The Airbus A340 is a dynamic, long-range aircraft that is currently nearing the end of its time in the commercial aviation market. This aircraft resembles something from the past, with four massive engines powering what is otherwise a fairly unremarkable large jet. The majority of aircraft in the skies today are twin-engine models, as the efficiency of just two engines really cannot be matched by any aircraft with as many as four engines. The per-unit operating costs, as well as the overarching maintenance costs, become more difficult for airlines to justify when next-generation comfortable twinjets enter the market.
Most airlines have already chosen to retire the aircraft in their fleet that offer long-haul capabilities with four engines, and the Airbus A340 has been on the chopping block for the vast majority of airlines. Very few, most notably Lufthansa and its Lufthansa Group partners, have actually decided to keep the model in operational service. Part of this is due to the tremendous reach of the Lufthansa Group network. This jet has been in service for decades, but its retirement is certainly on the horizon. We analyze the future of the Airbus A340’s role in most airline fleets and analyze the planes set to succeed it.
A Brief Overview Of The Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a capable long-range widebody airliner originally developed alongside the twin-engine Airbus A330 and from the Airbus A300 and its derivatives. A model originally launched in 1987, the Airbus A340-300 first took to the skies on October 25, 1991. The Airbus A340-200 and the Airbus A340-300 were both certified on December 22, 1992, before entering service the following March with launch operators Lufthansa and Air France. The aircraft kept the Airbus A300’s eight-abreast economy-class cabin and shared fly-by-wire capabilities and a glass cockpit with the Airbus A330, while using four CFM56 engines to avoid early ETOPS operational limitations.
The aircraft offered a three-leg main landing gear for a higher 276-ton maximum takeoff weight (MTOW). The stretched Airbus A340-500 and Airbus A340-600 eventually arrived, featuring larger wings and more powerful Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines. The aircraft offered a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of up to 380 tons. The aircraft’s -200 variant seated around 210–250 passengers while the larger -300 variant seated up to 290 in a standard configuration. The larger -500 offered capacity of up to 310 seats, and the -600, which was the world’s longest airliner when it entered service, could seat around 370 passengers in high-density configurations.
Engine reliability for the A340 family continued to improve over time as efficient twin-engine aircraft quickly took over most routes. Airbus ultimately ended production of the Airbus A340 on November 10, 2011, having received 380 orders and delivered 377 units. The Airbus A350 ultimately succeeded the type, and its rivals included the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and the Boeing 777. By the end of 2021, Airbus A340s had flown more than 2.5 million flights, ultimately carrying around 600 million passengers with no recorded fatalities.
What Role Did The Airbus A340 Serve For Airlines?
In the 1990s and 2000s, the Airbus A340 offered airlines a safe, reliable way to fly very long overwater routes, especially over oceans and large remote areas. This occurred before regulators widely allowed for two-engine jets to operate the same kinds of services. With four engines and the ability to serve long-haul overwater routes, the early Airbus A340-200 and Airbus A340-300 helped airlines link faraway cities that were too spread out for smaller widebodies but did not qualify for Boeing 747 service. The jet quickly became a workhorse on many routes between Europe and South America, Africa, and Asia.
Later versions of the aircraft narrowed in on these specific roles. The Airbus A340-500 enabled record-length nonstop services, and it opened up headline city pairs that previously required stopping service. The stretched Airbus A340-600 also added seats, especially in the front of the aircraft’s cabin. This ensured that airlines could offer premium-heavy flagship services on these kinds of routes without fully upgrading to Boeing 747 capacity.
As engine reliability continued to improve, fuel-saving twin-engine aircraft also arrived, ultimately shifting operating economics and pushing Airbus A340s towards secondary roles. Even then, the aircraft still proved valuable, and it operated with airlines for years on a number of thin-but-long markets. The jet would ultimately lay the groundwork for routes that are today served by the Boeing 787 and other mid-gauge widebodies like it.
A Deeper Look At Airbus’s Chosen A340 Successor
The Airbus A350 brings a lot to the table when considered as a potential successor to the Airbus A340. It can serve long nonstop routes while using far less fuel and requiring significantly less maintenance. Two Trent XWB engines replace the Airbus A340’s four engines, cutting operating costs and engine upkeep in half while also making strides to lower trip and seat costs. Over older four-engine models, the Airbus A350 delivers a roughly 20–30% increase in performance.
