Why was Airbus A340 not popular with airlines?

Airbus

It produced less than 400 A340s. These long -term and relatively effective aircraft were the leading Airbus plane for years. Her dual -engines, A330, sold more than 1,800 copies across two generations. However, the A340 disappears from the sky.

The nineties witnessed a confrontation In the world of twin aviation. The first was McDonil Douglas

Which has updated Trijet DC-10 like long-range MD-11. Airbus, in its pursuit of the leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft, has launched two aircraft: Twinjet called the A330 and A340 Long Malder Cadjet. Boeing was not excluded outside the party and went out with Boeing 777

. These are the most successful aircraft in history, and the A330 is not backward, while the A340 has been out of production for more than a decade.

Why is Airbus A340 very badly sold?

Airbus A340 competes primarily against Boeing 777. The main visual team is engines: 777 twoWhile A340 was four. This is an increase in burning fuel in A340, and added maintenance costs. If a flight company wants to operate long -term roads, why do you choose in the world the aromatic plane, and why Airbus made such a plane?

Except this does not tell the full story. Although the A330/A340 programs were launched in 1987, studies on aircraft began early in 1982. In the eighties, Etops regulations That allows two lines to operate prominent long -distance flights that were not widely. FAA granted ETOPS for the first time to Boeing 767 in 1985, while Airbus A300s has flew under ICAO regulations for 90 minutes since the 1970s. Most other twins could fly more than 60 minutes from the transfer airport.

ETOPS 180 was introduced in 1988, but this can only be given after a year of the operations of the trouble -free Etops 120 operations. In addition, ETOPS is not only granted to the type of plane. Individual aircraft need special equipment to be approved for Etops, while airlines also require approval and employees need special training, all expensive and arduous. Airbus A340 does not require any of this because it contains four engines.

Boeing 777 was launched in 1990 with EIS in 1995. While FAA ETOPS-180 was granted its appearance for the first time, Europe 777 did not shorten Etops-120 for one year.

A340 began losing in the 2000s

the Airbus A340-300

and Boeing 777-200er

The best -selling models of the original variables were, and were actually competitive. Boeing 777 had two lower engines, but they were huge and expensive to keep it. Meanwhile, the A340 had four CFM56S, the best -selling jet engine in all times, providing maintenance costs for each engine. In addition, it was 777a heavy Aircraft, which hindered fuel efficiency. 777 was more capable, carrying more passengers, but was only more efficient and more expensive.

In the late 1990s, Airbus began developing the A340-500 and A340-600. These aircraft will be larger, more capable and more efficient, with Airbus hope for new aircraft as alternatives to Boeing 747-200s. But these planes are similar to concerts between Pink Floyd in the 1970s: It is nice to look at good artists, but very heavy and very long.

777F was excluded here because the A340 cargo ship was not introduced.

The eighth cross section of the A300, a plane more than 70 feet (22 meters), which requires reinforcement. The wing has been improved for the A340-300, and requires a large reformulation. Meanwhile, Boeing 777 is designed with the most variables, and GE90-115B exceeds initial expectations. The result is that although the A340-300 is making a good effort against the heavy 777-200er, the A340-600 was destroyed by 777-300er, which was already the main alternative to 777.

What airlines still use Airbus A340

Airbus A340s disappeared left and right. Some airlines replaced these aircraft with Boeing 777-300ers, while most of them have succeeded recently by Airbus A350s. Several A340 victims of Covid-19, which saw dozens of airlines have retired in great efforts in cost reduction efforts.

There are two types of airlines currently working on the youngest Airbus A340-200, according to what I said Ch-aivation. Two are running before a guest

Venezuela, while another flying for him Mahan Al -Jaya

. The rest is transferred in executive formations, usually for governments. Meanwhile, the A340-500s is not in the commercial service, as these aircraft were stored or used to transport adults.

Lufthansa

Currently fly eight Airbus A340-600s, while Mahaan Air and Conviasa fly the rest. Meanwhile, Airbus A340-300 is the most common A340 that is still flying, with seven airlines used in regular service. Meanwhile, A340-300 and A340-600 airlines are also used.

Airbus A330 effect

The largest Airbus A340 has been beaten properly by 777-300ER, but the most competitive A340-300 sales stopped. You may think this is due to 777-200er, but that plane also stopped selling in the 2000s as well. The reason for this? Airbus A330-300.

It was really A330 and A340 Two copies of the same plane. In particular, the A330-300 and A340-300 shared the same fuselage, the same wing, and almost identical aircraft systems. The A330 was originally imagined as a medium-term alternative to the DC-10S and L1011s, with a range of 4000 nm (7,400 km). The smaller A330-200 was more capable, but then Airbus added a larger range to the A330-300.

777-200er was still more capable of improved A330-300, but only a little. However, the augmented A330 was much cheaper for work and could carry almost the same number of passengers. For the least efficient A340-300, this end has set, because it cannot fly less than 1000 nm (1800 km). With the spread of Etops now in the twenty -first century, Why buy either 777-200er or A340-300 unless you need a little additional range?

Why was there no Airbus A340-400?

The initial variables of A340 A340-200 and A340-300 have been named. The A340-300 was the primary model, while the A340-200 was a shrinkage. Later, Airbus the plane extended to the long-term A340-500, A340-600, the largest A340. However, there were studies for A340-400 as well.

The A340-400 concept was the essence of the largest A340 models, with the longest fuselage. Since Airbus improved improved A340s, the A340-400 has become similar to the size to the A340-500, with the same wing as the A340-300 and the heavier weights of the 6100 nm (11,290 km). This concept did not make it in production.

Part of the sale stadium for the A340-300 is that Etops was not required. However, with this limited range, the A340-400 was unable to operate the longest Etops roads, and to restrict them on the trucomous flights and flights on the ground. The concept was not logical for airlines, especially compared to the largest and most efficient 777-300, which sold only 60 copies. Airbus A340-500 was created instead.

Thicker

Boeing 777 was a gambling of the legendary manufacturer. It has relied on ETOPS widespread acceptance and ambitious engine designs from manufacturers. Airbus, which was smaller and began to develop early, was not in a position to develop a plane centered on a new list. But this does not mean that Airbus has lost.

Boeing achieved its success with 777, but Airbus also produced a winner with the modest A330. Since both planes were developed simultaneously and have shared many ingredients, you can consider them almost one plane family. The joint program costs were also similar to the initial cost of the 777 program. On this aspect, Airbus was just successful like Boeing, where both companies sell approximately 1900 examples for each of the designs of the wings of the 1990s (does not include A330Neo and 777X).

While the A340-500 and A340-600 were floundering, the original A340 was for a great work for many airlines all over the world. Despite jokes on how to board it only due to the curvature of the Earth, the plane also has a very excellent performance. It is another western Quadjet one, and although most airlines have replaced them, the concept continues with the A330neo. Although the A340 variables were not common, the A330/A340 program is one of the most successful aircraft programs in history.