Airbus A340

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"A340" redirects here. For the road in Hampshire and Berkshire, see A340 road.
Airbus A340

A Cathay Pacific A340-600 landing at London Heathrowin
2007
Role Wide-body jet airliner
National origin Multi-national
[1]

Manufacturer Airbus
First flight 25 October 1991
Introduction 15 March 1993 with Lufthansa(deliveries
began in February 1993)
Status In service, out of production
Primary users Lufthansa
Iberia
Virgin Atlantic
South African
Produced 19932011
[2]

Number built 377
[3]

Unit cost
A340-200: US$87 million
(aboutDEM 163.6 million or 53
million) (1989)
A340-300: US$238.0 million (145.4
million or 164.1 million) (2011)
[4]

A340-500: US$261.8 million (160
million or 180.6 million) (2011)
[4]

A340-600: US$275.4 million
(168.25 million or 190 million)
(2011)
[4]

Developed from Airbus A300
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed and
produced by Airbus Industrie,
[Nb 1]
a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is now fully
owned by EADS, the A340 was assembled atToulouse, France. It seats up to 375 passengers in the
standard variants and 440 in the stretched 600 series. Depending on the model, it has a range of between
6,700 to 9,000 nautical miles (12,400 to 17,000 km). It is similar in design to the twin-engined A330 with
which it was concurrently designed. Its distinguishing features are four high-bypass turbofan engines and
three-bogie main landing gear.
Airbus manufactured the A340 in four fuselage lengths. The initial variant, A340-300, which entered service
in 1993, measured 59.39 metres (194.8 ft). The shorter 200 was developed next, and the A340-600 was a
15.91 metres (52.2 ft) stretch of the 200. The 600 was developed alongside the shorter A340-500, which
would become the longest-ranged commercial airliner until the arrival of the Boeing 777-200LR. The two
initial models were powered by the CFM56-5C, rated at 151 kilonewtons (34,000 lbf), while Rolls-Royce
held exclusivepowerplant rights to the extended-ranged and heavier 500 and 600 models, through the
267-kilonewton (60,000 lbf) Rolls-Royce Trent 500. Initial A340 versions share the fuselage and wing of the
A330 while the 500/-600 models are longer and have larger wings.
[5]

Launch customers Lufthansa and Air France placed the A340 into service in March 1993. As of September
2011, 379 orders had been placed (not including private operators), of which 375 were delivered. The most
common type were the A340-300 model, with 218 aircraft delivered. Lufthansa is the biggest operator of the
A340, having acquired 59 aircraft. The A340 is used on long-haul, trans-oceanic routes due to its immunity
from ETOPS; however, with reliability in engines improving, airlines are progressively phasing out the type
in favour of more economical twinjets, such as the A330 and the Boeing 777. Airbus announced on 10
November 2011 that the A340 programme had been terminated due to lack of new orders.
[2]

Contents
[hide]
1 Development
o 1.1 Background
o 1.2 Design effort
o 1.3 Production and testing
o 1.4 Entry into service and demonstration
o 1.5 Further developments
2 Operational history
3 Variants
o 3.1 A340-200
o 3.2 A340-300
o 3.3 A340-500
o 3.4 A340-600
4 Operators
o 4.1 Deliveries
5 Accidents and incidents
6 Specifications
o 6.1 Line drawings
o 6.2 Engines
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
Development[edit]
See also: Development of the Airbus A330
Background[edit]
As Airbus designed the Airbus A300 during the 1970s, it envisioned a broad family of airliners to compete
against Boeing and 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.
[6]
Prior to
the service introduction of the first Airbus airliners, Airbus had identified nine possible variations of the A300
known as A300B1 to B9.
[7]
A 10th variation, conceived in 1973, later the first to be constructed, was
designated the A300B10.
[8]
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.
[8]
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 airliner market, Airbus turned its
focus back to the wide-body aircraft market.
The A300B11,
[9]
a derivative of the A310, was designed upon the availability of "ten ton" engines.
[10]
It would
seat between 180 to 200 passengers, and have a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km).
[11]
It was
deemed the replacement for the less-efficient Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s still in service.
[10]

