Misplaced Pages

#595404

90-594: The Airbus A340 is a long-range , wide-body passenger airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus . In the mid-1970s, Airbus conceived several derivatives of the A300 , its first airliner, and developed the A340 quadjet in parallel with the 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

180-521: A Boeing 777-200ER flew 20,044 km (10,823 nmi; 12,455 mi) from Seattle to Kuala Lumpur. Formulated in 1991, the A340-400X concept was a simple 12-frame, 20 ft 10 in (6.35 m) stretch of the −300 from 295 to 335 passengers with the MTOW increased to 553,360 to 588,600 lb (251 to 267 t) and the range decreased by 1,390 to 10,930 km (750 to 5,900 nmi). CFM International

270-595: A 2% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency. However, the plan was later abandoned on grounds of cost and difficulty of development. Airbus had held discussions with McDonnell Douglas to jointly produce the aircraft, which would have been designated as the AM 300 . This aeroplane would have combined the wing of the A330 with the fuselage of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 . However, talks were terminated as McDonnell Douglas insisted on

360-491: 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 engine overhaul $ 3–6M. 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 twinjets. In 2007, Airbus predicted that another 127 A340 aircraft would likely be produced through 2016,

450-483: A 56 m (184 ft) span , the wing was later extended to 58.6 m (192 ft) and finally to 60.3 m (198 ft). This wingspan is similar to that of the larger Boeing 747 -200, but with 35% less wing area. The A340 uses a modified A320 glass cockpit , with side-stick controls instead of a conventional yoke . The main instrument panel is dominated by six displays , cathode-ray tube monitors initially then liquid crystal displays . Flight information

540-443: 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

630-780: A dedicated transport for heads of state . A pair of A340-300s were acquired from Lufthansa by the Flugbereitschaft of the German Air Force ; they serve as VIP transports for the German Chancellor and other key members of the German government . The A340 is also operated by the air transport division of the French Air and Space Force , where it is used as a strategic transport for troop deployments and supply missions, as well as to transport government officials. A one-of-a-kind aircraft,

720-470: 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. The 19,277 km (10,409 nmi; 11,978 mi) flight from Paris to Auckland broke six world records with 22 persons and five center tanks. Taking off at 11:58 local time, it arrived back in Paris 48 hours and 22 minutes later, at 12:20. This record held until 1997 when

810-494: A fully laden aircraft that could fly from Singapore to Paris, against strong headwinds during mid-winter in the northern hemisphere. The MD-11, according to test results, would experience fuel starvation over the Balkans. 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. A total of 200 MD-11s were sold, versus 380 A340s. The first flight of

900-450: A great-circle route extending northward towards the Arctic region. The apparent curve of the route is a result of distortion when plotted onto a conventional map projection and makes the route appear to be longer than it really is. Stretching a string between North America and Japan on a globe will demonstrate why this really is the shortest route despite appearances. The actual flight length

990-538: 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 Pierre-Henri Gourgeon disparagingly referred to the A340 as a "flying tanker with a few people on board". 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. Other airlines also re-examined long-haul flights. In August 2008, Cathay Pacific issued

SECTION 10

#1732844294596

1080-408: 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". Bertrand Grabowski, managing director of aircraft financier DVB Bank SE, 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

1170-532: 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 aspect ratio for a higher aerodynamic efficiency. The wing is swept back at 30 degrees, allowing a maximum operating Mach number of 0.86. To reach a long span and high aspect ratio without

1260-427: A hope in hell". 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

1350-505: A large weight penalty, the wing has relatively high thickness-to-chord ratio of 11.8% or 12.8%. Jet airliners have thickness-to-chord ratios ranging from 9.4% ( MD-11 or Boeing 747 ) to 13% ( Avro RJ or 737 Classic ). Each wing also has a 2.74 m (9.0 ft) tall 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 burn , led to wing upgrades to compensate. Originally designed with

