Today 25 years ago, the A340 had its first flight:


Source: http://airwaysnews.com/blog/2015/01/09/ ... 0-program/

Even though no longer in production, congratulations!

Its spiritual successor is the A330-900.

Congratulations!

That is almost as long as I have been on this earth!

Beautiful bird. I am grateful that I get to see these beauties often given how SAA is still one of her biggest operators.

Great aircraft and I had some fab flights on it over the years.



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A great plane too quickly overtaken. I´ve only flown on a A343 only once (more often on its sisters A346 and A330), and remember that its an exceptionally quiet type. When it came out I thought it was the most beautiful jet airplane beside the 747.

So nice to see the all-new A340 showing off the hair dryers on its wings!

i have never been onto an a340 , even though over 50+ trips on a330, can anyone tell me what are the differences as a passengers or even as a 330/340 pilot?

shengzhurou wrote:

i have never been onto an a340 , even though over 50+ trips on a330, can anyone tell me what are the differences as a passengers or even as a 330/340 pilot?

From memory, I would say the A340 is a bit more quite, then the A330.

Flew on LH 454/455 SFO-FRA-SFO winter of 1994 on a brand new A342. It was a fantastic experience and an absolutely stunning bird!!!

Wow, that quarter century really flew by very fast.

I loved that corporate livery far more than the current one. Back then I really wished they would paint it like this: https://www.airliners.net/photo/Airbus/A ... /1279685/L

shengzhurou wrote:

i have never been onto an a340 , even though over 50+ trips on a330, can anyone tell me what are the differences as a passengers or even as a 330/340 pilot?

As a passenger, it's pretty much the same, except you might be sitting for a longer time

I recently flew on an SAA 346 JFK-JNB and return. I was dreading 15 hours in Y, but was pleasantly surprised how comfortable and pleasant the whole experience was. If you're traveling as a couple, the 2-4-2 layout is a dream if you can get in one of the 2s.

SAA itself is a mess, but the plane was great.

SpaceshipDC10 wrote:

Wow, that quarter century really flew by very fast.

I loved that corporate livery far more than the current one. Back then I really wished they would paint it like this: https://www.airliners.net/photo/Airbus/A ... /1279685/L

I agree, it's time for the current Airbus in-house livery to change.

Man, 25 years? Amazing. I was 7 back then. My dad came home from a business trip and told me he flew the new LH A340-200 to Brasil and brought me a model of it. I remember how I had totally mixed feelings, I was kind of envious for him flying to Brasil and this new airplane, thankful for the new model for my huge collection, but as a huge Boeing and 747 fan back then, I totally hated Airbus, "how dare they to bring out another 4-engined airplane with the aim to get a chunk of the 747 classic replacement market?".

Ah these were the times... once an aviation nerd, forever an aviation nerd...

The most elegant aircraft still flying today.

I have a soft spot for the A340 (and pretty much any Airbus). I still remember the first time I ever saw an A340 (or at least the first time I realized what an A340 was). I went out to DEN with my dad to see the inaugural FRA-DEN on LH in 2001, operated on an A343. Before then, I never knew such a plane existed. I've actually never been on an A343, but I've been on LH's A346s many times, and I even got to fly one of SQ's rare A345s once in premium economy.

They are definitely special planes. There's just something so graceful looking about the A340 and A330. I also think the 8-abreast cross section is a lot more comfortable than the 777, especially now that most operators are going to 10-abreast on the 777. Whenever I fly TATL in Y, I try to seek out A330/A340s or 767s when I book.

ArsenalBOS wrote:

I recently flew on an SAA 346 JFK-JNB and return. I was dreading 15 hours in Y, but was pleasantly surprised how comfortable and pleasant the whole experience was. If you're traveling as a couple, the 2-4-2 layout is a dream if you can get in one of the 2s.

SAA itself is a mess, but the plane was great.

That was still my favorite ULH experience in Y. It helped the plane was 40%-50% full so I got multiple seats to myself, but a perfectly enjoyable 15-hours en route.