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 at the time.
[10]
It was
targeted at the growing demand for high-capacity, medium-range, transcontinental trunk routes.
[10]
The B9
would offer the same range and payload as the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, but would use between
25%
[10]
to 38%
[12]
less fuel. The B9 was therefore considered the replacement for the DC-10 and
the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar.
[13]
To differentiate the programme from the SA studies, the B9 and B11 were
redesignated the TA9 and TA11 (TA standing for "twin aisle"), respectively.
[9]
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).
[14]
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.
[10]
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,
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.
[15][16]

Design effort[edit]


From the start, Airbus intended the A330/A340 to share a common flight deck with the A320. The cockpit of
a LufthansaA340-600 is shown.
The first specifications of the TA9 and TA11 were released in 1982.
[17]
While the TA9 had a range of 3,300
nautical miles (6,100 km), the TA11 range was up to 6,830 nautical miles (12,650 km).
[17]
At the same time,
Airbus also sketched the TA12, a twin-engine derivative of the TA11, which was optimised for flights of a
2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) lesser range.
[17]

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 flight deck,fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system and side-
stick control.
[18]
The adoption of a common cockpit design 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.
[19]
The TA11 and TA12 would use the front and rear fuselage sections of the A310.
[20]
Components
across the aircraft were modular, and interchangeable with other Airbus aircraft where possible
[19]
to reduce
production, maintenance and operating costs.
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 and Bristol. Airbus estimated this would yield a 2% improvement in aerodynamic
efficiency.
[21]
However, the plan was later abandoned on grounds of cost and difficulty of development.
[9]



The A340-200 and 300 are powered by four CFM International CFM56-5Cs.
Airbus briefly entered discussions with McDonnell Douglas about teaming up to produce the planned AM
300.
[22]
This aeroplane would have combined the wing of the A330 with the fuselage of the McDonnell
Douglas MD-11.
[22]
However, talks terminated as McDonnell insisted on the continuation of its trijet heritage.
Eventually, McDonnell Douglas would merge with Boeing, contributed by the commercial failure of its MD-
11 design, which competed directly with the A340.
[23]

From the start, it was intended that the A340 would be powered by four CFM56-5 turbofan engines, capable
of 25,000 pounds-force (110 kN).
[24]
Airbus also considered a trijet due to the limited power of engines
available at the time, namely the Rolls-Royce RB211-535 and Pratt & Whitney JT10D-232.
[25]

On 27 January 1986, the Airbus Industrie Supervisory Board held a meeting in Munich, West Germany,
after which board-chairman Franz Josef Straureleased a statement, "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".
[18]
The designations were originally reversed because the airlines
believed it illogical for a two-engine jet airliner to have a "4" in its name, whilst a quad-jet would not.
On 12 May, Airbus sent new sale proposals to five prospective airlines including Lufthansa and Swissair.
[18]

Production and testing[edit]
In preparations for production of the A330/A340, Airbus's partners invested heavily in new
facilities. Filton was the site of BAE's 7 million investment in a three-storey technical centre with an extra
15,000 square metres (160,000 sq ft) of floor area.
[26]
BAe also spent 5 million expanding the Chester wing
production plant by 14,000 m
2
(150,000 sq ft)
[26]
to accommodate a new production line. However, France
saw the biggest changes with Arospatiale starting construction of a new Fr.2.5 billion ($411 million)
assembly plant, adjacent to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, inColomiers.
[27]
By November 1988, the first 21 m
(69 ft) pillars were erected for the new Clment Ader assembly hall.
[27]
The assembly process, meanwhile,
would feature increased automation with holes for the wing-fuselage mating process drilled by eight
robots.
[28]
The use of automation for this particular process saved Airbus 20% on labour costs and 5% on
time.
[28]

British Aerospace accepted 450 million funding from the UK government, although it was well short of the
750 million originally requested.
[29]
Funds from the French and 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 of America, and the former Yugoslavia.
[30]
The A330 and
A340 programmes were jointly launched on 5 June 1987,
[31]
just prior to the Paris Air Show. 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.
[29]
Over at McDonnell
Douglas, ongoing tests of the MD-11 revealed a significant shortfall in the aircraft's performance. An
important prospective 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.
[32]
The MD-11,
according to test results, would experience fuel starvation over the Balkans.
[32]
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.
[33]

The first flight of the A340 occurred on 21 October 1991,
[34]
marking the start of a 2,000-hour test flight
programme involving six aircraft.
[35]
From the start, engineers noticed that the wings were not strong enough
to carry the outboard engines at cruising speed without warping and fluttering. To alleviate this, an
underwing bulge called a plastron was developed to correct airflow problems around the
engine pylons
[36]
and to add stiffness. European JAA certification was obtained on 22 December 1992; FAA
followed on 27 May 1993.
[37]