1440-428: A larger chord needing a three-frame centre fuselage insert and retaining the existing front and rear spars, and a span increased by 3.5 to 63.8 m (11 to 209 ft), alongside a 25% increase in wing fuel capacity and four wheels replacing the centre twin-wheel bogie . A −500 with the larger wing and engines and three extra frames for 310 passengers would cover 15,725 km (9,770 mi; 8,490 nmi) to replace

1530-559: 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 . In June 1997, the 250 kN (56,000 lbf) Rolls-Royce Trent 500 was selected, with growth potential to 275 kN (62,000 lbf), derived from the A330 Rolls-Royce Trent 700 and the B777 Rolls-Royce Trent 800 with

1620-455: A non-stop flight between Papeete and Paris-Charles de Gaulle , using a Boeing 787-9 and covering 15,715 km (9,765 mi; 8,485 nmi). in a scheduled time of 16 hours and 20 minutes. As of 2023, it continues to hold the record for the longest ever scheduled commercial nonstop flight (by great circle distance) as well as the world's longest domestic flight . As of November 9, 2020, Singapore Airlines Flights 23 and 24

1710-512: A number of A340s as large private jets for VIP customers, often to replace aging 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 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km). Airbus had built up to nine different customized versions of the A340 to private customers' specific demands prior to 2008. The A340 has frequently been operated as

1800-545: A reduced fan diameter and a new LP turbine, for a 7.7% lower 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. 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

1890-524: A similar glass cockpit . The A340-500/600 are longer, have a larger wing , and are powered by 275 kN (62,000 lbf) Rolls-Royce Trent 500 for a heavier 380 t (840,000 lb) MTOW. The shortest A340-200 measured 59.4 m (195 ft), and with a 12,400 km range (6,700 nmi; 7,700 mi) with 210–250 seats in 3-class. The most common A340-300 reached 63.7 m (209 ft) to accommodate 250–290 passengers and could cover 13,500 km (7,300 nmi; 8,400 mi). The A340-500

SECTION 20

#1732844294596

1980-410: 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. The first specifications of

2070-546: 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. In 1995, the A340-400 was slated for introduction in the year 2000, seating 380 passengers with a 300 t (660,000 lb) take-off weight. In April 1996, GE Aviation obtained an exclusivity for the 13,000 km (7,000 nmi; 8,100 mi) 375-passenger −600 stretch with 226 kN (51,000 lbf) engines, above

2160-485: Is a twin-aisle passenger airliner that was the first long-range Airbus, powered by four turbofan jet engines. 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. Its features and improvements were usually shared with the A330. The four engines configuration avoided

2250-452: Is a niche, the A340 was less attractive with 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

2340-402: Is an airliner arranged along a single aisle, permitting up to 6-abreast seating in a cabin less than 4 metres (13 ft) in width. In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner usually configured with multiple aisles and a fuselage diameter of more than 5 metres (16 ft), allowing at least seven-abreast seating and often more travel classes . Historically, beginning in

2430-409: Is defined by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) as "The total time from the moment an aeroplane first moves for the purpose of taking off until the moment it finally comes to rest at the end of the flight", and is referred to colloquially as "blocks to blocks" or " chocks to chocks" time. In commercial aviation, this means the time from pushing back at the departure gate to arriving at

2520-623: Is directed via the Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) and systems information through the Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM). The aircraft monitors various sensors and automatically alerts the crew to any parameters outside of their normal range; pilots can also inspect individual systems. Electronic manuals are used instead of paper ones, with optional web-based updates. Maintenance difficulty and cost were reduced to half of that of

2610-641: 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. 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 . In preparations for production of

2700-528: Is the largest A340 operator with 27 aircraft in its fleet. 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. Prior to the service introduction of

2790-400: Is the length of the track flown across the ground in practice, which is usually longer than the ideal great-circle and is influenced by a number of factors such as the need to avoid bad weather, wind direction and speed, fuel economy, navigational restrictions and other requirements. In the example, easterly flights from Japan to North America are shown taking a longer, more southerly, route than