An aircraft with a carbon-fiber wing and a lengthy fuselage, the A350 is designed to trim weight and boost aerodynamics, extending the aircraft’s range. The Airbus A350-900 already covers most long-range Airbus A340-300 missions, with the A350-1000 replacing the Airbus A340-600, offering more seats and better operating economics. The A350-900ULR unlocks ultra-long routes that the A340-500 pioneered but was incapable of operating profitably.
From an operational perspective, the aircraft’s high ETOPS approvals allow airlines to fly the Airbus A350 almost anywhere on Earth, including over oceans and polar regions. The aircraft’s dispatch reliability has matured beyond 99%, and common Airbus fly-by-wire logic and cockpit philosophies make it easier for operators to quickly transition pilots from other models like the Airbus A330 and Airbus A340.
From a passenger perspective, the Airbus A350 offers a quieter cabin, one with higher humidity, lower cabin altitude, and larger bins and windows. This also leads to a wider 9-abreast economy class cabin, ultimately delivering a notable comfort step up on 10–18 hour long-haul services. From an environmental perspective, the aircraft’s lower engine emissions and cleaner combustion, combined with advanced aerodynamics, will significantly reduce the aircraft’s carbon footprint.
What Makes The Airbus A350 A Capable Successor?
Airlines have been known to favor the Airbus A350 as it is a natural follow-up to the Airbus A340, ultimately strengthening the business case on multiple fronts. A two-member aircraft family, the Airbus A350-900 and the Airbus A350-1000, covers roughly the same mission spectrum as the legacy Airbus A340 and its multiple subvariants. The aircraft’s similar powerplant arrangement and long check intervals shrink the aircraft’s maintenance exposure and spare parts inventories.
On a day-to-day basis, the aircraft fits into the same gates; it climbs better, and it also offers exceptional performance at hot-and-high airports. The jet also runs quieter, making it more effective for operating at airports with extensive operational limitations. This allows for improved schedule stability and better fuel burn.
The Airbus A340’s cabin is flexible for premium-heavy layouts and offers cleaner air and smoother ride controls, all features that travelers notice on 12-18 hour sectors. The plane offers lower emissions per seat, and the jet’s sustainable fuel blends help it meet regulatory and corporate targets. The deep global Airbus support network means that the A350 is a low-risk, high-utility upgrade for the airline’s overall network.
Where Is The Airbus A340 Still In Service Today?
As of 2025, the Airbus A340 remains in niche service with a few airlines, while also in extensive service as a charter and VIP aircraft. In Europe, Lufthansa continues to operate the Airbus A340-600 and Airbus A340-300 on select long-haul routes, even as it begins to phase out the model, despite keeping seat maps live on its site.
SWISS International Air Lines also uses four Airbus A340-300s, operating them in and out of its hub at Zurich Airport (ZRH). Edelweiss Air also operates five Airbus A340-300s, a fleet that is gradually being replaced by Airbus A350 models. In Latin America, Venezuela’s Conviasa is set to deploy Airbus A340-600 models on longer sectors, such as those from Caracas to Moscow and Guangzhou. Here are some specifications for Airbus A340 jets still in service today, according to data from aviation industry database Ch-Aviation:
|
Airline: |
Number Of Airbus A340 Jets Operated: |
|---|---|
|
Lufthansa |
30 |
|
Mahan Air |
15 |
|
Conviasa |
6 |
|
Edelweiss |
5 |
|
SWISS International Air Lines |
4 |
In Iran, the aircraft is operated by Mahan Air, which flies multiple variants of the model. It is joined by Iran’s Aseman Airlines, which also operates the type due to its lack of access to newer models. The aircraft remains in service with government operators from around the world.
What Is The Bottom Line?
At the end of the day, the Airbus A340 is an incredibly capable long-haul aircraft, that has served airlines quite effectively for decades. However, the model, like any aircraft designed for the needs of airlines two decades ago, has begun to show the signs of its age.
As a result, most modern long-haul carriers are looking for replacements for the type. The Airbus A340’s extended-range capabilities make it an extremely unique model, but that was only true two decades ago. Today, the Airbus A350 and other similar models really do offer exceptional performance.
Few airlines operate the jet today for good reason, and even fewer will exist just a few years from now. The age of the long-haul twin-engine aircraft has begun.
