The Rise & Fall Of The Airbus A340

The A340 was a significant development at the time of its launch, marking Airbus' entry into the quad jet market and providing healthy competition for its rivals.
Production of the jet ended in 2011, but it remains in service with several airlines. Let’s take a look through the history and development of the A340 and how it eventually fell out of favor with airlines…
Article link: simpleflying.com/airbus-a340/
Video source links:
A340 Lufthansa Star Alliance • Emergency Landing! Luf...
747 Historical Boeing • The 'Incredible' Story...
A340 Virgin Atlantic • Virgin Atlantic Airway...
A340 Virgin Atlantic • Super Close Smokey Lan...
A340 Virgin Atlantic • Virgin Atlantic A340 S...
A340-300 Air China • Air China B-2389 Airbu...
A340-300 Edelweiss • AMAZING Edelweiss A340...
Airbus historical first flights • Airbus historical firs...
A300 historical doc • A300 Birth of a Saga E...
A300 Historical Doc • A300 Birth of a Saga E...
A340-300 Philippine Airlines • Philippine Airlines A3...
a320 US airways • US Airways N644AW A320...
a330 Aerolineas argentina • Despega un nuevo año
A330-300 KLM • KLM A330-300 [PH-AKB] ...
A330 Aer Lingus Cargo • Critical Supply Operat...
A330-200 Hawaiian • Hawaiian Airlines N381...
A330 Air China • Air China A330-300 I P...
767-400 Boeing • Boeing 767-400 Promoti...
777 Air Canada • Air Canada 777-300ER [...
A350 SAS • Outside view of our ne...
A350 Thai • Airbus A350-941 Thai A...
777 ANA • ANA JA717A 777-200ER L...
Photos:
Blank/White aircraft graphics acquired from www.shopnorebbo.com/search?q=...
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[@albertabound5124]

29 years, 10s of millions of flights, not a single fatal accident. An incredible safety record.

[@CicaeMeow]

Airbus is being Airbus💪

[@albertabound5124]

The record of A319 is even more amazing. Been flying for 25 years, has 3 times the amount of A340s built (1500 built), and flies much more flights, some of them into the world’s most dangerous airports, and has never had a fatality. Great looking, too!

[@Seventh7Art]

The A380 also has zero fatalities in accidents... Unlike the B747 and its 4000 plus fatalities.

[@beagle7622]

ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ QF32 at Signapore in Oct 2010 was about as close as anybody would like to get though. After the engine blew it was a great crew, fantastic Airmanship, luck , & an great aeroplane that stopped it being a total catastrophe.

[@aurktman1106]

ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ the 747 has been in service for 50 years, over 1,550 build and flown. The A380 has been in service for 13 years with 242 built. Give it time, statistically there will be an A380 crash if they are in service long enough. I doubt they will, with cargo versions uneconomically feasible you will see many retire quickly over the next 15 years. Look at the Boeing 777, operated for 25 years before a hull loss. The only fatalities on the 777 that were not due to aircraft issues (MH17 shot down, MH 370 unknown, but more than likely not an aircraft issue but nefarious intervention) are the victims from the Asiana 214 flight that landed short at SFO, and that was a pilot issue. It could be argued that not a single fatality can be attributed to the Boeing 777 itself.

[@pedramPN]

The A340-600 is one of the sexiest looking aircraft ever, 4 engine aircrafts are just beautiful

[@sergiolaurencio7534]

And the 747 and 380 are no exceptions. I don't remember now, but the 707 was the first aircraft with a turbine engine with 4 on it. So sad it disappear

[@Luton-Mick]

@@sergiolaurencio7534 The de Havilland Comet was not only the first jet liner but also sported four jet engines...the 707 was the better and safer US answer to it.