Airbus A340 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2880-596: Is the shortest commercial flight in the world, covering 2.8 km (1.7 mi) in two minutes scheduled flight time including taxiing. The world's longest ever commercial flight was Air Tahiti Nui Flight TN64 in early 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impossibility of transit in the United States through Los Angeles International Airport , Air Tahiti Nui scheduled and operated in March and April 2020 Flight TN64 as

2970-402: Is the world's longest active commercial flight between Singapore and New York–JFK , covering 15,349 km (9,537 mi; 8,288 nmi) in around 18 hours and 40 minutes, operated by an Airbus A350-900ULR . The shortest distance between two geographical points is the great-circle distance . In the example (right), the aircraft travelling westward from North America to Japan is following

3060-1379: The Airbus A318 , while the Airbus A321LR could replace the less fuel efficient Boeing 757s used since their production ended in 2004. Boeing will face competition and pricing pressure from the Embraer E-Jet E2 family , Airbus A220 (formerly Bombardier CSeries) and Comac C919 . Between 2016 and 2035, FlightGlobal expects 26,860 single-aisles to be delivered for almost $ 1380 billion, 45% Airbus A320 family ceo and neo and 43% Boeing 737 NG and max. By June 2018, there were 10,572 Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX orders: 6,068 Airbuses (57%, 2,295 with CFMs, 1,623 with PWs and 2,150 with not yet decided engines) and 4,504 Boeings (43%); 3,446 in Asia-Pacific (33%), 2,349 in Europe (22%), 1,926 in North America (18%), 912 in Latin America (9%), 654 in Middle East (6%), 72 in Africa (1%) and 1,213 not yet bounded (11%). Many airlines have shown interest in

3150-643: The CFM56 -5C4 was used as the sole engine choice instead of being an alternate 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, Airbus Industrie

3240-451: 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 TOW , allowing

3330-566: The Luxembourg to Bucharest route operated by Luxair , the scheduled flight length remains constant while the flight duration varies depending on aircraft used. On Thursday mornings, Luxair operates a DHC-8 turboprop with a scheduled duration of approximately 3 hours, while on Saturday mornings, Luxair's use of an Embraer 190 jet reduces the scheduled duration of the flight down to approximately 2 hours 20 minutes. Narrow-body aircraft A narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft

3420-667: The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 , but it used between 25% and 38% less fuel. The B9 was therefore considered a replacement for the DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar . 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"). In an effort to save development costs, it was decided that

3510-533: 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. 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. The TA11 and TA12 would use

3600-589: The Snecma M88 turbofan engine used on the Dassault Rafale , is being developed under the European Clean Sky research initiative. 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 . Ultimately, Lufthansa reactivated their A340-600s in

3690-469: The wide-body aircraft market. The A300B11, a derivative of the A310, was designed upon the availability of "ten ton" thrust engines. Using four engines, it would seat between 180 and 200 passengers, and have a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi). It was deemed a replacement for the less-efficient Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s still in service. The A300B11 was joined by another design,

Airbus A340 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3780-466: The 1,500 sales forecast in the category through 2010. In 1998, the −600 stretch was stabilised at 20 frames for 10.6 m (35 ft), the MTOW rose to 365 t (805,000 lb) and the unit thrust to 52,000 to 60,000 lbf (230 to 270 kN), keeping the Trent 700 2.47 m (8.1 ft) fan diameter with its scaled IP and HP compressors and the high-speed, low-loading HP and IP turbines of

3870-476: The 10.07 m (33.0 ft) -600 stretch would offer a 25% larger cabin for 372 passengers over a range of 13,700 km (7,400 nmi; 8,500 mi). MTOW was increased to 356 t (785,000 lb). 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 proposing

