The A340 was Airbus’ first quadjet and strong competition against Boeing.
The type has seen four different variants - two different capacity options at launch and
two further variants later, which focused on range and capacity. Airbus delivered 377 A340s overall,
but which airlines have been the largest operators of each variant? Let’s find out in today’s video…
The A340 followed on from Airbus' success with the A300, A310 and A320. Sometimes
referred to as a commercial failure, it sold low numbers compared to many other aircraft types.
Overall, however, 377 A340s were delivered to 48 airlines. When considered alongside
the joint development with the more successful A330, the big jet still worked well for Airbus.
The -200 was one of two initial variants offered at launch in 1987.
The shortest variant of the series, it offers a typical two-class capacity of 303.
Only 28 A340-200s were delivered with Lufthansa being the largest operator.
The German airline had eight different aircraft in its fleet between launch and
the end of 2003. One of these, though, was only leased from Air France for a few months in 1996.
Air France was close behind with six aircraft. South African Airways has also
operated six aircraft - but all of these came from Lufthansa in the early 2000s.
The -300 was the second variant offered at launch, with an increased capacity of 335.
It was the first variant to be delivered to launch customer Lufthansa in 1993 and was the
most popular, with 218 aircraft delivered. Again, Lufthansa was the largest operator,
operating 44 aircraft. Again, Air France follows Lufthansa with 33 aircraft. Several others
airlines were significant users, too, with Iberia operating 27 and Cathay Pacific operating 24.
The -500 and -600 variants were developed in the late 1990s as
upgrades for higher capacity and increased range. The -500 was launched in March 2003 with Emirates
and had a similar capacity to the -300. With this main focus on range, it was a niche aircraft
and as a result, not as popular. Emirates was the largest operator, utilizing the aircraft
on its longest direct US routes. The airline operated ten aircraft, retiring the last in 2015.
Singapore Airlines also made good use of the A340-500 on its longest US routes
(now operated by the A350ULR). However, the airline only operated five aircraft in total
while Etihad flew four of the type. The large A340-600 was launched along
with the -500, entering service slightly earlier in 2002, with Virgin Atlantic. The
stretched variant takes capacity up to the same area as the Boeing 747, with a typical
seating of 380 (but an exit limit up to 440). It was the longest aircraft in service beating
both the A380 and the Boeing 747-400. However, it was eventually “out-stretched” by the 747-8.
Lufthansa once again made this variant a key part of its fleet.
With 24 aircraft, it has been the largest operator.
Meanwhile, Iberia and Virgin Atlantic have each operated 19 A340-600s.
Sadly for aviation enthusiasts, the A340 has been increasingly seeing retirement over recent years.
These days, your best bet to fly on the quadjet is to book a flight with Lufthansa-
and to a lesser extent, SWISS.
Which A340 variants have you flown on? Let us know by leaving a comment.