Entry into service and demonstration[edit]
Airbus delivered the first A340, a 200, to Lufthansa on 2 February 1993.
[37]
The 228-seat A340-200,
named, Nrnberg,
[38]
entered service on 15 March.
[37]
The A340s were intended to replace aging DC-10s on
the airline's FrankfurtNew York services. Meanwhile, Air France took its first A340-300 on 26 February, the
first of nine it planned to operate by the end of the year.
[37]
The A340 replaced the Boeing 747s on Paris
Washington D.C., flying four times weekly.
[39]
Coincidentally, the first Air France A340 was the 1000th
Airbus to leave the Toulouse facility since the consortium's beginning.
[37]

During the Paris Air Show, on 16 June 1993 an A340-200 named The World Ranger took off for a round-
the-world demonstration and publicity-stunt flight.
[40][41]
The aircraft, carrying 22 persons, had been modified
for the flight, including the addition of five center tanks.
[40]
Taking off at 11:58 local time, The World
Ranger made only one stop en route in Auckland, arriving back in Paris 48 hours and 22 minutes later, at
12:20.
[40][41]
The flight broke six world records at the time. Among the six was the longest non-stop flight by
an airliner, when the aircraft flew 19,277 kilometres (10,409 nmi) from Paris, arriving in Auckland in record
time,
[40]
keeping the record until 2005, when a Boeing 777-200LR flew from Hong Kong eastward toward
London, resulting in 21,602 kilometres (11,664 nmi) flown.
[42]

Further developments[edit]


The Airbus A340-600 was the longest commercial aircraft until 2010 when theBoeing 747-8 made its maiden flight. It is
seen here at the 2006 Farnborough Airshow.
During the 1990s, when airlines were looking for replacement aircraft for their 1970-era Boeing 747-100s
and 200s, Airbus investigated a stretched airframe in the form of the A340-400X.
[43]
This proved
unpopular, as the CFM56 engines were at the limits of their growth capability and the range would have
decreased to around 10,000 km (5,400 nmi). When this plan was discarded, a larger wing and engine
combination was decided upon. Initially,Pratt & Whitney proposed an engine, but contract issues led Airbus
to proceed with the Rolls Royce Trents in 1997.
[44]
Airbus announced in April 1996 that it would offer a
stretched variant, the A340-600.
Airbus confirmed in January 2006 that it had studied developing an A340-600E (Enhanced). Airbus
projected that it would be more fuel-efficient than earlier A340s and close the 89% disparity with the
Boeing 777 by using a new Trent 1500 engines as well as technology from the A350 programme.
[45]
At that
time Airbus predicted that it would probably produce 127 A340 units through 2016, at which time production
was projected to end.
[46]

During the early 21st Century, sales for the A340 began to slow. On 10 November 2011, Airbus announced
the end of the A340 program. At that time it indicated that all firm orders had been delivered.
[47]

Operational history[edit]


SriLankan Airlines was the first Asian airline to operate the Airbus A340
The A340-200 entered service in 1993 with launch customer Lufthansa, followed shortly thereafter by the
300 of Air France and the A330. Lufthansa's first A340, dubbed Nrnberg (D-AIBA),
[38]
began revenue
service on 15 March 1993.
[37][48]
Air Lanka (now known as Sri Lankan Airlines) became the Asian launch
customer of the Airbus A340 when the airline's first Airbus A340-300 registered (4R-ADA) was delivered in
September 1994. With the introduction of higher gross weight Boeing 777s, such as the 200ER and
specifically 300ER, sales of the A340 began to decline. Over the last few years
[when?]
the 777 has outsold
the A340 by a wide margin. Although the larger GE90 engines on the 777-300ER burn considerably more
fuel than theTrent 500s, using only two of them compared to four Trents has meant a typical operating cost
advantage of around 89%.
[45]



South African Airways A340-200 landing at London Heathrow Airport in 2010.
In mid-2008, 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 BangkokNew 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 full fuel tanks. Thus en route, the plane is burning extra just to
carry fuel, a "flying tanker with a few people on board," Air France-KLM SA's chief executive Pierre-Henri
Gourgeon told the Wall Street Journal.
[49]