[@sergiolaurencio7534]

@@Luton-Mick So sad the 707 life was too short

[@ag6371]

The 777-200ER had hull losses. The 777-300ER did not crash at all

[@abidmohammad9093]

Ah yes the pencil

[@zulfiqaralikhurrum6911]

Simpleflying teaches me the following subjects -English -History -Geography -Physics, sciences -General Knowledge That's a school I'd love to attend

[@ADB-_]

Well said Ali Khurrum

[@CaptainInkman]

I agree to you

[@itsnaveenn]

True

[@prithulprasad8536]

Nd future also 😂😂

[@ianwong8056]

Sameee

[@albomaa]

I flew once in an Iberia A340-600 from New York to Madrid and has been one of the best long haul flights I have ever had

[@Lee247Jamaica]

Sadly Iberia is retiring the a340-600 and LUFTHANSA is doing so 😥😭😫

[@michaelmoheb557]

@@Lee247Jamaica 🙃😒🧐😬🧐😣🙂😜😙😣😉😣🙄😧😩😕😞😳😵😓😵😦😵😖😫😓🤕😨😳😲🤨😝😚😝😚😒😣😟🤫😕🤫🤨🙃😔😜🙃- You

[@CinemaDemocratica]

I took a Luftansa 340 from Frankfurt to Boston and was duly impressed -- though the 777 is still my first choice for trans-oceanic flying as an economy PAX.

[@EpicThe112]

Wow. A340-600 longest flight is JFK-HKG in 2004-2007. Did that on December 17th 2005.

[@breadboi1248]

Dam you flew on the flying pencial

[@snoozeCTRL]

The A340 will always be one of my favs. The smoothest landing and flight I’ve ever experienced was on board an A340. I’ve flown on all of Boeing’s 700 series aircraft and the MD11 and the airbus still stands out.

[@dave8599]

how about an L1011 or BAC 111? I flown them, also...707, 737, 747, dc-9, dc-10 , several small Cessna, Trislander, and a B-17G. Never an airbus.

[@sergiolaurencio7534]

Ok, So you have permission to fly Airbus. I haven't flown on any big plane yet, But I am planing. And the 787 would be my first one. I love both Boeing and Airbus. Just only with one thing

[@Luton-Mick]

Try the A380 if you want refinement, I flew to Bangkok with Thai on one and returned on a 777-300er, made the Boeing feel like a crop duster.

[@sergiolaurencio7534]

@@Luton-Mick The A380 is the most comfortable plane on the world. But not that most comfortable to nature. People don't understand how bad we are damaged the earth and time is running out

[@sergiolaurencio7534]

That why No came with the 787

[@ThePowerofJames]

I always find the dash 600 version looks photoshopped because it is so long

[@oisnowy5368]

I'm sure they used a more expensive computer (aided design) program to copy+paste in the additional meters.

[@theskyline1425]

Seems I'm not the only one who thinks so

[@Lee247Jamaica]

Have u seen the 757 300 or 777x and 777 300/ER

[@theskyline1425]

@@Lee247Jamaica the 777x doesn't seem that long because its wide

[@mytech6779]

@@Lee247Jamaica 757-300 aka the flying pencil.

[@jimatkins3787]

Never got to fly on one. The most graceful airplane I have ever seen. I miss them terribly at LAX and SAN.

[@largol33t1]

I can't really sleep on planes which is why I hate overnight flights and avoid them like the plague. The only time I slept on a plane was on Iberia from Barcelona to Chicago - on an A340. It was that smooth.

[@martinchamberlain542]

In my humble opinion, the A340 was one of the most elegant and beautiful airliners ever built.

[@ari_29971]

Yes indeed, It’s Sad that it is so underrated

[@rushfan3]

I remember flying in the A340. This was back in September 2004 when my dad and I were on our way to the Philippines for my brother's wedding. At the time Singapore Airlines was offering a non-stop flight from Newark Airport to Changi Airport using the A340. They only carried 120 passengers in a two class layout(Raffles (business class), and Executive Economy). The flight took 18 1/2 hrs. They flew with 2 complete flight crews that worked in 8hr shifts. Service on that flight was 2nd only to Lufthansa. At the time that was the longest flight. Seating in executive economy was a 2 - 3 - 2 configuration with a large galley space at the rear where they'd layout snacks and sandwiches available between meal service. Some day I'd like to fly that route again in the A350 - 900ULR.

