt Government]], [[Royal Saudi Air Force]], [[Jordan]] and the [[French Air and Space Force]]. Following the −8000, other A340-200s were later given performance improvement packages (PIPs) that helped them achieve similar gains in capability as to the A340-8000. Those aircraft are labeled ''A340-213X''. The range for this version is {{convert|15000|km|nmi mi}}.

As of March 2024, all but two of the active remaining A340-200s still flying were VIP or government planes. [[Conviasa]] and [[Mahan Air]] are the only remaining commercial operators of the type.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

===A340-300=== [[File:Sri_Lankan_Airlines_A340-300_4R-ADB.jpg|thumb|[[SriLankan Airlines]] Airbus A340-300]] The A340-300 flies 295 passengers in a typical three-class cabin layout over {{convert|6700|nmi}}. This is the initial version, having flown on 25 October 1991, and it entered service with Lufthansa and Air France in March 1993. It is powered by four CFMI [[CFM International CFM56|CFM56-5C]] engines and uses the Honeywell 331–350[A] APU,<ref name="Product Catalog"/> similar to the version used on the −200. The A340-300 was superseded by the [[Airbus A350|A350-900]].<ref>[http://www.forecastinternational.com/samples/F611_CompleteSample.pdf "The Market for Large Commercial Jet Transports 2011–2020"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929135933/http://www.forecastinternational.com/samples/F611_CompleteSample.pdf |date=29 September 2011 }}. Forecast International, July 2011.</ref> Its closest competitor was the [[Boeing 777-200ER]] and the [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aspireaviation.com/2010/12/08/boeing-777-way-much-better-than-a330/|title=Boeing: 777 way much better than A330|date=8 December 2010}}</ref> A total of 218 -300s were delivered.

The A340-300E, often mislabelled as A340-300X, has an increased [[Maximum Takeoff Weight|MTOW]] of up to {{convert|275|t|lb}} and is powered by the more powerful {{cvt|34000|lbf|kN}} thrust CFMI [[CFM International CFM56|CFM56-5C4]] engines. Typical range with 295 passengers is between {{convert|7200|and|7400|nmi}}. The largest operator of this type is [[Lufthansa]], who has operated a fleet of 30 aircraft. The A340-300 Enhanced is the latest version of this model and was first delivered to [[South African Airways]] in 2003, with [[Air Mauritius]] receiving the A340-300 Enhanced into its fleet in 2006. It received newer CFM56-5C4/P engines and improved [[avionics]] and [[fly-by-wire]] systems developed for the A340-500 and −600.

As of March 2024, there were 61 Airbus A340-300s in airline service.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

===A340-500=== [[File:A6-ERF Airbus A340 Emirates (7604169374).jpg|thumb|Slightly longer than the −300, the −500 has a larger wing, larger [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500]] turbofans and three 4-wheel bogies for the main landing gear, it was introduced by [[Emirates (airline)|Emirates]] in 2003.]] When the A340-500 was introduced, it was the world's longest-range commercial airliner. It first flew on 11 February 2002 and was certified on 3 December 2002. [[Air Canada]] was supposed to be the launch customer but filed for bankruptcy in January 2003, delaying delivery to March. This allowed early deliveries to the new launch customer, [[Emirates (airline)|Emirates]], allowing the carrier to launch nonstop service from Dubai to New York—its first route in the Americas. The A340-500 can fly 313 passengers in a three-class cabin layout over 16020 km (8650 nm). Compared with the A340-300, the −500 features a {{convert|4.3|m|ft|adj=on|1}} fuselage stretch, an enlarged wing, a significant increase in fuel capacity (around 50% larger than the −300), slightly higher [[cruising speed]], a larger [[Tailplane|horizontal stabiliser]] and a larger [[Empennage|vertical tailplane]]. The centerline main landing gear was changed to a four-wheel bogie to support the additional weight. The A340-500 is powered by four {{cvt|240|kN|lbf}} thrust [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500|Rolls-Royce Trent 553]] turbofans and uses the Honeywell 331–600[A] APU.<ref name="https">{{cite web|url=https://commerce.honeywell.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ECategoryDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10651&categoryId=31954&langId=-1 |access-date=18 November 2010 |title=Product Catalog |publisher=Honeywell |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712215900/https://commerce.honeywell.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ECategoryDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10651&categoryId=31954&langId=-1 |archive-date=12 July 2011}}</ref>