Overall, I've taken 8 flights on a A346 (probably 4-5 on A343) on LH (4), EY, IB (2) and SA - enjoyed them all. Really quiet ride. Enjoyed the 2-4-2 layout. Just a smooth, good experience.

I remember flying either Iberia or Alitalia in about 1995, on a brand new A340, which the crew proudly pointed out.
Trivia: did either IB or AZ serve LGW in early A340 ops?

Flighty wrote:

I remember flying either Iberia or Alitalia in about 1995, on a brand new A340, which the crew proudly pointed out.
Trivia: did either IB or AZ serve LGW in early A340 ops?

AZ never flew the A340. Back then they were operating MD-11s and 767s.

The A340-600 is the best looking aircraft ever built! Hope EY will paint at least one in their incredible new livery... sigh

Oh, thank you spaceship, I was misled by some online model builders

I may be a 747 kind of guy, but from a passenger comfort standpoint, absolutely nothing beats/beat the 343. Incredibly quiet inside, to the point of never really needing my noise cancelling headphones, in economy or up front. Takeoff always gives you your full money's worth. No seating arrangement beats 2-4-2 (well, depending, 1-2-1 may be better). Sad the 330 doesn't come close, even if it's a great machine for the airlines. And profile wise, it's the closest to the 707, which in my book is and will remain the most beautiful jet in the air. Let's hear it for French design!

Without a doubt, A340 is a beautiful, reliable and capable quad. Aviation royalty.

lightsaber wrote:

Thanks for the heads up! Then again, I've never flown the A340. Look at my flag and how few A340s were made. I'm another 747 fan and have biased towards that plane long haul. . I've flown A330s... Just not A340s.

Lightsaber

If you haven't flown the A340 then I think you're an unlucky man - or overly biased. LOL.

Sadly, I only flew it once (Sabena) but it was a sweet ride - if not quite as sweet as the A380.

mariner

Barring the Concorde, the best long-haul jet aircraft I've ever tried, and I've nearly tried them all. Comfortable, roomy, quiet and lends itself beautifully to a pleasent seating arrangement. Most of all they're quiet and comfortable, regardless of how much seat pitch you've paid for.

And lets not forget, the more engines the better. Because, engines. Don't care for fuel burn, I care for aesthetics and number of throttle levers!

mariner wrote:

Sadly, I only flew it once (Sabena)

Forgot Sabena had them .

Ahh good memories of my first ever long haul flight, on a Cathay Pacific A343 AKL-HKG. Had a few since on CX, AC and LAN (A343) and VS (A346), and I've enjoyed every one. I'll be sad when they're gone.

B777LRF wrote:

And lets not forget, the more engines the better. Because, engines. Don't care for fuel burn, I care for aesthetics and number of throttle levers!

THIS!

Really makes you wonder what Airbus marketing was thinking back then. I'd have a hard time believing the A340 surpassed their hopes. Then they neutered the A330 so there would be a reason to buy the A340 and the A321 was dumped on the market a good decade before anyone really cared about it.

Nice. I have only flown on an A346 of TG, near new aircraft at the time very roomy and quiet. Sadly TG retired them young.

As an aside CX will fly their final long haul A343 flight 27/10 AKL-HKG, the A343 with CX has been a regular at AKL since 1997. Replaced by A350, with seasonal 77W's and in the past 2008/12 744's as well.

Wacker1000 wrote:

Really makes you wonder what Airbus marketing was thinking back then. I'd have a hard time believing the A340 surpassed their hopes. Then they neutered the A330 so there would be a reason to buy the A340

Come on, it was 30 years ago and things were thought differently then, especially for a manufacturer that was still quite new.

The A340 should have had different engines and it was conceived alongside the A330 that I don't think was neutered but marketed for a specific purpose. Don't forget that even the A340-200/300 have seen their respective MTOW increased over the years.

The A330 really gathered attention when the -200 was launched, allowing for either smaller capacity and/or longer range twin to battle against the then very successful B763. The A333 of today is a rather different bird than what it was back in 1992 or 93 when it was first placed into operation as a domestic/regional Air bus to replace aircraft such as the A300s, DC-10s and L1011s.