[@mikemontgomery2654]

Jesus! 18.5 hrs! That’d be a bit much for me.

[@grdprojekt]

18,5 hours... I thought you have a typo but then "Newark to Changi", darn.

[@rushfan3]

@@grdprojekt now Singapore Airlines has revived the flight using the Airbus A350 XWB. Would love to see how the A350 stacks up to the A340.

[@grdprojekt]

@@rushfan3 that's right, of course, I almost completely forgot about the new SQ21/22

[@planesandgolfgolfandplanes32]

I took that same flight a half dozen times. Sometimes we went straight over the North Pole. Other times we went straight east. Was definitely an interesting flight. No desire to do it again however. Too long to be in the air.

[@BelaJuTe]

My first flight ever was on a SAA A340-600 from Frankfurt to Johannesburg. The A346 became my favorite plane

[@matsv201]

That was my first flight in a wide body jet, that same route. A 747-200

[@MrRea112]

The A340 was a perfect plane to fly - smooth, safe thus giving passengers comfort and the safety reassurance of 4 engines. It’s a crying shame they were discontinued, replaced by twin engined noddy jets.

[@sergiolaurencio7534]

Not a machine is safe, and error could happen at any moment. And the 340 have some accidents.

[@sergiolaurencio7534]

The man could not do anything perfectly. But yes, the 340 is good

[@markaurelius61]

The A350 is much more efficient, is selling like hot cakes, has no exact rivals and so far has had no accidents.

[@markaurelius61]

@TigerG It's a bit bigger than the 787, but I guess for some routes the overlap of size would work

[@scottyd035ntknow]

@TigerG and the 777 depending on the route. A350 is right between both.

[@Bellakelpie]

No mention of the 5 specially modified (for extended range) A340-500’s that Singapore Airlines used on its SIN- EWR and SIN-LAX non stop routes. Regs were 9V-SGA thru to SGE. The former was typically an 18+ hour flight in both directions and the latter was around 14 hours outbound and 18+ hours inbound, with operating altitudes between 38,000 and 41,000 feet. I flew on both, (Premium economy.) Despite the horrific sound of 18 hours , they were actually very comfortable flights. The seats were very comfortable with good leg room, especially if you had a seat next to one of the emergency exit doors. Passengers were encouraged to get up and move around the cabin and use the “ Mini-Bar” for drinks and snacks. There was always a great selection of fruit and muffins there (self serve) and a friendly crew member to get you a drink....or give you a free lesson in Mandarin.

[@visionist7]

I wish I could have flown the EWR - SIN route. I guess I could still get the chance on the A350

[@Bellakelpie]

@@visionist7 Singapore Airlines recommenced flying that route with the A350 just before the Covid situation hit the planet. They did suspend it as a consequence, but I am sure it will be restarted in the near future. So your wish may become opportunity within a couple of years.

[@ClockworksOfGL]

I took a similar flight several times, NYC (Newark, IIRC) to Bangkok. It’s a long flight - 16 hours or so - but you’re always moving. I prefer to go directly to Asia rather than stopover in Europe. Asian airports, in my opinion, are much much nicer. The Middle East is also a viable stopover spot, Qatar flies A350s and 777s out of JFK nowadays, and the Doha airport is impeccable. These long range flights have made international travel much more pleasant. I sometimes wondered by Airbus didn’t just reengineer the A340 to be a twin once the large GE90-style turbofans became available. I suppose that’s easier said than done.

[@jamesjames3525]

Anything that gives passengers the human feeling of comfort, has to go, and be replaced by something smaller and more uncomfortable. Sardine can class is now the new King of air travel.