3960-575: The 225.5 kN (50,700 lbf) limit of the CFM International engines made in partnership with SNECMA and dropping the 191 kN (43,000 lbf) CFMXX. The −600 would be stretched by 20–22 frames to 75 m (246 ft), unit thrust was raised from 227 kN (51,000 lbf) to 249 kN (56,000 lbf) and maximum takeoff weight would be increased to 330 t (730,000 lb). The wing area would increase by 56 m (600 sq ft) to 420 m (4,500 sq ft) through

4050-402: The 3,000 miles transatlantic flights between the eastern U.S. and Western Europe, previously dominated by wide-body aircraft. Norwegian Air Shuttle , JetBlue and TAP Portugal will open up direct routes bypassing airline hubs for lower fares between cheaper, smaller airports. The Boeing 737NG 3,300-mile range is insufficient for fully laden operations and operates at reduced capacity like

4140-411: The 312 passengers 777-200ER while the heavier A340-600 uses 12% more fuel than a 777-300ER. 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

4230-517: 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. It was targeted at the growing demand for high-capacity, medium-range, transcontinental trunk routes. The B9 offered the same range and payload as

4320-446: The A330-200/300. Differences include four 151 kN (34,000 lbf) CFM56s instead of two high-thrust turbofans to bypass ETOPS restrictions on trans-oceanic routes, and a three-leg main landing gear instead of two for a heavier 276 t (608,000 lb) Maximum Takeoff Weight ( MTOW ). Both airliners have fly-by-wire controls, which was first introduced on the A320 , as well as

4410-522: 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. BAe also spent £5 million expanding the Broughton wing production plant by 14,000 m (150,000 sq ft) to accommodate a new production line. However, France saw

4500-450: The A340 occurred on 21 October 1991, marking the start of a 2,000-hour test flight programme involving six aircraft. From the start, engineers noticed that the wings were not stiff 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 and to add stiffness. European JAA certification

4590-762: 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, which had been dubbed Nürnberg (D-AIBA), began revenue service on 15 March 1993. Air Lanka (later renamed Sri Lankan 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

SECTION 50

#1732844294596

4680-471: 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 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,

4770-704: 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 , 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 . In 2008, jet fuel prices doubled compared to

4860-452: The TA9 and TA11 were released in 1982. While the TA9 had a range of 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km; 3,800 mi), the TA11 range was up to 6,830 nautical miles (12,650 km; 7,860 mi). 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; 2,300 mi) lesser range. By the time of

4950-474: The Trent 800. 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. In January 2006, Airbus confirmed it had studied an A340-600E ( Enhanced ) that was more fuel-efficient than earlier A340s, reducing the per-seat fuel consumption by 8–9% compared to

5040-633: The UK government, short of the £750 million originally requested. 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 . The A330 and A340 programmes were jointly launched on 5 June 1987, just prior to the Paris Air Show. The program cost

5130-601: 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. 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. By 2014, Singapore Airlines had phased out

5220-651: The biggest changes with Aérospatiale starting construction of a new Fr. 2.5 billion ($ 411 million) assembly plant, adjacent to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport , in Colomiers . By November 1988, the first 21 m (69 ft) pillars were erected for the new Clément Ader assembly hall. The assembly process, meanwhile, would feature increased automation with holes for the wing-fuselage mating process drilled by eight robots. The use of automation for this particular process saved Airbus 20% on labour costs and 5% on time. British Aerospace accepted £450 million funding from

5310-505: The continuation of its trijet heritage. Although from the start it was intended that the A340 would be powered by four CFM56 -5 turbofans, each capable of 25,000 pounds-force (110 kN), 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 (redesignated PW2000 in December 1980). As refinements in

5400-704: The cost of maintaining the 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. Airbus has positioned the larger versions of the 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. The Airbus A340

5490-484: The deep resistance of any airlines to continue operating it". 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

