Future of the Airbus A340

[Vishal Jolapara]

During these times of turmoil in the aviation industry, i'm perosonally most saddened to see carriers distancing themselves from this particular variant.

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I love it as my outright favorite airplane currently in service.

Yes its absolutely nonsense to fly a beautiful plane while going into debt/loss or having a cheaper & more economical option available however, is it really that thirsty an airplane ?

What does the future hold for the A340-3,5 & 600 ?

While reseaching a bit on its current orders i see there are still a few on order including A345's by our (India's) Kingfisher Airlines but i'm not sure thay're gonna take them considering the current financial bloodbath - Airbus A340 Production List

Cheers - Vishal

[DAL767-400ER]

As a newbuilt airliner, the A340 is practically dead. Yes, there are still a few orders left, but there likely won't be any more coming. The A340 won't disappear from the skies too soon, simply because some airlines still need its capacity and can't get more efficient planes (777, 787, A350) as fast as they need them, but IMHO, within 10 years none of the "a-list" airlines will be flying the A343 anymore, and less than a handful the A345/6, as those carriers will then be flying aforementioned new twins, and the A340s will fly for second-hand operators.

[Eric Diffoot]

The A340 is seeing its production days ending soon but not its service days. The aircraft is still being use everywhere from the A342 to the A346. It'll still be out there for new airlines that need long haul and capacity aircrafts and will use them till they can upgrade to the 777, 787, A350, or A380. This is somewhat similar to the 767, not be produced as much, but still being used everywhere.

[AA 1818]

Where I think that you are going to be seeing quite a few A340s would be with secondhand cariers that are attempting to start long-haul/international services and cannot afford to wait, or simply cannot financially afford pricier. albeit more fuel efficent aircraft.

A really good example would be to consider TAM. Would they prefer to not fly their A345s? I am sure that they wouldn't, but they could not afford to wait on their 777s much longer. They needed to take advnatage of the fall of Varig - and the A345s were available.

Vishal, I think that IT also would prefer not to fly their A345s - but made the decision to stay with an all-Airbus fleet and needed the aircraft to expand now, rather than waiting for AI and 9W to eat into their markets waiting for A350s (or, they could break with tradition and try to go to 777s - but that would cost almost as much to cross-train engineers - or to train new ones, endanger future discounts with Airbus (by breaking their 'gentleman's agreement') and the whole hosts of other costs.

Something that I don't think anyone has yet discussed - how difficult/costly would it be to convert an A340 to a cargo variant? I understand well that the market would probably have an abundance of 747s at the time, and that many carriers would also just go to 777 cargo variants - but if it were easy/cheep to convert them then maybe we could see carriers replacing MD-11s/DC-10s with A340s for cargo operations. (World Airways?).

Another place that the A340 would have some sort of advnatage is with carriers that simply cannot obtain a proper ETOPs lisence. Let's take a look at the troublesome carriers in the Phillipines and in places like Indonesia where safety standards are 'lacking' and/or 'diminished' to say the least. PAL has an order for 777s, and is set to be in great jeopardy of nnot recieving them if current safety restrictions are not released. Now, can you imagine if they attempted to get ETOPS certified? Good luck! Maybe getting A340s and not having to worry about ETOPS certification would be a better idea?

One more place where the A340 might still have a chance - VIP and Presidential transports. If they are leaving carriers at a slow rate, and they can be acquired for a lower costs than a 747/787/777/A350 then maybe we can see them being used for non-commercial services. For many flag carriers it would free up one of their own aircraft.

Oh, and one more thing that I can see happening - even though the A340 may be less fuel efficent when compared to the 777 - operating them at a smaller carrier (operating a hand-full of them) and having a fleet commonolity, might actually be better off for a smaller carrier then grasping for newer 777s. Maybe in time, we can see a relaxation of the embargoes on Cuba and Iran and possible A340s with them? As we move towards the lessening of restriction within local markets areound the globe (note; deregulation of the aviation industry has yet to occur in quite a few nations around the globe), we might see fledgling carriers (just as had occurred with TAM and IT) taking up A340s to take advnatage of newly opened markets.

[uy707]

How I percieve it ....some
will keep eraning their keeps as passenger transports
may be put at use to developp very long range o & d rroutes
may be converted as all-C fleet member
may also end up as
342s - VIP haulers
343s & 345s - VIP haulers - tankers - freighters
346s - freighters - VIP haulers

[Vishal Jolapara]

Are Lufthansa & Iberia gonna take those 346's which are alloted c/n, are they actually being built ?

[Alessandro]

The softening of ETOPS rules are definitly not helping either.

[TAP-A343]

As a newbuilt airliner, the A340 is practically dead. Yes, there are still a few orders left, but there likely won't be any more coming.

Very much so:

As monthly A330 production heads towards 10 a month, output of the A340 is averaging just one. On 31 July, the last of 245 A340-200/300s built was delivered to Finnair (one aircraft remains on backlog for a VIP customer), and Airbus has yet to notch up a single sale for the Rolls-Royce Trent 500-powered A340-500/600 this year. The backlog stands at just 31 aircraft.

Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...40-300-is.html

It seems that the A340 production will continue for just around another 2.5 years.

[Vishal Jolapara]

I thought TG were getting rid of their existing 345's & 6's

c/n 953 - August 06, 2008

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[TAP-A343]

Are Lufthansa & Iberia gonna take those 346's which are alloted c/n, are they actually being built ?

I haven't heard of any cancellations.

I thought TG were getting rid of their existing 345's & 6's

I don't think that will happen soon since TG has had some problems with ETOPS rules.

[Vishal Jolapara]

I haven't heard of any cancellations.

I don't think that will happen soon since TG has had some problems with ETOPS rules.

Music to my ears
Long live the beautiful A340.

[AA 1818]

Yes, but with TG announcing cuts, especially on routes where the A340s are used and with increased use of the 777s - aren't their days numbered? BTW - is the A340 more efficent than a 744?

[TAP-A343]

Yes, but with TG announcing cuts, especially on routes where the A340s are used and with increased use of the 777s - aren't their days numbered? BTW - is the A340 more efficent than a 744?

True. TG dropped the non-stop Bangkok - New York service with A345s last July 1st, and will also drop the non-stop BKK-LAX service also with A345s in the winter schedule replacing it with a BKK-KIX-LAX service with B772ERs.

So perhaps they will try to get rid of the A345s considering that they have only 4 of them.

As for the A346s, I don't see them going because they're the only aircraft along with the B744s to have F class.

As for the A340s being more efficient than the B744s, I would say that the A346s are indeed, considering that they have newer technology, except on the routes where TG needs more capacity.

[DAL767-400ER]

Are Lufthansa & Iberia gonna take those 346's which are alloted c/n, are they actually being built ?

Absolutely, both carriers need the capacity.

I thought TG were getting rid of their existing 345's & 6's

Not the 346s. The A345s have been rumored to be sold to SAA, but then again, that rumor has been around for at least a year, so I'll only believe it once I see those TG A345s being repainted into another operator's livery.

[Vishal Jolapara]

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What/Who is Bourkhan ?