Designed for [[ultra long-haul|ultra-long-haul]] routes, the −500 has a range of 9,000 nautical miles.<ref>{{cite web |title=A340-500 Specifications |publisher=Airbus |url=http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/passengeraircraft/a340family/a340-500/specifications/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122085922/http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/passengeraircraft/a340family/a340-500/specifications/ |archive-date=22 January 2011}}</ref> Due to its range, the −500 is capable of travelling non-stop from [[Heathrow Airport|London]] to [[Perth Airport|Perth, Western Australia]], though a return flight requires a fuel stop due to [[headwind]]s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2004/jun/29/theairlineindustry.travelnews|date=29 June 2004|access-date=3 February 2010|title=Record longest flight flies in the face of its critics|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London, England|first=Andrew |last=Clark}}</ref> [[Singapore Airlines]] used this model (initially in a two-class 181-passenger layout, later in a 100-passenger business-only layout) between early 2004 and late 2013 for its [[Newark Liberty International Airport|Newark]]–[[Singapore Changi Airport|Singapore]] and Singapore–Newark [[non-stop flight|nonstop routes]] [[Singapore Airlines Flights 21 and 22|SQ21 and SQ22]]. The former was an 18-hour, 45-minute 'westbound' (actually a [[polar route]] northbound to 130 km (70 nm) across the North Pole, then south across Russia, [[Mongolia]] and the People's Republic of China) and the latter was an 18-hour, 30-minute eastbound, {{convert|15344|km|nmi mi}} journey. At the time, the flight was the longest-scheduled [[Non-stop flight|non-stop commercial flight]] in the world.<ref name="CNN long flight">{{Cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2004/BUSINESS/06/28/singapore.airline/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225022217/http://edition.cnn.com/2004/BUSINESS/06/28/singapore.airline/|archive-date=25 December 2007|title=Singapore Air makes longest flight|publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref name=BloombergJBachman>{{cite news|last1=Bachman|first1=Justin|title=The End of the World's Longest Nonstop Flights|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-10-21/singapore-airlines-ends-longest-commercial-flights-from-newark-and-los-angeles|access-date=6 April 2017|agency=Bloomberg L.P.|date=21 October 2013}}</ref> [[Singapore Airlines]] even added a special compartment to the aircraft to store a corpse if a passenger were to die during the flight, though it was reported that its use had not been necessary.<ref>{{cite news |title=Airline's new fleet includes a cupboard for corpses |author=Andrew Clark |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2004/may/11/theairlineindustry.travelnews |newspaper=The Guardian |date=11 May 2004 |access-date=11 May 2012}}</ref><ref name=BloombergJBachman/> Singapore Airlines suspended operating the flight from 2013 onwards partly due to high fuel prices at that time and returned its aircraft to Airbus in exchange for ordering new [[Airbus A350]] aircraft.<ref name=BloombergJBachman/> The SQ21/SQ22 route was eventually resumed, flown by [[Airbus A350-900ULR]] aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/ca/media-centre/press-release/article/?q=en_UK/2018/April-June/ne2018-180530|title=Singapore Airlines To Launch World's Longest Commercial Flights|website=Singapore Airlines}}</ref>

The A340-500IGW (Increased Gross Weight) version has a range of {{cvt|17000|km|nmi mi}} and a [[Maximum Takeoff Weight|MTOW]] of {{cvt|380|t|lb}} and first flew on 13 October 2006. It uses the strengthened structure and enlarged fuel capacity of the A340-600. The certification aircraft, a de-rated A340-541 model, became the first delivery to [[Thai Airways International]], on 11 April 2007.{{cn|date=May 2026}} Nigerian airline [[Arik Air]] received a pair of A340-542s in November 2008, using the type to launch two new routes immediately [[Lagos]]–London Heathrow and Lagos–Johannesburg; a non-stop Lagos–New York route began in January 2010.<ref>[http://www.flykingfisher.com/media-center/archives.aspx Kingfisher Purchases Five Airbus A340-500] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012094629/http://www.flykingfisher.com/media-center/archives.aspx |date=12 October 2014}} ''[[flykingfisher.com]]''</ref><ref>{{Cite press release|title=Kingfisher grows its Airbus fleet with purchase of five A340-500|publisher=Airbus|date=24 April 2006|url=http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release/detail/kingfisher-grows-its-airbus-fleet-with-purchase-of-five-a340-500/news-period/1143842400/2591999/archived/news-category/press_release/|access-date=10 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203234248/http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/press-release/detail/kingfisher-grows-its-airbus-fleet-with-purchase-of-five-a340-500/news-period/1143842400/2591999/archived/news-category/press_release/|archive-date=3 December 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> The A340-500IGW is powered by four {{cvt|250|kN|lbf}} thrust [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500|Rolls-Royce Trent 556]] turbofans.