SECTION 60

#1732844294596

5580-708: The destination gate. Flight time is measured in hours and minutes as it is independent of geographic distance travelled. Flight time can be affected by many things such as wind, traffic, taxiing time, and aircraft used. A flight's length can also be described using the aviation term of "Flight Haul Type", such as "short-haul" or "long-haul". Flight haul types can be defined using either flight distance or flight time. David W. Wragg classifies air services as medium-haul being between 1,600–4,000 km; 900–2,200 nmi; short-haul as being shorter and long-haul as being longer. David Crocker defines short-haul flights as shorter than 1,000 km (540 nmi), and long-haul as

5670-434: The development of a new open rotor engine . This test aircraft is forecast to conduct its first flight in 2019. 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

5760-434: The earlier and smaller Airbus A310 . Improved engine control and monitoring improved time on wing. The centralised maintenance computer can transmit real-time information to ground facilities via the onboard satellite-based ACARS datalink. Heavy maintenance like structural changes remained unchanged, while cabin sophistications, like the in-flight entertainment , were increased over preceding airliners. The first variant of

5850-508: The first Airbus airliners, Airbus had identified nine possible variations of the A300 known as A300B1 to B9. A tenth variation, conceived in 1973, later the first to be constructed, was designated the A300B10. 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

5940-542: The first of nine it planned to operate by the end of the year. Air France replaced its Boeing 747s with A340s on its Paris–Washington D.C. route, flying four times weekly. 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 , New Zealand in 21 hours 32 minutes and back in 21 hours 46 minutes after

6030-452: The fleet in December 2003. In February 2004, the airline's A340-500 performed the longest non-stop commercial air service in the world, conducting a non-stop flight between Singapore and Los Angeles. In 2004, Singapore Airlines launched an even longer non-stop route using the A340-500 between Newark and Singapore , SQ 21 , a 15,344 kilometres (8,285 nmi; 9,534 mi) journey that was the longest scheduled non-stop commercial flight in

6120-480: The front and rear fuselage sections of the A310. Components were modular and also interchangeable with other Airbus aircraft where possible 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

6210-480: The late 1960s and continuing through the 1990s, twin engine narrow-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 737 Classic , McDonnell-Douglas MD-80 and Airbus A320 were primarily employed in short to medium-haul markets requiring neither the range nor the passenger-carrying capacity of that period's wide-body aircraft. The re-engined Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo jets offer 500 miles more range, allowing them to operate

6300-892: The opposite. Flight Haul Type terms are sometimes used when referring to commercial aircraft. Some commercial carriers choose to refer to their aircraft using flight haul type terms, for example: While they are capable of flying further, long-haul capable wide-bodies are often used on shorter trips. In 2017 - 40% of A350 routes were shorter than 2,000 nmi (2,300 mi; 3,700 km), 50% of A380 flights fell within 2,000–4,000 nmi (2,300–4,600 mi; 3,700–7,400 km), 70% of 777-200ER routes were shorter than 4,000 nmi (4,600 mi; 7,400 km), 80% of 787-9s routes were shorter than 5,000 nmi (5,800 mi; 9,300 km), 70% of 777-200LRs flights were shorter than 6,000 nmi (6,900 mi; 11,000 km). The Westray to Papa Westray flight in Orkney , operated by Loganair ,

6390-434: The price of a flight-worthy, CFM56-powered A340 to drop below $ 10 million by 2023. Airbus could offer used A340s to airlines wishing to retire older aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400, 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 . In 2013, as ultra-long range

6480-493: The production reached its end, after 380 orders had been placed and 377 delivered from Toulouse , France. The A350 is its successor; the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and the Boeing 777 were its main competitors. By the end of 2021, the global A340 fleet had completed more than 2.5 million flights over 20 million block hours and carried over 600 million passengers with no fatalities. As of March 2023, there were 203 A340 aircraft in service with 45 operators worldwide. Lufthansa

6570-408: The projected end of production. In 2011, the unit cost of an A340-300 was US$ 238.0M ($ 322.4M today), US$ 261.8M for an A340-500 ($ 354.6M today) and US$ 275.4M for an A340-600 ($ 373M today). On 10 November 2011, Airbus announced the end of the A340 program. At that time, the company indicated that all firm orders had been delivered. The decision to terminate the program came as A340-500/600 orders came to