While Thai Airways has consistently filled 80% of the seats on its New York CityBangkok flights, it
estimates that, at 2008 fuel prices, it would need an impossible 120% of seats filled just to break
even.
[50]
Other airlines are re-examining long-haul flights. In August 2008 Cathay Pacific stated thatrising
fuel prices were hurting its trans-Pacific long-haul routes disproportionately, and that it would cut the
number of such flights and redeploy its aircraft to shorter routes such as between Hong Kong and Australia.
"We will ... reshap[e] our network where necessary to ensure we fly aircraft to where we can cover our costs
and also make some money."
[51]

Variants[edit]
Airbus A340 variants
ICAO code
[52]
Model(s)
A342 A340-200
A343 A340-300
A345 A340-500
A346 A340-600


Airbus A340 family
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 corporate version from Airbus Executive
and Private Aviation.
A340-200[edit]
One of two initial versions of the A340, the A340-200, with 261 passengers in a three-class cabin layout has
a range of 13,800 kilometres (7,500 nmi), or with 240 passengers also in a three-class cabin layout has a
range of 15,000 kilometres (8,100 nmi).
[53]
This is the shortest version of the family and the only version with
wingspan measuring greater than the length of the fuselage. It is powered by four CFMI CFM56-
5C4 engines and uses the Honeywell 331350[A] APU.
[54]
The plane was intended to open long and thin
routes, especially over water. The closest Boeing competitor for this aircraft is the Boeing 767-400ER.
One version of this type (referred to by Airbus as the A340-8000) was ordered by the Sultan of
Brunei requesting a non-stop range of 15,000 kilometres (8,100 nmi). This A340-8000, in the Royal Brunei
Airlines livery had an increased fuel capacity, an MTOW of 275 tonnes (606,000 lb), similar to the A340-
300, and minor reinforcements to the undercarriage. Upon completion its final range was specified at
15,000 kilometres (8,100 nmi). It is powered by the 150 kilonewtons (34,000 lbf) thrust CFM56-5C4s similar
to the 300E. Only one A340-8000 was produced by Airbus A340-213X (msn 204). It was delivered to
Brunei-based HM the Sultan's Flight in November 1998, but never entered service and was parked unfitted
at Lufthansa Technik inHamburg. The aircraft was later acquired in by Saudi Arabian VIP in February 2007
as it updated its widebody fleet, according to Flight's ACAS database.
[55]
Besides the 8000, some A340-
200s are used for VIP or military use. Examples of these users are Royal Brunei Airlines, Qatar Amiri
Flight, Arab Republic of Egypt Government, Saudi Arabia Air Force, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and
the French Air Force. Other historical operators include Cathay Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Air Bourbon.
Following the specially designed 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 15,000 kilometres (8,100 nmi).
Due to its large wingspan, four engines, low capacity, and improvements to the A340-300, the 200 proved
heavy and unpopular with mainstream airlines. Only 28 A340-200s were produced. Aerolneas
Argentinas (4 aircraft), Royal Jordanian (4) and South African Airways (1) are the three remaining
commercial operators of this aircraft. Other aircraft are now used in VIP or army service. Current operators
include : French Air Force (2), Saudi Arabian Government (2), Brunei Government (1), Libya Government
(1), Egypt Government (1), Qatar Amiri Flight (1).
[56]

A340-300[edit]
The A340-300 flies 295 passengers in a typical three-class cabin layout over 6,700 nautical miles
(12,400 km). This is the initial version, having flown on 25 October 1991, and entered service with
Lufthansa and Air France in March 1993. It is powered by four CFMI CFM56-5C engines and uses
the Honeywell 331350[A] APU,
[54]
similar to the 200. Its closest competitor is the Boeing 777-200ER. The
A340-300 will be superseded by the A350-900.
The A340-300E, often mislabelled as A340-300X, has an increased MTOW of up to 275 tonnes
(606,000 lb) and is powered by the more powerful 34,000 lbf (150 kN) thrust CFMI CFM56-5C4engines.
Typical range with 295 passengers is between 7,200 to 7,400 nautical miles (13,300 to 13,700 km). The
largest operator of this type is Lufthansa with 30 aircraft. It was first delivered toSingapore Airlines in April
1996, though Singapore Airlines no longer operates this model. Two A340-300 were acquired by
the Flugbereitschaft of the German Air Force to serve as VIP transports for the leaders of the German
government and the German President. Service entry will be 2011.
[57]