The A340-500 proved to be unpopular with customers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://leehamnews.com/2013/12/08/airbus-engine-oems-make-the-case-for-a340-future/|title=Airbus, engine OEMs make the case for A340 future – Leeham News and Comment|date=8 December 2013}}</ref> This was primarily attributed to its perceived inefficiency, as it carried a relatively low number of passengers while still retaining most of the heavy structural elements of its larger sibling, the A340-600, from which it was derived. Furthermore, operating in the specialized [[ultra long-haul]] market proved challenging, given the substantial fuel load required for such extended flights, making it a segment where profitability was hard to achieve.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

As of May 2025, there are no longer any commercial A340-500 in service.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Jacopo Prisco |title=The Airbus A340 airplane was built to rule long-haul travel. Now it's vanishing from the skies |url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/the-a340-vanishing/ |website=CNN |publisher=[[CNN]] |access-date=15 May 2024 |language=English |date=3 May 2024 }}</ref> The remaining A340-500 are currently operating private service or as government planes, such as [[Las Vegas Sands]] and [[Qatar Amiri Flight]].

===A340-600=== [[File:A- 340- 600 (5811453390).jpg|thumb|The A340-600 has five doors per side, as seen here on a since-retired [[Iberia (airline)|Iberia]] aircraft.]] Designed to replace early-generation [[Boeing 747]]-200/300 airliners, the A340-600 can carry 379 passengers in a three-class cabin layout for {{cvt|13900|km|nmi mi}}. It provides a passenger capacity similar to a 747 but with 25 per cent more cargo volume and lower trip and seat costs. The first flight of the A340-600 was made on 23 April 2001.{{sfn|Norris|Wagner |2001|p={{page needed|date=July 2020}}}} [[Virgin Atlantic]] began commercial services in August 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VIRGIN ATLANTIC'S A340-600 – THE LONGEST PLANE IN THE WORLD – TAKES ITS FIRST COMMERCIAL FLIGHT |website=Asiatraveltips.com |date=1 August 2002 |url= http://www.asiatraveltips.com/travelnews2002/1August2002Virgin.shtml |access-date=3 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |title=Virgin Atlantic's A340-600 – the Longest Plane in the World – Takes its First Commercial Flight |via=Pressreleasenetwork.com |date=5 August 2002 |url=http://www.pressreleasenetwork.com/pr-2002/aug/mainpr2006.htm |access-date=3 December 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101127141357/http://pressreleasenetwork.com/pr-2002/aug/mainpr2006.htm |archive-date=27 November 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The variant's main competitor is the [[Boeing 777|777-300ER]]. The A340-600 was replaced by the [[Airbus A350|A350-1000]]. {{multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | width = 200 | header = A340-600 and A340-200 cockpit comparison | image1 = D-AIHI cockpit.jpg | alt1 = | class1 = bg-transparent | caption1 = | image2 = Airbus A340-211, Lufthansa AN0337400.jpg | alt2 = | caption2 = The flight deck of an [[Lufthansa]] A340-600, showing updated equipment and flight displays compared to the older A340-200/300 (below) }} The A340-600 is {{cvt|12|m|ftin|1}} longer than a −300, more than {{cvt|4|m|ftin|1}} longer than the [[Boeing 747-400]] and {{cvt|2.3|m|ftin|1}} longer than the [[Airbus A380|A380]], and has two emergency exit doors added over the wings. It held the record for the world's longest commercial aircraft until the first flight of the [[Boeing 747-8]] in February 2010. The A340-600 is powered by four {{cvt|250|kN|lbf}} thrust [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500|Rolls-Royce Trent 556]] turbofans and uses the [[Honeywell]] 331–600[A] APU.<ref name="https"/> As with the −500, it has a four-wheel [[Landing gear|undercarriage]] bogie on the fuselage centre-line to cope with the increased [[MTOW]] along with the enlarged wing and rear empennage. Upper deck [[aircraft cabin|main cabin]] space can be optionally increased by locating facilities such as crew rest areas, [[Galley (kitchen)|galleys]], and [[Toilet#Lavatory|lavatories]] upon the aircraft's lower deck. In early 2007, Airbus reportedly advised carriers to reduce cargo in the forward section by {{cvt|5.0|t|lb}} to compensate for overweight first and business-class sections; the additional weight caused the aircraft's centre of gravity to move forward, thus reducing cruise efficiency. Affected airlines considered filing compensation claims with Airbus.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article1624119.ece |date=7 April 2007 |access-date=7 April 2007 |title=Carriers ponder compensation claims against Airbus for overweight aircraft |location=London |work=[[The Times]] |first=David |last=Robertson |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408185427/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article1624119.ece |archive-date=8 April 2007 }}</ref>