6660-399: The shorter great-circle; this is to take advantage of the favourable jet stream , a fast high-altitude tail-wind that assists the aircraft along its ground track saving more time or fuel than the geographically shortest route. Even for flights with the same origin and destination, a flight's duration can be affected by routing, wind, traffic, taxiing time, or aircraft used. For example, on

6750-423: The smaller 14,800 km (9,200 mi; 8,000 nmi) range 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 11,290 km (6,100 nmi; 7,020 mi) with 340 passengers in a three-class configuration. It was enlarged by 40% to compete with

6840-542: The summer of 2022, while remaining committed to operating the smaller Airbus A340-300. Later in 2021, the Portuguese charter carrier HiFly landed an A340 in Antarctica for the first time in history. Long-haul Commercial flights are often categorized into long-, medium- or short-haul by commercial airlines based on flight length, although there is no international standard definition. The related term flight time

6930-443: The then in-development 777-300ER/200LR: 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 1.53 m (5.0 ft) -500 stretch would seat 316 passengers, a little more than the −300, over 15,355 km (8,290 nmi; 9,540 mi), while

7020-632: The two would share the same wing and airframe ; the projected savings were estimated at US$ 500 million (about £490 million or €495 million). 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. 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

7110-409: 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. In 2013, Snecma announced that they planned to use the A340 as a flying testbed for

7200-427: The type, discontinuing SQ21 and SQ22 , which had been the longest non-stop scheduled flights in the world. Emirates Airlines 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

7290-434: The world. The airline continued to operate this route regularly until the airline decided to retire the type in favour of new A380 and A350 aircraft; its last A340 flight was performed in late 2013. The A340 was typically used by airlines as a medium-sized long-haul aircraft and was often a replacement for older Boeing 747s as it was more likely to be profitable compared to the larger and less efficient 747. Airbus produced

7380-525: 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 Bangkok – 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

7470-506: The −600. This model would become more competitive with the Boeing 777-300ER by utilizing new Trent 1500 engines and technologies from the A350 initial design. At 380 passengers, the advertised three-class 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 costs . By 2018, a 2006 -600 was worth $ 18M and

7560-479: Was $ 3.5 billion with the A330, in 2001 dollars. 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. 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

7650-514: Was 67.9 m (223 ft) long to seat 270–310 over 16,670 km (9,000 nmi; 10,360 mi), the longest-range airliner at the time. The longest A340-600 was stretched to 75.4 m (247 ft), then the longest airliner, to accommodate 320–370 passengers over 14,450 km (7,800 nmi; 8,980 mi). As improving engine reliability allowed ETOPS operations for almost all routes, more economical twinjets have replaced quadjets on many routes. On 10 November 2011, Airbus announced that

7740-660: Was an early adopter of the A340; in addition to operating several A340-300 aircraft, Virgin Atlantic announced in August 1997 that it was to be the worldwide launch customer for the new A340-600. The first commercial flight of the A340-600 was performed by Virgin in July 2002. Singapore Airlines ordered 17 A340-300s and operated them until October 2003. Those A340-300s were purchased by Boeing as part of an order for Boeing 777s in 1999. The airline then purchased five long-range A340-500s, which joined

7830-421: 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

7920-465: Was obtained on 22 December 1992; the FAA followed on 27 May 1993. In 1992, unit cost of an A340-200 was US$ 105M and US$ 110M for an A340-300. (equivalent to $ 205 million in 2023 dollars). The first A340, a −200, was delivered to Lufthansa on 2 February 1993 and entered service on 15 March. The 228-seat airliner was named Nürnberg . The first A340-300, the 1000th Airbus, was delivered to Air France on 26 February,

8010-482: 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. 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

8100-490: 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. 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

#595404