[@denniszitadavid4340]

I know right

[@StephenKarl_Integral]

Comfort has a price. The actual problem lies on living standards rather than cutting costs. People are educated to look alike instead of becoming richer (legally). If your life model is to go to school, get some graduation, find a job, save money then die, you are the problem : you're poor. Instead, you should find what you're good at, fight to make what you like to do profitable in a substantial way, then *spend* your money. Every good thing that comes to an end is due to people becoming poorer and poorer. Supersonic flights ? Vacations ? Do something costy because it's a chidhood dream ? You can, but only if early enough you realized you actually could, then took decisions in your life to support it, financially. There is no government plan that can help you be wealthier. Now you know, but let's take a moment, and suppose you've achieved that step, you''re rich now, you can afford 5 first class seats in a supersonic jet for your family for a New York-Singapore trip... you're the only one able to do so. There is no other custommer willing to pay 30000$. So, me as the airline, I won't buy that supersonic wonderful top notch comfort Airbus jet to please you. I'll buy that A350 high density plane *because* the other passengers are *poor* and can only afford the 1000$ round JFK-SIN trip. The problem is not me/the airline, it's not the rich, it's the *poor lambda people that are all lookalike and satisfied with their conditions.*

[@pjotrtje0NL]

It’s all because no-one (except a few) wants to pay more than necessary. Hence, everything costing more than needed has to go…

[@the_m18hellkitty91]

It’s probably the most unique airplane ever It reminds me of the 707 for some Reason

[@sergiolaurencio7534]

The 340 was and Ideas that airbus copy from the 707. We don't surprise me, also MD did it to. So the 707 was the first one to find the tresure.

[@petrumsk3753]

@@sergiolaurencio7534 Wasnt the a340 made to compete with the B 767?

[@faizierazali3494]

@@petrumsk3753 the real competitor for a340 is b777

[@itsjonathanku6074]

Still my favourite aircraft to spot. So interesting to look at and it is absolutely beautiful.

[@robandcheryls]

I flew in the A340 in the early 2006 and I loved it. 🇨🇦

[@NaumaanM]

Regular flyer on the A343 however, I once flew the A350, B777 and return leg B777, A343 in less than 3 days. The A340-300 is by far the most comfortable aircraft in terms of flight dynamics and quiteness. B777 and to a much lesser extent the A350 has this constant humming from those massive engines which the A343 (4 × small CFM56 engines) doesnt suffer from. Add to that a very loud sound of the cabin airconditioning on the 777, I still feel that the A340-300 remains a gem in terms of long haul comfort

[@datamasked623]

A340-600 was, by far, one of, if not THE quietest jet I’ve ever traveled on.

[@brocanova]

Data Masked Try the A380 - as long as it’s still around.

[@datamasked623]

@@brocanova Been on one also.

[@ioannischa1637]

No wonder, if you sit in the first rows you are literelly 420 Meters away from the Engines :D

[@eun5oo280]

I’ve heard that the BAe-146 was very quiet too. I wish to see it some day.

[@aarondynamics1311]

@@brocanova The A350 is just as quiet as the A380. It will be around for many years.

[@Vilberg]

My first A340 flight was Copenhagen - Tokyo Narita with SAS, interior was showing age with resistive touchscreens but the outdoor cameras were a novel feature to me then, had a great return trip on the type

[@thomaswacker8515]

I once had a long haul flight with a LH A340-600 from Francfort to Seoul in business class. Until then this was my most comfortable flight ever, only topped by several flights in an A380 business class a couple of years later.

[@shmeckle666]

One of my favorite jets, just a great looking quadie.

[@krasimiryachev915]

I love A340. The best aircraft I've ever experienced. Beautiful. Comfortable to fly on. Perfect safety record! It's not a failure, it's a great success for what was needed at the time...Sadly nowadays Aviation is not about the best and most reliable, it's about the cheapest and most efficient! So A340 it's not there! Goodbye A340, you will probably remain my most loved Aircraft ever!

[@dennischeckley1125]

Beautiful aircraft, flew Madrid - London (Iberia) in business class, quiet, well looked after by cabin crew, felt like a king !