The A340-600HGW (''H''igh ''G''ross ''W''eight) version first flew on 18 November 2005<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/11_18_05_A340600.html|date=18 November 2005|access-date=6 August 2006|title=New A340-600 takes to the skies |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060519212124/http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/11_18_05_A340600.html |archive-date= 19 May 2006}}</ref> and was certified on 14 April 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/06_04_14_certifies_a3400600.html|title=Newly certified A340-600 brings 18% higher productivity|date=14 April 2006|access-date=6 August 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060616190914/http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/06_04_14_certifies_a3400600.html |archive-date= 16 June 2006}}</ref> It has an [[MTOW]] of {{cvt|380|t|lb}} and a range of up to {{cvt|14630|km|nmi mi}}, made possible by strengthened structure, increased fuel capacity, more powerful engines, and new manufacturing techniques like [[laser beam welding]]. The A340-600HGW is powered by four {{cvt|61900|lbf|kN}} thrust [[Rolls-Royce Trent]] 560 turbofans. [[Emirates (airline)|Emirates]] became the launch customer for the −600HGW when it ordered 18 at the 2003 [[Paris Air Show]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/06_16_03_Emirates.html|access-date=6 August 2006|title=Emirates orders 41 additional Airbus aircraft|date=16 June 2003 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060519212130/http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/06_16_03_Emirates.html |archive-date= 19 May 2006}}</ref> but postponed its order indefinitely and later cancelled it. Rival [[Qatar Airways]], which placed its order at the same airshow, took delivery of only four aircraft, with the first aircraft on 11 September 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/homepage.html?id=0,2773,0,0,1,0&tab=5 |title=Qatar Airways First Airbus A340-600 Arrives in Doha}} www.qatarairways.com</ref> The airline has since let its purchase options expire in favour of orders for the Boeing 777-300ER.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/First-Boeing-jet-of-many-touches-down-in-Qatar-1257290.php |title=First Boeing jet of many touches down in Qatar| access-date=2 July 2011 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer| first1=James| last1=Wallace| first2=P-I| last2=Aerospace| date=29 November 2007}}</ref>

As of March 2024, there were 33 A340-600s in service with nine airlines worldwide.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

===Military designations=== ;B.L.19 :({{langx|th|บ.ล.๑๙}}) [[Royal Thai Armed Forces]] designation for the A340-541.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thai Military Aircraft Designations |url=https://designation-systems.net/non-us/thailand.html |access-date=19 March 2025 |website=designation-systems.net}}</ref>

==Operators== {{main|List of Airbus A340 operators}}

Over the duration of the programme, a total of 377 A340 family aircraft were delivered, of which 187 are in service {{as of|2025|4|lc=y}}.<ref>Survivor in the skies ''[[Airliner World]]'' November 2025 pages 85-91</ref> The five largest scheduled airline operators are [[Lufthansa]] (30), [[Mahan Air]] (15), [[Conviasa]] (6), [[Edelweiss Air]] (5), and [[Swiss International Air Lines]] (4).<ref>{{cite web |date=30 April 2025 |title=Orders & Deliveries |url=https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/market/orders-deliveries.html |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329082951/https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/market/orders-deliveries.html |archive-date=29 March 2023 |access-date=31 May 2025 |work=[[Airbus]]}}</ref>

===Deliveries=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:96%;" |- ! colspan="22"|Deliveries |- !Type!!Total!!2012!!2011!!2010!!2009!!2008!!2007!!2006!!2005!!2004!!2003!!2002!!2001!!2000!!1999!!1998!!1997!!1996!!1995!!1994!!1993 |- !A340-200 |'''28'''||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||1||3||3||5||4||12 |- !A340-300 |'''218'''||-||-||-||-||3||2||2||4||5||10||8||22||19||20||23||30||25||14||21||10 |- !A340-500 |'''34'''||2||-||2||2||1||4||5||9||7||2||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||- |- !A340-600 |'''97'''||-||-||2||8||8||8||18||15||14||16||8||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||- |- !A340 family |'''377'''||'''2'''||'''-'''||'''4'''||'''10'''||'''12'''||'''14'''||'''25'''||'''28'''||'''26'''||'''28'''||'''16'''||'''22'''||'''19'''||'''20'''||'''24'''||'''33'''||'''28'''||'''19'''||'''25'''||'''22''' |} <small>'Note: The total number of deliveries corresponds to the Airbus O&D file,<ref name="Airbus_Orders">{{cite web |url=http://www.aircraft.airbus.com/market/orders-deliveries/ |title=Airbus orders and deliveries |work=[[Airbus]] |date=31 July 2017 |access-date=6 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010134850/http://www.aircraft.airbus.com/market/orders-deliveries/ |archive-date=10 October 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> while the details are given in the ABCD list..'<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abcdlist.nl/a340f/a340f.html |title=Airbus Production List A330, A340 |work=ABCDlist |date=16 January 2022 |access-date=16 January 2022 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210095725/https://www.abcdlist.nl/a340f/a340f.html |url-status=dead }}</ref></small>

==Accidents and incidents== The A340 has never been involved in a fatal accident, although there have been six [[hull-loss accidents]]:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/types/Airbus-A340/losses |title=Airbus A340 Hull Losses |author= |website=aviation-safety.net |publisher=[[Flight Safety Foundation]] |access-date=10 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/types/Airbus-A340/index|title=Airbus A340 database|last=Ranter|first=Harro|website=aviation-safety.net|access-date=25 September 2019}}</ref>