The A340-300 Enhanced is the latest version of this type and was first delivered to South African Airways in
2003, with Air Mauritius implementing the A340-300 Enhanced as part of their 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.
A340-500[edit]
The A340-500 was introduced as the world's longest-range commercial airliner. It first flew on 11 February
2002, and was certified on 3 December 2002 with early deliveries to Emirates, allowing the Middle Eastern
carrier to launch nonstop service from Dubai to New Yorkits first route in the Americas. The A340-500 can
fly 313 passengers in a three-class cabin layout over 16,020 kilometres (8,650 nmi). It remained the world's
longest-range commercial airliner until the introduction of its direct rival, Boeing 777-200LR, in February
2006. However, the 777 is still subject to theETOPS restrictions due to it having only two engines.


Etihad Airways Airbus A340-500 taking off from London Heathrow Airport
Due to its range, the 500 is capable of travelling non-stop from London to Perth, Western Australia, though
a return flight requires a fuel stop due toheadwinds.
[58]
Singapore Airlines, for example, used this model
(initially in a two-class, 181-passenger, layout and now in a 100-passenger business-only layout) for
its NewarkSingapore nonstop route, SQ 21: an 18-hour, 45-minute "westbound" (really northbound to 130
kilometres (70.2 nmi) abeam the North Pole; then south from there across Russia, Mongolia and People's
Republic of China), 18-hour, 30-minute eastbound, 15,344 kilometres (8,285 nmi) journey that was the
longest scheduled non-stop commercial flight in the world
[59]
until the flight ceased operation in 2013.
The Singapore Airlines 500 is the first plane to include a corpse cupboard, a special locker on an airliner
designed for storing the body of a passenger who dies during the flight.
[60]

Compared with the A340-300, the 500 features a 4.3-metre (14.1 ft) fuselage stretch, an enlarged wing
area, significant increase in fuel capacity (around 50% over the 300), slightly higher cruising speed,
larger horizontal stabilizer and smaller vertical tailplane. The centerline main landing gear was changed to a
four-wheel boogie to handle the additional weight. The A340-500 and 600 has taxi cameras to help the
pilots during ground maneuvers. The A340-500 is powered by four 240 kN (54,000 lbf) thrust Rolls-Royce
Trent 553 turbofans and uses the Honeywell 331600[A] APU.
[61]
Emirates is the largest operator, with ten
aircraft.
The A340-500IGW (Increased Gross Weight) version has a range of 17,000 kilometres (9,200 nmi) and
a MTOW of 380 tonnes (840,000 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.
[62]
Kingfisher Airlines had planned to use
this model to operate nonstop flights from India to North America. However, in October 2008, Kingfisher
transferred three of its five delivery positions to Arik Air of Nigeria, due to the worldwide recession. Arik
Air received these two A340-542s CS-TFW and CS-TFX in November 2008, and placed them in service on
its new LagosLondon Heathrow route and Lagos-Johannesburg route, with a nonstop route to New York
added in January 2010.
[63][64]
The A340-500IGW is powered by four 250 kN (56,202.2 lbf) thrust Rolls-Royce
Trent 556 turbofans.
A340-600[edit]
Designed as an early-generation Boeing 747 replacement, the A340-600 is capable of carrying 379
passengers in a three-class cabin layout 13,900 kilometres (7,500 nmi). It provides similar passenger
capacity to a 747 but with 25 percent more cargo volume, and at lower trip and seat costs. First flight of the
A340-600 was made on 23 April 2001.
[43]
Virgin Atlantic began commercial services in August
2002.
[65][66]
The most direct Boeing equivalent to the A340-600 is the 777-300ER. The A340-600 will
eventually be replaced by the A350-1000, which will also compete with the 777-300ER.