[@raymondgonzales5877]

I flew aboard Philippine Airlines Airbus A340-300 from Manila to Singapore. Best plane so far. Loved the experience.

[@Aidankiwi]

Sorry Raymond but the PR A340-300s were a heap of crap. Flew in one from Sydney to Manila once - never again!

[@airzulu2733]

I did a flight from paris to cape town on a Air France 340-300 amazing aircraft . Sadly missed by many .

[@keksentdecker]

"the long boi"

[@trazkey]

Or also "The flying pencil"

[@aviationlba747]

@@trazkey No, I’m afraid that would be the 757-300.

[@no_bull]

I used to fly Athens to Melbourne with Olympic airways A340-313. Best looking aircraft I enjoyed looking at it and traveling every time. Still miss it. It was something special.

[@carlschneider689]

Love the A340. Flew on Lufthansa's Frankfurt-Baku route several times. Always smooth.

[@limajuliett3406]

One thing to add: Aircraft certification relies heavily on its one engine out take off performance (1 engine failure during take off). A twin engine jet will in this case lose 50% of thrust while a quad engine aircraft will only lose 25%. That's the reason for the A340 having a much higher max takeiff weight compared to an a330 despite having the same fuselage and almost the same amount of lbs of thrust

[@alderlake12th]

Even much than B777-300er

[@garymckee4342]

Out of many, many types of aircraft I’ve flown on since 1959, the A340 really was my favourite. When boarding and when you looked down the aisles, it always gave a good feeling and just felt comfortable. Carriers like Air Canada and Cathay Pacific used them extensively between North America and Asia and you were able rested

[@LotusFlyer]

I watch this video everyday and cry

[@YearZer0777]

Ive been in love with the A340-600 since i was a kid and got fly on an South African Airways A340-600 🙂

[@oceanlnr9414]

The A340-600 is the most beautiful jetliner ever built

[@Flornmonk]

I love the A340! I've crossed the atlantic 15+ times in one.

[@Bruce-yv9tm]

I've been lucky enough to fly the 340-300, 500 and, most recently just before the pandemic, the 600. From the inside there isn't much of a difference (aside from the downstairs bathrooms on Lufthansa) but the aircraft is so elegant and beautiful from the outside.

[@ricellisfrost620]

Thank you for this video. Ironically, I heard a pilot say on KZbin that the economy of the A340-300's smaller engines outways the expense of maintaining 4 engines

[@ianrobertsonpiano]

Smoothest flight, safest aircraft, and by far one of the most aesthetically pleasing. The A340 is a masterpiece and deserves more time in the skies.

[@pwm0021]

I enjoyed flying in the A340, and for me, the added comfort of 4 Engines as opposed to two used to put me at ease. The A340 has had a bulletproof safety record. I miss that about it.

[@stephenjones9246]

The -500 variant gets my vote as the prettiest subsonic airliner, those nicely spaced four Trent 500s giving it a balanced look with unrivalled presence in the air and on the tarmac. As for comfort, older aircraft are usually better when it comes to personal space and the A340 is no exception with a typical 2-4-2 layout in economy meaning fewer middle seats compared to other long-haul jets.

[@sanctaterra7636]

A340-600 just a legend 🙌

[@katraj0102]

Taking an A340-600 was one of the best flights I ever had, I loved how I had to go downstairs for the bathroom as it allowed me to stretch my legs, making me more relaxed.

[@karlossargeant3872]

I Love this History on The A340 Plus I've seen them more than once during travelling.

[@project_calais4977]

I recall first flying on an A340 with Aerolineas Argentinas back in 2011 and 2012 when I flew from Sydney to Buenos Aires and back. I was awestruck by the long silhouette of the plane and loved the quad engine design. It became my second most favourite airplane, after the Queen of the Skies of course.

[@NicolaW72]

Thank you very much for this very well researched and very informative video!

[@gilbertfranklin1537]

OK, I'm hooked - new subscriber. I especially like the clarity of your voice, and the depth of the content... excellent!