===Accidents=== [[File:Airfranceflight358.jpg|thumb|upright=2|Remains of [[Air France Flight 358]] at [[Toronto Pearson International Airport]]]] ; Landing phase * 5 November 1997 – [[Virgin Atlantic Flight 024]], an Airbus A340-300 registered as G-VSKY ''[[Virgin Atlantic Flight 024|China Girl]]'', conducted an emergency landing on Runway 27L at [[Heathrow Airport|London Heathrow Airport]] with the aircraft's left-main landing gear partially extended. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://flightsafety.org/ap/ap_dec00.pdf |title=A340 Crew Conducts Emergency Landing With Left-main Gear Partially Extended |author=FSF Editorial Staff |website=flightsafety.org |access-date=15 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{ASN accident|title=Airbus A340-311 G-VSKY|id=19971105-1|accessdate=25 September 2019}}</ref> * 29 August 1998 – a [[Sabena]] Airbus A340-200 registered as OO-SCW was severely damaged while landing on Runway 25L at [[Brussels Airport]]. The right main gear collapsed; the right engines and wingtip hit the runway and slid to the right in soft ground. The 248 passengers and 11 crew were safely evacuated. The cause of the gear failure was found to be a fatigue crack. Although severely damaged, the aircraft was repaired and returned to service for 16 years until it was stored.{{cn|date=May 2026}} * 2 August 2005 – [[Air France Flight 358]], an Airbus A340-300 registered as F-GLZQ, was destroyed by a crash and subsequent fire after it overran runway 24L at [[Toronto Pearson International Airport]] while landing in a [[thunderstorm]]. The aircraft slid into [[Etobicoke Creek]] and caught fire. All 297 passengers and 12 crew survived; 43 people were injured, 12 seriously.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=Airbus A340-313X F-GLZQ |id=20050802-0 |accessdate=10 April 2014}}</ref><ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tsb-advises-runway-changes-in-light-of-air-france-crash-1.634899 "TSB advises runway changes in light of Air France crash."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213225144/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tsb-advises-runway-changes-in-light-of-air-france-crash-1.634899 |date=13 December 2007 }} ''CBC News'', 12 December 2007.</ref> * 9 November 2007 – [[Iberia (airline)|Iberia]] [[Iberia Flight 6463|Flight 6463]], an Airbus A340-600 registered as EC-JOH, was badly damaged after sliding off the runway at Ecuador's [[Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport|Mariscal Sucre International Airport]]. The landing gear collapsed and two engines broke off. All 345 passengers and 14 crew members were evacuated by inflatable slides, and there were no serious injuries. The aircraft was written off and scrapped.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=Airbus A340-642 EC-JOH |id=20071109-0 |accessdate=10 April 2014}}</ref>

; Take-off phase * 20 March 2009 – [[Emirates Flight 407]], an Airbus A340-500 registered as A6-ERG, failed to take off properly from Melbourne Airport, hitting several structures at the end of the runway before eventually climbing enough to return to the airport for a safe landing. There were no injuries, but the occurrence was severe enough to be classified an accident by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/the-devil-is-in-the-data/story-e6frg95x-1225771809045 |first=Cameron |last=Stewart |title=The devil is in the data|date= 12 September 2009 |work=The Australian |access-date=26 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/emirates-pilot-in-tail-strike-near-disaster-tells-his-story/story-0-1225748572516 |url-status=dead |first=Ellen |last=Whinnett |title=Emirates pilot in tail strike near-disaster tells his story |work=[[Herald Sun]]|date=12 July 2009 }}</ref>{{New archival link needed|date=April 2026}} The plane was subsequently repaired, and returned to service for five years before it was scrapped.<ref name="Accident description for Airbus A340">{{ASN accident|title=Airbus A340-313 D-AIFA|id=20180611-0|accessdate=25 September 2019}}</ref>

===Incidents=== ; Fire related * 20 January 1994 – an [[Air France]] Airbus A340-200 registered as F-GNIA was destroyed by fire during servicing at Paris [[Charles de Gaulle Airport]].<ref>{{ASN accident|title=Airbus A340-211 F-GNIA |id=19940120-0 |accessdate=10 April 2014}}</ref> This marks the first hull-loss of an A340. *11 June 2018 – A [[Lufthansa]] Airbus A340-300 registered as D-AIFA was being towed with maintenance staff on board to the departure gate at [[Frankfurt Airport]]'s terminal when the tow truck caught fire. The flames substantially damaged the aircraft's front section, and ten people on the ground received minor injuries.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-11/lufthansa-a340-damaged-as-frankfurt-airport-truck-catches-fire|title=Lufthansa A340 Damaged as Frankfurt Airport Truck Catches Fire|date=11 June 2018|work=Bloomberg.com|language=en}}</ref> The damage was assessed to be beyond economical repair and the aircraft was written off.<ref name="Accident description for Airbus A340" />