Lufthansa is the airline with the largest number of Airbus A340-600s in its fleet. The picture shows an aircraft of that type
atMunich Airport (2010).
The A340-600 is 12 metres (39 ft 4.4 in) longer than a basic 300, more than four metres longer than
the Boeing 747-400 and 2.3 metres (7 ft 6.6 in) longer than the A380. It held the record for being the world's
longest commercial aircraft until February 2010 with the first flight of the Boeing 747-8. The A340-600 is
powered by four 250 kN (56,202.2 lbf) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 556 turbofans and uses the Honeywell 331
600[A] APU.
[61]
As with the -500, it has a four-wheel undercarriage boogie on the fuselage centre-line to
cope with the increased MTOW. Airbus has made provisions for freeing additional upper deck main
cabin space by providing optional arrangements for additional facilities such as crew rest areas, galleys,
and lavatories upon the "stretched" A340 aircraft's lower deck.
In April 2007, The Times reported that Airbus had advised carriers to reduce cargo in the forward section by
5.0 tonnes (11,023.1 lb) to compensate for overweight first and business class sections. The additional
weight causes the aircraft's centre of gravity to move forward thus reducing cruise efficiency. Airlines
affected by the advisory are considering demanding compensation from Airbus.
[67]

The A340-600HGW (High Gross Weight) version first flew on 18 November 2005
[68]
and was certified on 14
April 2006.
[69]
It has an MTOW of 380 tonnes (837,756.6 lb) and a range of up to 14,630 kilometres
(7,899.6 nmi), 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
60,000 lbf (266.9 kN) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 560 turbofans.
Emirates became the launch customer for the 600HGW when it ordered 18 at the 2003 Paris Air
Show;
[70]
but postponed their order indefinitely and later cancelled. 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.
[71]
It has since let its purchase options expire.
[72]

Operators[edit]
Main article: List of Airbus A340 operators
Deliveries[edit]
Deliveries
Type
Tot
al
201
2
201
1
201
0
200
9
200
8
200
7
200
6
200
5
200
4
200
3
200
2
200
1
200
0
199
9
199
8
199
7
199
6
199
5
199
4
199
3
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 0 2 2 1 4 5 9 7

A340
-600
97

2 8 8 8 18 15 14 16 8

Tota
l
377 2 0 4 10 13 11 24 24 28 33 16 22 19 20 24 33 28 19 25 22
Data through end of December 2012. Updated on 17 January 2013.
[3]

Accidents and incidents[edit]


The remains of Air France Flight 358 atToronto Pearson International Airport.


F-WWCJ was written off prior to delivery to Etihad Airways.
The A340 has never been involved in a fatal incident. There have, however, been five hull-losses:
20 January 1994 Air France, an A340-211 F-GNIA was lost to fire during servicing at Charles de
Gaulle Airport.
5 November 1997 - A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-300 (G-VSKY), made an emergency landing at
London Heathrow Airport, due to partially extended left landing gear. The aircraft sustained major
damage to the undersides of engines 1, 2 and 4 which made contact with the runway. The runway
surface was also damaged and several lights were broken as the right landing gear tires all burst on
supporting the full weight of the airplane, with subsequent break up of the right gear wheels during the
deceleration. The aircraft was evacuated safely, with two crew members and five passengers
sustaining minor injuries during the evacuation.
24 July 2001 SriLankan Airlines, an A340-300 4R-ADD was blown up by Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam terrorists while on the ground at theBandaranaike International Airport.
2 August 2005 Air France Flight 358, all 297 passengers and 12 crew survived a crash and fire after
their A340-300 F-GLZQ overran runway 24L atToronto Pearson International Airport while landing in
a thunderstorm. The aircraft slid into Etobicoke Creek and caught fire. Forty-three were injured, twelve
seriously (2 crew, 10 passengers); some passengers jumped nearly 20 ft (6 m) to the ground.
9 November 2007 An Iberia Airlines A340-600 EC-JOH was badly damaged after sliding off the
runway at Ecuador's Mariscal Sucre International Airport. The landing gear collapsed and two engines
broke off. All 333 passengers and crew were evacuated via inflatable slides, and there were no serious
injuries. The aircraft was scrapped.
15 November 2007 A new A340-600 F-WWCJ was damaged beyond repair during ground testing at
Airbus facilities at Toulouse Blagnac International Airport. During an engine test prior to the airplane's
planned delivery to Etihad Airways,
[73]
multiple safety overrides were disabled and the non-chocked
aircraft accelerated to 31 knots
[73]
and collided with a sloped concrete (exhaust deflection) wall, raising
the nose of the plane several metres. The cockpit section broke off and fell to the ground from a
significant height. The right wing, tail, and two left engines contacted the wall or ground. Nine people on
board were injured, four of them seriously, and fire services were not able to stop one non-damaged
engine from running on accumulated fuel for almost seven hours.
[73]
The aircraft was written off. The
fuselage of this aircraft is now used at Virgin Atlantic's cabin crew training facility in Crawley.
[74]