[@matthiouioui]

Sometimes there flies an air Belgium a340 over my house.

[@pendolinofan643]

Some times i see a340 I'm in Manchester

[@matthiouioui]

Pendolino Fan Ohh! Cool. When I see it it is because it flies from Cape Town to Bergen (Norway). I have problems understanding how it can fly so far. All of this is according to Flightradar24.

[@derekcaan7686]

The Airbus a 340 is probably the only aircraft that I have flown all the variants on. I have flown the A340-200, -300, -500 and -600 on Emirates, Cathy Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, Airblue, Air Lanka and Turkish Airlines.

[@michaelpolley01]

I miss the security of 4 engines despite ETOPS. The 340 was an impressive aircraft. I enjoyed a comfortable non stop journey from London to Mauritius in 2017 with Air Mauritius and am glad to have had the experience.

[@CaptainInkman]

I have never saw a340 at any airport but a340 family is my favourite family of aircraft.

[@handy335]

Very informative. Well done. Thank you!

[@luchito0015]

A340 is/was a magnificent beast. No other plane ever roared like that one.

[@williamfong]

The A340-600 is still the sexiest commercial aircraft to fly. Its long slender fuselage and wide graceful wings culminating it a prideful flick of its wingtip evokes the grace of a skillful dancing ballerina

[@Sacto1654]

The A340 was developed at a time when ETOPS 180 certification was just a pipe dream. Once the Boeing 777 proved that twinjets could fly long overwater routes, Airbus suddenly got a rush of A330 orders, especially the A330-200 model that became available in the late 1990's.

[@ajherbert2509]

I flew in a Lufthansa A340-600 from Caracas to Frankfurt and back, the plane was amazing with the lavatories downstairs, one of my favorites types

[@itsk.a.k]

Will always love the A340 no matter how many latest aircrafts enter the market

[@brandan648]

I didn’t get the chance to fly in the -300 or -600 variant but I did the get the chance to fly in emirates a340-500 and it was the best experience I ever had such an iconic and beautiful aircraft

[@simonprickett]

I flew on every one of Virgin Atlantic's A340-300s and several of the -600s. Always a good flight, and super quiet.

[@juliankovacs3462]

I remember flying Virgin Atlantic's a340 back in 2008. It was a very fun flight! Sad to see the A340 being retired.

[@Tobias94b]

Since I've been flying an A340-600 from Frankfurt to Cape Town, it is my absolut favorite plane. We were seated really far back, but boarded really close to the cockpit. I've never walked through this many compartments, and that far through an airplane. That absolutely blew me away. And the nice inflight entertainment system, with cameras from the aircraft, lots of movies, and Cave Man 🤩👌

[@johnking8121]

I loved this aircraft. I flew many times & I enjoyed it. Thanks Airbus.

[@dhammikekw7981]

One of the best. Perfect safety record. I really enjoyed it when traved long distances. Very smooth landings. Incredible flight.

[@user-oj4xp2lh4d]

Having flown on this aircraft on numerous occasions I would say that for quietness and comfort it beats its American rivals hands down. Happy that Lufthansa still flies it.

[@jdzzl]

0:17 can we talk about that flare??? That's the best one I have EVER seen

[@robinsonsstudios]

the a340-600 is in my opinion one of the most beautiful passenger aircraft ever built!

[@indranilchakrabarty4196]

Excellent research. Well done!!! Simple Flying. The 340 was fantastic. Sad to see it go. Safi Air of Afghanistan use it due to flights over rough terrains. Great plane.

[@12345fowler]

Did anyone noticed the Lufty A340 at 00:18 landing without flaps with a very nose high attitude and probably a much higher speed than normal full flaps landing ? What a nice landing for a very much degraded situation. Perfectly executed.

[@atakorkut5110]

There we go this channel has longer videos the type I like I recently commented that I was upset about the constantly seemingly repeating cycle of videos but the long haul has me hooked

[@mikemontgomery2654]

That video brought back a lot of memories. Used to the 343s lots at YVR and YYC. Many different airlines, many different cities.