; Test related * 15 November 2007 – an Airbus A340-600 with the test registration F-WWCJ was damaged beyond repair during ground testing at Airbus' facilities at [[Toulouse Blagnac International Airport]]. During a pre-delivery engine test, some safety checks had been disabled,<ref name="bea-wwcj">{{cite book |title=Accident survenu le 15 novembre 2007 sur l'aérodrome de Toulouse Blagnac à l'Airbus A340-600 numéro de série 856 |date=2008 |trans-title=Accident occurred on November 15, 2007 on the Toulouse Blagnac aerodrome on the Airbus A340-600 serial number 856 |url=https://www.bea.aero/fileadmin/documents/docspa/2007/f-cj071115/pdf/f-cj071115.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091116191430/http://www.bea-fr.org/docspa/2007/f-cj071115/pdf/f-cj071115.pdf |archive-date=16 November 2009 |access-date=4 November 2009 |publisher=[[Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety]] |language=fr |isbn=978-2-11-098259-9}}</ref> leading to the unchocked aircraft accelerating to {{convert|31|kn|km/h mph|abbr=}} and colliding with a concrete blast deflection wall. The right-wing, tail, and left engines made contact with the ground or wall, leaving the forward section elevated several metres and the cockpit broken off; five people on board were injured, four of them seriously, but no fatalities resulted.<ref name="bea-wwcj"/><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/violation-of-test-procedures-led-to-toulouse-a340-600-319969/ |title= Violation of test procedures led to Toulouse A340-600 crash |first= David |last= Kaminski-Morrow |date= 10 December 2008 |publisher=Reed Business Information |work=[[Flightglobal]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104133017/http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/violation-of-test-procedures-led-to-toulouse-a340-600-319969/ |archive-date=4 January 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> The aircraft was [[Writeoff|written off]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/11/19/219705/toulouse-accident-occurred-as-airbus-a340-was-exiting-engine-test-pen.html |title=Toulouse accident occurred as Airbus A340 was exiting engine test-pen |work=Flight International |access-date=17 November 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081211052310/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/11/19/219705/toulouse-accident-occurred-as-airbus-a340-was-exiting-engine-test-pen.html |archive-date= 11 December 2008 |url-status= live}}</ref> It had been due to be delivered to [[Etihad Airways]] as A6-EHG.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=Airbus A340-642 F-WWCJ|id=20071115-0|accessdate=25 September 2019}}</ref>

; War related * 24 July 2001 – a [[SriLankan Airlines]] Airbus A340-300 registered as 4R-ADD was destroyed on the ground at [[Bandaranaike International Airport]], being one of 26 aircraft which were damaged or destroyed during an [[Bandaranaike Airport attack|attack upon the airport]] by [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] militants.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=Airbus A340-312 4R-ADD |id=20010724-2 |accessdate=10 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |year= 2001 |url= http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jir/jir010903_1_n.shtml |title= Intelligence failures exposed by Tamil Tiger airport attack |journal= [[Jane's Intelligence Review]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080225162532/http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jir/jir010903_1_n.shtml |archive-date= 25 February 2008}}</ref>