Specifications[edit]
Model A340-200 A340-300 A340-500 A340-600
Cockpit crew Two
Seating capacity
300 (2-class, typical)
240 (3-class, typical)
[53]

375/420
[75]
(1-class,
typical/maximum)
[76]

335 (2-class, typical)
295 (3-class, typical)
375/440
[75]
(1-class,
typical/maximum)
[76]

359 (2-class, typical)
313 (3-class, typical)
375 (1-class,
typical)
[76]

419 (2-class, typical)
380 (3-class, typical)
440/520 (1-class,
typical/maximum)
[76]

Overall length
59.39 metres
(194 ft 10 in)
63.60 metres
(208 ft 8 in)
67.90 metres
(222 ft 9 in)
75.30 metres (247 ft 1 in)
Wingspan 60.30 metres (197 ft 10 in) 63.45 metres (208 ft 2 in)
Wing area 361.6 square metres (3,892 sq ft) 439.4 square metres (4,730 sq ft)
Wing sweepback 30 degrees 31.1 degrees
Overall height 16.70 metres (54 ft 9 in) 16.85 metres (55 ft 3 in)
17.10 metres
(56 ft 1 in)
17.30 metres (56 ft 9 in)
Maximum cabin
width
5.28 metres (17 ft 4 in)
Fuselage width 5.64 metres (18 ft 6 in)
Cargo volume
162.8 cubic metres
(5,750 cu ft)
162.8 cubic metres
(5,750 cu ft)
153.9 cubic metres
(5,430 cu ft)
207.6 cubic metres
(7,330 cu ft)
Operating empty 129,000 kilograms 130,200 kilograms 170,900 kilograms 177,800 kilograms
weight, typical (284,000 lb) (287,000 lb) (376,800 lb)
HGW: 174,800
kilograms
(385,400 lb)
(392,000 lb)
HGW: 181,900 kilograms
(401,000 lb)
Maximum take-off
weight(MTOW)
275,000 kilograms
(606,000 lb)
276,500 kilograms
(609,600 lb)
372,000 kilograms
(820,000 lb)
HGW: 380,000
kilograms
(840,000 lb)
368,000 kilograms
(811,000 lb)
HGW: 380,000 kilograms
(840,000 lb)
Cruising speed
Mach 0.82 (871 km/h/537 mph at
11,000 m/36,000 ft)
Mach 0.83 (881 km/h/543 mph at
11,000 m/36,000 ft)
Maximum
Operating speed
Mach 0.86 (913 km/h/563 mph at 11,000 m/36,000 ft)
Maximum range,
fully loaded
8,000 nautical miles
(15,000 km; 9,200 mi)
7,400 nautical miles
(13,700 km; 8,500 mi)
8,670 nautical miles
(16,060 km; 9,980 mi)
HGW: 9,000 nautical
miles (17,000 km;
10,000 mi)
7,750 nautical miles
(14,350 km; 8,920 mi)
HGW: 7,900 nautical
miles (14,600 km;
9,100 mi)
Takeoff distance at
MTOW
(sea level, ISA)
2,990 metres (9,810 ft) 3,100 metres (10,200 ft)
3,050 metres
(10,010 ft)
3,100 metres (10,200 ft)
Maximum fuel
capacity
155,040 litres
(34,100 imp gal;
40,960 US gal)
147,850 litres
(32,520 imp gal;
39,060 US gal)
214,810 litres
(47,250 imp gal;
56,750 US gal)
HGW: 222,000 litres
(49,000 imp gal;
59,000 US gal)
195,880 litres
(43,090 imp gal;
51,750 US gal)
HGW: 204,500 litres
(45,000 imp gal;
54,000 US gal)
Service ceiling 12,500 metres (41,000 ft)
Engines (4) CFM56-5C RR Trent 500
Thrust (4)
[76]
139151 kilonewtons (31,00034,000 lb
f
)
248260 kilonewtons
(56,00058,000 lb
f
)
260275 kilonewtons
(58,00062,000 lb
f
)
Sources: Airbus
[77]
for 200
[78]
for 300
[79]
for 500
[80]
for 600.
Line drawings[edit]

A340-200/300

A340-500/600