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Airbus A340

Airbus · Widebody · Out of production (2011) — in service

Airbus's four-engine long-hauler.

Length75.36 m
Wingspan63.45 m
Range14,630 km
MTOW380 t
Typical seats380
Built377
Our numbers

Derived metrics

Computed by aircraft.fyi from the core specification — see how we calculate these.

Seats per metre#6 of 35
5.04 seats/m typical seats ÷ fuselage length
Range per tonne#51 of 65
38.5 km/t maximum range ÷ MTOW in tonnes
Span-to-length ratio#42 of 68
0.84 wingspan ÷ fuselage length
Weight per metre#9 of 68
5.04 t/m MTOW ÷ fuselage length
Range in hours#3 of 65
16.0 h maximum range ÷ cruise speed
Weight per seat#6 of 35
1000 kg MTOW ÷ typical seats
Sense of scale

How big is it, really?

The Airbus A340's wingspan, against things you already know the size of.

Airbus A34063.45 m
Football pitch (width)68 m
Blue whale25 m
New Routemaster bus11.2 m
You (probably)1.75 m
#4 of 68 by length → #6 by weight → #37 by speed →
Specification

The numbers

Length (-600)75.36 m
Wingspan63.45 m
Height17.93 m
MTOW380,000 kg
Range14,630 km
Typical seats380 (3-class)
Engines4 × Trent 556
First flight (A340)25 October 1991
First flight (-600)23 April 2001
Built (all variants)377

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Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Spot an error? business@luck.fyi

The story

What makes it different

The A340 was designed for a world where twins weren't trusted over oceans. Four engines meant freedom from ETOPS restrictions — it could take the shortest route across any water, any desert, anywhere — and in the 1990s that made it the queen of the very long haul. Its marketing line was blunt: four engines for long haul.

The A340-600 of 2002 stretched the family to 75.36 metres, snatching the "world's longest airliner" title from the 747 and holding it until the 747-8 flew in 2010. But the same engines that gave it freedom became its downfall: as ETOPS rules relaxed and big twins like the 777 matched its range on half the engines, the A340's fuel economics collapsed. Production ended in 2011 after 377 aircraft — the A350 is its successor.

It flies on in smaller numbers than its Boeing rivals, led by Lufthansa's reactivated fleet, with a long tail of charter, government and VIP operators who still value what it was built for: range without restrictions.

Common questions

Airbus A340 — the short answers

How fast is the Airbus A340?
The Airbus A340 cruises at about 913 km/h — roughly 493 knots, or 567 mph.
How far can the Airbus A340 fly?
The Airbus A340 has a maximum range of about 14,630 km (7,900 nautical miles, 9,093 miles). At its cruise speed that is roughly 16.0 hours in the air.
How many people does the Airbus A340 carry?
A typical Airbus A340 carries 380 passengers. Exact figures vary with the operator's chosen configuration.
Is the Airbus A340 still in production?
Status: Out of production (2011) — in service. The Airbus A340 first flew in 1991, and about 377 have been built.
How big is the Airbus A340?
The Airbus A340 is 75.36 m long with a wingspan of 63.45 m and a height of 17.93 m. Its maximum takeoff weight is 380,000 kg.
Variants

The Airbus A340 line

A340-200 / -300
The originals, CFM56-powered — the -300 was the family's best-seller.
A340-500
The ultra-long-ranger — flew the world's longest route, Singapore–Newark, before the A350ULR existed.
A340-600
The 75.36 m stretch — world's longest airliner from 2002 to 2010. Spec shown above.
Operators

Who flies the Airbus A340

The top 6 operators by fleet size, of ≈20 worldwide — the rest are aggregated below. Counts marked ≈ are approximate, verified 2026-07-14.

LHLufthansaThe largest remaining operator — A340-300s reactivated after the pandemic to cover long-haul demand.≈17→
IRMahan AirOne of the largest remaining A340 fleets.≈10
CHSWISSA340-300s on their final tour before the A350 replaces them.≈4
CHEdelweiss AirLeisure long-haul from Zurich.≈4
MTMaleth-AeroCharter and wet-lease A340s.≈3
VEConviasaVenezuela's flag carrier.≈2
Other operatorsA further ≈15 operators — largely charter, government and VIP fleets, including several head-of-state aircraft. Passenger numbers shrink each year as the A350 replaces the type.≈25
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Sources

Primary sources
Further reading