==Specifications== {{sticky header}} {| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Variant ! A340-200<ref name=200300ACAP>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jlcbta136/files/2021-11/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A340-200-300.pdf |title= Aircraft Characteristics Airport Planning – A340-200/300 |publisher= Airbus |date= July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129144129/https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jlcbta136/files/2021-11/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A340-200-300.pdf|archive-date= 29 November 2021}}</ref> ! A340-300<ref name=200300ACAP/> ! A340-500<ref name=500600ACAP>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jlcbta136/files/2021-11/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A340-500_600.pdf |title= Aircraft Characteristics Airport Planning – A340-500/600 |publisher= Airbus |date= July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129144139/https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jlcbta136/files/2021-11/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A340-500_600.pdf |archive-date= 29 November 2021}}</ref> ! A340-600<ref name=500600ACAP/> |- ! Cockpit crew | colspan="4"| Two |- ! 3-class seats<ref name=specs/> | 210–250 | 250–290 | 270–310 | 320–370 |- ! typ. layout | 303 (30F + 273Y) | 335 (30F + 305Y) | 313 (12F + 36J + 265Y) | 380 (12F + 54J + 314Y) |- ! Exit limit<ref name="tcds"/> | 420{{efn|name=4tAdoors|4 Type A doors}}{{efn|name=9abreast|9-abreast}}/375{{efn|name=8abreast|8-abreast}} | 375{{efn|name=8abreast}}/440{{efn|name=4tAdoors}}{{efn|name=9abreast}} | 375{{efn|name=8abreast}} | 440/475{{efn|name=8abreast}} |- ! Length<ref name="specs"/> | {{convert|59.4|m|ftin|abbr=on |disp=semicolon}} | {{convert|63.69|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} | {{convert|67.93|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} | {{convert|75.36|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} |- ! Wingspan | colspan="2"|{{convert|60.3|m|ft|abbr=on}} | colspan="2"|{{convert|63.45|m|ft|abbr=on}} |- ! Wing<ref>{{cite web |url= http://booksite.elsevier.com/9780340741528/appendices/data-a/table-1/table.htm |title= Airbus Aircraft Data File |publisher= Elsevier |work= Civil Jet Aircraft Design |date= July 1999}}</ref> | colspan="2"| {{cvt|363.1|m2}}, 29.7° sweep, {{#expr:60.3/(363.1/60.3)round1}} [[Wing aspect ratio|AR]] | colspan="2"| {{cvt|437.3|m2}}, 31.1° sweep, {{#expr:63.45/(437.3/63.45)round1}} [[Wing aspect ratio|AR]] |- ! Height |{{convert|17.03|m|ft|abbr=on}} |{{convert|16.99|m|ft|abbr=on}} |{{convert|17.53|m|ft|abbr=on}} |{{convert|17.93|m|ft|abbr=on}} |- ! Fuselage | colspan="4"| {{convert|5.287|m|in|abbr=on}} cabin width,{{convert|5.64|m|ft|abbr=on}} outside width |- ! Cargo volume | {{cvt|{{#expr:60.7+52+19.7}}|m3}} | {{cvt|{{#expr:78+60.7+19.7}}|m3}} | {{cvt|{{#expr:78+52+19.7}}|m3}} | {{cvt|{{#expr:104+78+19.7}}|m3}} |- ! [[Maximum takeoff weight|MTOW]] | {{cvt|275|t|lb}} | {{cvt|276.5|t|lb}} | colspan=2 | {{cvt|380|t|lb}} |- ! Max. [[Payload|PL]] | {{cvt|51|t|lb}} | {{cvt|52|t|lb}} | {{cvt|54|t|lb}} | {{cvt|66|t|lb}} |- ! [[Operating empty weight|OEW]] | {{cvt|{{#expr:169-51}}|t|lb}} | {{cvt|{{#expr:183-52}}|t|lb}} | {{cvt|168|t|lb}} | {{cvt|174|t|lb}} |- ! Max. Fuel | colspan=2 | 110.4 t (243,395 lb) | 175.2 t (386,292 lb) | 155.5 t (342,905 lb){{efn|no aux. tank, 164 t (361,595 lb) with 1 aux. tank}} |- ! Engines (×4) | colspan=2| [[CFM International CFM56]]-5C | [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500|RR Trent 553]] || [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500|RR Trent 556]] |- ! [[Thrust]] (×4)<ref name="tcds" /> | colspan=2| {{cvt|138.78|-|151.24|kN}} | colspan=2| {{cvt|55,780|-|61902|lbf|kN|order=flip}} |- ! Speed | colspan="4"| Max.: {{cvt|0.86|Mach|altitude_ft=39000|knots km/h mph|0}} at {{cvt|39000|ft|m|order=flip}}<ref name=specs/><br />Cruise: {{cvt|0.82|Mach|altitude_ft=39000|knots km/h mph|0}} at {{cvt|39000|ft|m|order=flip}} |- ! Range, 3-class<ref name=specs>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/previous-generation-aircraft/a340-family/a340-200.html |title= A340-200|date= 16 June 2021}}, {{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/previous-generation-aircraft/a340-family/a340-300.html |title= A340-300 |date= 16 June 2021 }}, {{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/previous-generation-aircraft/a340-family/a340-500.html |title= A340-500 |date= 16 June 2021 }}, {{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/previous-generation-aircraft/a340-family/a340-600.html |title= A340-600 |date= 16 June 2021 |publisher= Airbus}}</ref> | 13,500 km (7,300 nmi; {{cvt|13500|km|mi|disp=output only}}) | 12,408 km (6,700  nmi; 7,710 mi) | 16,670 km (9,000 nmi; {{cvt|16670|km|mi|disp=output only}}) | 14,450 km (7,800 nmi; {{cvt|14450|km|mi|disp=output only}}) |- ! Take off{{efn|MTOW, {{abbr|SL|sea level}}, [[International standard atmosphere|ISA]]}} | {{cvt|9500|ft|m|order=flip}} | {{cvt|10000|ft|m|order=flip}} | {{cvt|3350|m}} | {{cvt|3400|m}} |- ! [[Ceiling (aeronautics)|Ceiling]]<ref name="tcds"/> |{{convert|12,527|m|ft|abbr=on}} | colspan=3 |{{convert|12,634|m|ft|abbr=on}} |}

;Line drawings <gallery widths="400" heights="600"> File:Airbus A340 family v1.1.png|A340-200/300 File:Airbus A340 family 2 v1.0.png|A340-500/600 </gallery>