[@stevenmaandamela2531]

I flew on Swiss Air from Johannesburg to Zurich and it was one of my best, and smooth rides of all times.

[@marxxmann8758]

This is the most beautiful built plane amongst all of them,ill definitely choose a quad jet over a twin anyday especially crossing vast oceans

[@pjotrtje0NL]

Soon, you may not have that choice anymore…

[@thecookie2674]

The A340 is my favorite , I remember flying with it as a child , and slowly as I started growing up , I always had a love for aviation so I knew exactly what it can do , It always made the best landings , the plane looks incredible , it is spacy and adorable , I love the Pen ... Also how dare somebody call the safest aircraft in history a failure !

[@AkashYadav-kp6hi]

Lovely to see that there are fans of Airbus in the comments. Although in my country, there never was an Airline who bought the A340 but I've always been a fan of Airbus having done numerous flights with A319/20/21, Boeing 737, ATR36/72, Bombardier Q400. Airbus has the best seats, best cabin insulation and smoothest landings.

[@javieraugustodelafuenteitu8364]

I love this grwat airplane. I fly only twice from Lima - Los Angeles LATAM and Paris-Bogota AF. It had a fabulous performance and beautiful picture outside.

[@StamBenAdam]

I liked this plane. I flew with it several time, and i enjoyed every single flight. Fare Well buddy.

[@nascardrawings7700]

That 600 is a monster

[@lennykibet6689]

The A340-600 will forever be the best looking aeroplane made. The proportions are so prefect!!! Wish i could fly it.😢

[@katieswann3311]

Flew on one in 2009 from Chicago- Munich and munich-Charlotte, Lufthansa. Loved the downstairs bathrooms. Such a smooth ride for long haul flights.

[@anostalgic3402]

Personally I love the A340 series. Flew the -200, -300 and -600. SAA, TAP, Iberia, Air France and Swiss. I don’t think it was a failure at all of an aircraft. As explained in the video it was developed during the days when ETOPS 120 was the limit and ETOPS 180 was a dream to any airline and regulators. It was made to be an economical-restriction free airplane and it did just that. It gave good performance under FLEX takeoffs out of hot and high airports with a significant amount of weight. If you compare fuel flow per hour, the A340-600 burns slightly less than the 777-300ER. Only problem were maintenance fees, double the engines, systems etc. If you view it as a transitional jet which allowed airlines to open up new markets, and it had a an amazing economy layout 2-4-2, very spacious and comfortable then it was a successful aircraft.

[@jonathanchester5916]

I loved flying A340 - YVR - HNL - SYD - so comfortable in Y and just a great plane in the sky.

[@paulgallagher9734]

I was a passenger on a Cathay A340 a few times. It was a very spacious and comfortable ride. I enjoyed the 2-4-2 layout in economy.

[@launchnation359]

I’ve flown on the A340-600 in 2014 on Lufthansa and it was an amazing experience.

[@MG_Steve]

I flew on a Virgin 340 from LHR to LAX in the late 90s - lovely plane. I also wondered why some had dual carriages on the middle set of wheels and some not - now I know, thanks Simple Flying! :)

[@ShiromanSingh]

I last flew on the A340 in the summer of 2004 with Virgin Atlantic. I have seen quite a few of them at airports in the late 2000s.

[@ant2312]

Beautiful aircraft

[@deejasart7766]

My favourite plane. It’s so sad they discontinued it. A beautiful aircraft, one of the very few quad jet planes ever built. I can recall only 4, Airbus A380, A340, Boeing 747, Boeing Dreamliftrr

[@nmesomaonumaegbu6208]

My first a340 flight was on the emirates inaugural flight from abuja to dubai with their a340-300 flight, that flight was still one of my most memorable flights till date.

[@kharabovsk]

I am still fond of the A340 look . I flew the -200s and -300s between 1993 and 2000 . Great times then , great flights on them .