The A340 as initially planned with the Superfan engines would potentially have bettered the early 777s in fuel consumption. Maintenance may have cost more but the Superfan would have made the difference and more in its frugal projected fuel usage.

Just a shame Pratt and Whitney couldn't get it to work just yet, but the concept eventually matured into the PurePower engine.

There was a recent picture of LN #2 here the other day flying in Iran. Once a VS plane, it looks almost brand new from the outside now. LN#1 is still doing great work for Airbus as a hugely flexible test aircraft, even having sections of the fuselage cut out and replaced with carbon fibre test panels for the A350. Let's hope that finds its way into preservation eventually.

Wacker1000 wrote:

Really makes you wonder what Airbus marketing was thinking back then. I'd have a hard time believing the A340 surpassed their hopes. Then they neutered the A330 so there would be a reason to buy the A340 and the A321 was dumped on the market a good decade before anyone really cared about it.

Do you throw stink bombs into birthday parties as well? There is no need to start posting stuff like this into a thread celebrating an airliner's anniversary except to troll it and start an A versus B argument

I like piece and quiet, so look for A340 when I can. This year I have flown on 2 x LH343 and 2 x CX343. Sadly, LH removed the direct KUL-FRA flight, otherwise they would have seen my business more. Over the years I have flown SQ Celestar (343's) and 345's (EWR-SIN-EWR mostly), EK 345's, CA 343's, VS343's, CX 342/343's. Never flown on a 346. They are great for a quiet relaxing flight, very similar to the 380. Luckily for me Airbus have continued their calm cabin range with the 350, 4 flights so far, but reminds me of the 340, but with a 3-3-3 layout and a twin.

A wonderful aircraft - the second Airbus I'd heard of as a five-year-old, after the A310. I remember seeing an advertisement for the A345 (I believe they called it the "Leadership" at the time) in SQ's inflight magazine. Unfortunately, I've only had the pleasure of flying in an A340 once: SIN-LAX-SIN on an SQ A345 in W.

Unfortunately I havent had the pleasure of flying an A340 so far. I really need to make it a priority as it will become increasingly harder to find one in this region.

Happy birthday!

Airbus delivered 377 A340s. The most popular version was the A340-300, which is just an A330-300 with a different engine option. The A340 was conceived in a time before ETOPS, a time where four-engine was necessary for long to ultra-long haul.

From a passenger standpoint it is the super long A340-600 that really stands out. It is in the same class as the B747 and A380. All four-engine, long range aircraft with passenger access on two decks. I remember very well my first flight onboard a Lufthansa A340-600, and the first time I went down the staircase to the lower deck.

I only had 1 experience in an A340, on a LH flight FRA-EWR in 2000. Fully packed, but actually comfortable, quiet, nice day, the pilot noted a USA C5-A that was a little below us at one point that has also took off from FRA going to Dover AFB. Kinda a cool sight.
If I am correct they have a very good safety record as well. Recall the one that crash landed in Montreal in a storm where all got out alive. A model that once held the record for the longest scheduled non-stop flight (EWR-SIN). A nice looking plane too. It is a shame technology and 2 engines planes have killed them off,

I have flown all four models of the A340 family. My absolute favourite is the -600. It is super quiet inside and definitely the most beautiful Airbus aircraft. The A330-300 might be more economical but it's not as quiet inside as the A340-300. I still prefer "4 engines 4 longhaul"!

Wow, 25 years, I share similar memories with a lot of members here. I was a kid back then, a 747 fan, but I had great time flying with TK 343s many times. I used to fly A310s to NY with TK and already accustomed to 2+4+2 so technically apart from a longer hull it was not that different but it felt much better. My dad also got me a great diecast model of TK version, I think it is the best looking aircraft with TK livery ( I always wished 747 in TK livery though).