===Engines=== {{sticky header}} {| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style="text-align: center;" |- ! Model !! Certification date !! Engines<ref name="tcds" /> |- | A340-211 || 22 December 1992 || [[CFM International CFM56|CFM 56-5C2]] |- | A340-212 || 14 March 1994 || [[CFM International CFM56|CFM 56-5C3]] |- | A340-213 || 19 December 1995 || [[CFM International CFM56|CFM 56-5C4]] |- | A340-311 || 22 December 1992 || [[CFM International CFM56|CFM 56-5C2]] |- | A340-312 || 14 March 1994 || [[CFM International CFM56|CFM 56-5C3]] |- | A340-313 || 16 March 1995 || [[CFM International CFM56|CFM 56-5C4]] |- | A340-541 || 3 December 2002 || [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500|RR Trent 553-61 / 553A2-61]] |- | A340-542 || 15 February 2007 || [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500|RR Trent 556A2-61]] |- | A340-642 || 21 May 2002 || [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500|RR Trent 556-61 / 556A2-61]] |- | A340-643 || 11 April 2006 || [[Rolls-Royce Trent 500|RR Trent 560A2-61]] |}

==See also== {{Portal|Aviation}} {{aircontent| |see also= * [[Competition between Airbus and Boeing]] * [[Deli Mike]], an Airbus A340-300 notable for its strange unreliability |related= * [[Airbus A330]] |similar aircraft= * [[Boeing 777]] * [[Ilyushin Il-96]] * [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]] |lists= * [[List of jet airliners]] * [[List of civil aircraft]] }}

==References== ;Notes {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

;References {{Reflist|30em|refs= <ref name="tcds">{{cite web|title=Type Certificate Data Sheet A.015 AIRBUS A340 Issue 20|url=http://www.easa.eu.int/certification/type-certificates/docs/aircrafts/EASA-TCDS-A.015_Airbus_340-20-21102010.pdf|publisher=[[European Aviation Safety Agency]]|date=21 October 2010|access-date=28 January 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719034422/http://www.easa.eu.int/certification/type-certificates/docs/aircrafts/EASA-TCDS-A.015_Airbus_340-20-21102010.pdf|archive-date=19 July 2011}}</ref> }}

;Bibliography {{refbegin}} * {{Cite book |last= Doganis |first= Rigas |title= Flying Off Course: The Economics of International Airlines |location=London |publisher=[[Routledge]]|year= 2002 |isbn=978-0-4152-1323-3}} * {{Cite book|editor-last=Eden|editor-first=Paul E. |title=Civil Aircraft Today |publisher=Amber Books |location=London |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-905704-86-6|url-access=registration |url= https://archive.org/details/civilaircrafttod0000unse}} * {{Cite book|last=Gunston|first=Bill|title=Airbus: The Complete Story|year=2009 |location=Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset, UK |publisher=[[Haynes Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-84425-585-6}} * {{cite book|last1=Lawrence|first1=Phillip K.|first2=David Weldon |last2=Thornton |title=Deep Stall: The Turbulent Story of Boeing Commercial Airplanes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B8Eclsp6xtUC&pg=PA73 |publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]]|year=2005 |location=London |isbn=978-0-7546-4626-6}} * {{Cite book|last1=Norris|first1=Guy |first2=Mark |last2=Wagner|title=Airbus A340 and A330 |location=St. Paul, Minnesota |publisher=[[MBI Publishing]]|year=2001 |isbn=0-7603-0889-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780760308899}} * {{Cite book|last1=Norris|first1=Guy |first2=Mark |last2=Wagner|title=Airbus|location=St. Paul, Minnesota |publisher=MBI Publishing |year=1999|isbn=0-7603-0677-X |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/airbus0000norr}} * {{Cite book |last1= Obert |first1= Ed |title= Aerodynamic Design of Transport Aircraft |publisher= [[IOS Press]]|year= 2009 |isbn= 978-1-6075-0407-8}} * {{cite book|last=Wensveen|first=J.G.|title=Air Transportation: A Management Perspective |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ej8Qslt1nfsC&pg=PA65 |location=Burlington, Vermont |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7546-7171-8}} {{refend}}

== Further reading == * {{Cite book |last=Hewson |first=R. |title=Airbus A.330/340 |publisher=Airlife Publishing |issue="Airlife Airliners" no. 16}}

==External links== {{Commons and category|Airbus A340}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20101119010055/http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a330a340 Official Airbus A330 and A340 airliners web page] * [http://www.airliners.net/aircraft-data/stats.main?id=27 Airbus A340-200/300 page on airliners.net] * {{cite web |url= https://www.forecastinternational.com/archive/disp_old_pdf.cfm?ARC_ID=972 |title= Airbus A340 Report |publisher= Forecast International |date= April 2007}}

[[Category:Airbus A340| ]] [[Category:Airbus aircraft|A340]] [[Category:1990s international airliners]] [[Category:Quadjets]] [[Category:Low-wing aircraft]] [[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]] [[Category:Wide-body aircraft]]