[@sundarchip]

Love the A340. One of the best looking airliners ever and I remember the cabin being much quieter and somewhat more comfortable than that of the 777, which it ultimately lost to.

[@planesandgolfgolfandplanes32]

Great video and very educational. Back in the early 2000s, I took the Newark to Singapore flight on a 340-300 several times. Always thought it was a great airplane from a customer experience perspective. Good airplane to get stuck on for 19-21 hours.

[@jimmytorwich3873]

It was a A340-500

[@Trevor1292]

To be honest, as a passenger, I found the A340-300 to be sluggish, taking nervously what felt like forever to rotate then, the long slow climb to cruise altitude. Once at altitude, then eventual descent and landing everything was normal. I never got the chance to fly on the A340-200. It was a completely different experience with the A340-500 and A340-600, ( and also the A330-200 and A330-300 ) so much so, I could not help feeling the A340-300 was underpowered. I didn't realize, nor understood at the time, it was programmed that way to produce the most economical fuel burn. I was young and naive back then and the best part / the main fun about flying was to feel the g-force on take-off and the power of the reverse thrust upon landing lol. I certainly would classify the A340 as a failure, as you stated, back then with no ETOPS it was a different situation. The MD11 however was a different story in that when produced, it simply did not live up to the economics that it was marketed and sold to achieve. In addition, as KLM found out, it suffered from reliability issues and was not as easy to fly as the DC10. By luck, it appears to have faired better as a freighter than a passenger aircraft, but even there, it does not appear to have the same longevity as the DC10/MD10.

[@avinash1251990]

I flew the Lufthansa A340-300 from Munich to Mumbai in 2016. One of the best flights I've ever taken

[@TobiasRieper047]

I flew a Cathay Pacific A340-600 from Amsterdam to Hong Kong in december 2008 and retour flight in January 2009. I loved the jet, Cathay has great service and its personnel, both ground and air crew were very friendly and helpful. I was fortunate enough to fly business class at the time, at which at that time was a rather surprising yet soothing trip. The aircraft itself wasn't very noisy to my memory, but I do remember the distinctive engine sound to be rather soothing for white-noise when trying to sleep on an 12-13hr flight. I have also been fortunate enough to fly a Martinair MD-11 in 2007 on a summer holiday to Fuerteventura, which also was a rather pleasant experience. Though, nothing will compare the sight of a 3-engined aircraft with that iconic tail-engine. To look back on both experiences, I think as a passenger they preformed rather close to each other when it came to comfort even if the MD-11 felt a bit more as a bus ride than the A340 did.

[@EpicThe112]

A340-600 Cathay Pacific longest flights New York to Hong Kong 16 hours 20 minutes

[@MegaThelegoshow]

This is my favourite airbus long haul aircraft

[@probableflaws3597]

Flown the A340 many times as Virgin was my main airline across the Atlantic. My wife and I always loved that it had only the two seats at the window and it was just a great plane overall . It will be missed. I always wanted to fly the SIN-JFK “longest route” on the Singapore -500, but instead my wife randomly got to fly on one of the first flights of its A350 successor.

[@andriygolukh6746]

I used to operate -500. It’s the most powerful machine out of A340, but incredibly easy responsive as А318. Loved it!

[@ronjohnson3177]

Love the A340 so smooth and quiet.

[@lightning490]

A340 was my first flight i loved it

[@ironmantrains]

I love the A340! I think it's awesome

[@finlaycox8026]

Flown the A340 twice, from JNB to LHR on an SAA A346, and from ZRH to JNB on a Swiss A343. I remember both being extremely comfortable, with almost unnoticeable landings. Whether this was the plane, the crew or other factors I don't know, but it's a huge shame for me that I'll likely not fly the A340 again.

[@srinidhis5787]

After flying in almost all the commercial aircrafts of boeing and airbus, i have to say A340 and A380 are the best ever.

[@DontKnow-lz1vh]

Very well made!!!