I flew with TK and Cathay 343s, I remember Cathays econ seats had less legroom compared to TK. I also had a chance to fly with South Africas A346, beautiful aircraft as well with bigger engines. Overall I had over 20 flights with TK 343 and enjoyed most of them ( compared to flying BAs 742s and 744s and Swiss 743s)

I know there are a lot of 4 engine haters here but I love the look of 4 engines, it is like the oceanliners with 4 funnels, it just looks good for me so when compared to 777s or 330 series I still prefer 747s and 340s looks.

So in short happy birthday A340, unfortunately I dont think I will have a chance to fly with it ever again but if I do it would be a pleasent suprise.

ltbewr wrote:

I only had 1 experience in an A340, on a LH flight FRA-EWR in 2000. Fully packed, but actually comfortable, quiet, nice day, the pilot noted a USA C5-A that was a little below us at one point that has also took off from FRA going to Dover AFB. Kinda a cool sight.
If I am correct they have a very good safety record as well. Recall the one that crash landed in Montreal in a storm where all got out alive. A model that once held the record for the longest scheduled non-stop flight (EWR-SIN). A nice looking plane too. It is a shame technology and 2 engines planes have killed them off,

The AF crash was in Toronto, not Montreal.

Had the pleasure of flying an almost empty AC A343, YUL-CDG on Dec. 31st, 1999. 63 pax aboard, if memory serves. Great flight, I could use the middle four seats to take a nap. It was the only flight from Canada to Europe, that night, and one of the very few from North America as a whole. Airline counters were empty, security controls were empty, it was so incredibly easy. And relatively cheap.

My first long-haul flight was on EY's A345 (AUH-ORD). I have never felt more relaxed in Y in any subsequent flight.
That trip is what got me into aviation and my flight list begins with that trip. I love opening it up and seeing the 340 right up top.

Almost always I scan the apron to see if I can catch a glimpse of one & when I do there is a childlike excitement at getting to see one.
I saw an EK 343 parked at DXB the other day & along with the excitement I alsoe felt legitimately sad thinking about how so many airlines have removed or are in the process of removing them.

Ro

My first ever long-haul was an Air France A340 CDG-CAN..... Loved it....

Sadly since then only managed to experience an A340 once since, with an EY A340 AUH-MAN, but was lucky enough to get upgraded to biz class...

Still not flown in an A340, but have experienced the downstairs toilets module on an A330 and was really impressed with how roomy it made the aircraft feel. A great innovation, didn't the L-1011 have a similar lower deck module as well ?

JannEejit wrote:

Still not flown in an A340, but have experienced the downstairs toilets module on an A330 and was really impressed with how roomy it made the aircraft feel. A great innovation, didn't the L-1011 have a similar lower deck module as well ?

The lower deck on the Airbus A330/340 is behind the wing and usually is reserved for lavs, though I suppose it could be turned into a lounge area if desired (Stratocruiser-style). The L1011 lower deck lounge offering took up space that would be occupied by the lower deck galley (forward of the wing). As far as I know, no lavs would be installed down there. PSA selected this option for commuter flights as no galley was really needed.

I forgot about the lower deck lavs! I always thought that would be one of the best configurations for if you wanted to join the mile high club without getting caught. Maybe I'll have to book my boyfriend and me on an LH 346 sometime soon...

From memory I think Airbus offered the downstairs module in a variety of modes, not just toilets ? I think it could be configured as a crew rest area or a bar/shop area too.

Happy Birthday A340! By far the most beautiful modern airliner in the skies. It, along with the MD11, DC10 and L1011 will always have a special place in my heart. I haven't been on one in a good 10 years and probably will never again - but the memories will always stand out

Great thread, nice to have a positive thread about a great plane on what is an enthusiasts site. To join the love, for me easily the best passenger experience in the sky, the A380 matches it on most metrics, but that 2-4-2 seating steals it! Very comfortable, wonderfully quiet, and a beautiful bird too. A shame more won't built, but that does make it that bit more special when you do get a ride on one, I'm very much looking forward to my flight from BOG-FRA in December with LH.

A346 is still my favourite aircraft. Until last night I've only ever flown on VS A340s (A346 and A343), but I'm now trying to get those in when ever I can. Caught LH A346 to MUC last night and it was everything I hoped it would be.