Future of the Airbus A340

[Alessandro]

It is?

Sure Venezuela ordered two recently. Actually they got 1 more in the backlog than the A340, which got 22 planes in their backlog.

[Spad13]

Sure Venezuela ordered two recently.

Did they actually pay money for them?

[Alessandro]

Did they actually pay money for them?

No they payed with noobcheese.

[rohank4284]

Well, there are few others whom make this sized aircraft, Russian Sukhoi RRJ (which is going way better than the B787 project), ARJ (very little known after mf), old Il-96 is still
selling and Tu-204 as well.
Bombardier and Embraer is still undecided to go head-to-head with the two giants. So comparisons are valid.

I wasn't saying that comparisons weren't valid between Airbus and Boeing. I know about Sukhoi RRJ, but since this discussion involved Boeing and Airbus, I didn't bring them up. The topic of this thread was the future of the Airbus A340, not is Boeing better than Airbus. This thread has gone WAY

I don't care about "Nebulous feelings," as ITS put it. Airbus vs. Boeing is hardly a hard-core aviation topic, it's been done so many times that it just isn't worth discussing anymore. I'm a Boeing fan, but I respect Airbus as a reputable manufacturer.

Rohan

[IntheShade]

I don't care about "Nebulous feelings," as ITS put it. Airbus vs. Boeing is hardly a hard-core aviation topic, it's been done so many times that it just isn't worth discussing anymore. I'm a Boeing fan, but I respect Airbus as a reputable manufacturer.

Rohan

Do you respect Michael Jackson?

As for sheer numbers if the division line is 1000 airframes then AirBus has had only one success; the A320 while nearly every BOEING has reached this level of success.

[Alessandro]

Do you respect Michael Jackson?

As for sheer numbers if the division line is 1000 airframes then AirBus has had only one success; the A320 while nearly every BOEING has reached this level of success.

Nearly all jetpowered Boeings, since itīs a classic company some oldschool propliners didnīt make it the 1k cut.
The A340 will not meet this milestone, but itīs main rival B777 surely will.

[Schorsch]

With all the options to operate long/medium range twins, the 340 has only one destiny. Parked next to the 3 holers in the desert. The 744/A380 have the large 4 engine market sewn up.

Some carriers especially in less wealthy nations might prefer an A340 over a B767 or early B777. The additional safety of 4 engines and probably the easier procedures when one engine dies on a remote airport (3 engine ferry, small CFM56 can be loaded in most cargo aircraft).
Certainly, for main carrier operations on the classic race tracks the A340 is not really competitive any more, while a 10-15 year old A340-300 will beat any new built B777-200ER (which by the way doesn't sell any more, either) due to reduced cost of ownership. Current A340-300s will be replaced by either B787-9 or A350-8/9, and both will not be available before 2012.

Conclusion: there will be no new built A340s in the near future, but the used airframes could end up as being of a good residual value, maybe some even getting more attractive when their 4 engines are of advantage.

[Schorsch]

Nearly all jetpowered Boeings, since itīs a classic company some oldschool propliners didnīt make it the 1k cut.
The A340 will not meet this milestone, but itīs main rival B777 surely will.

More accurate would be to check for airframe lines. A300/310 and A330/340 are very similar aircraft and Airbus can switch between them with very little cost. It would enable them to idle the A340 production, for example.

[rohank4284]

Some carriers especially in less wealthy nations might prefer an A340 over a B767 or early B777. The additional safety of 4 engines and probably the easier procedures when one engine dies on a remote airport (3 engine ferry, small CFM56 can be loaded in most cargo aircraft).
Certainly, for main carrier operations on the classic race tracks the A340 is not really competitive any more, while a 10-15 year old A340-300 will beat any new built B777-200ER (which by the way doesn't sell any more, either) due to reduced cost of ownership. Current A340-300s will be replaced by either B787-9 or A350-8/9, and both will not be available before 2012.

Conclusion: there will be no new built A340s in the near future, but the used airframes could end up as being of a good residual value, maybe some even getting more attractive when their 4 engines are of advantage.

British Airways is expecting delivery of four new Boeing 777-200ERs with RR Trent 895 engines. The Boeing 777-200ER has 434 orders and 409 deliveries, the Airbus A340-300 had 218 orders, with 218 deliveries. The Boeing 777-200ER proved to be much more efficient than the Airbus A340-300, which is why several airline pressured Airbus into making a new version of the aircraft.

The Airbus A340-500 was a longer-range and more efficient aircraft than the A340-300 and was meant to compete with the 777-200ER and the future Boeing 777-200LR. Currently, the Airbus A340-500 has 35 orders, 25 deliveries. The Boeing 777-200LR, which was released in 2005, several years later than the Airbus A340-500, already has 50 orders and 30 deliveries. The Boeing 777 has proved to be a more efficient aircraft than the Airbus A340 during the past 15 years and has drastically outsold the Airbus A340.

On the topic of four engines vs. two engines. For over 13 years, there was no significant problems noted with any of the 777s engines, thus Boeing 777's engines have proven remarkably reliable. The only current hiccup throughout the Boeing 777-200ER, remains some Boeing 777-200ERs with the RR Trent 895 engines with a faulty fuel-oil heat exchanger, which only poses a slight problem during very cold conditions. Rolls Royce is redesigning the exchanger and it will be replaced on all RR 777s soon, currently airlines with RR 777s have modified their procedures during very cold conditions.

The GE90 and Pratt and Whitney engines don't have the same problem and have proven incredibly reliable. Even the RR Trents had flown for over 12 years before any problems surfaced and remain a highly-reliable engine variant. There have been talks of reducing or even eliminating ETOPS regulations because twin-engine jets have proven so reliable. Many times two engines on the same wing in a four engine aircraft can fail and even a four engined Boeing 747 had all 4 engines fail! The four engine advantage is very little now.

http://ablaiplanes.blogspot.com/2008/05/british-airways-all-4-engines-stoped.html

I agree that current Airbus A340-300 aircraft will likely be replaced by the Airbus A350-1000 or the Boeing 787-9 or 787-10, should Boeing ever make one. This is because those new jets are only about 3-5 years away and it makes sense to wait and take advantage of next generation ultra efficient aircraft with better composites, quieter engines, improved passenger cabin designs, and improved flight decks rather than going for efficient current gen. aircraft. Of course a current generation aircraft isn't going to compete with a next-generation aircraft. Both the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 look like they will be very good.

As I said before, even though I like the Boeing 777, I still really like the Airbus A340, especially the Airbus A340-500/600. They were very comfortable, quiet, and smooth aircraft. It will be sad to see them go. Both Airbus and Boeing make excellent aircraft and both have been very successful.

Regards,

Rohan

[Alessandro]

More accurate would be to check for airframe lines. A300/310 and A330/340 are very similar aircraft and Airbus can switch between them with very little cost. It would enable them to idle the A340 production, for example.

Sure itīs not called the "Airbus lego" for nothing.

[Verbal]

The Airbus A320 has constantly outsold the Boeing 737NG, etc.

???

The additional safety of 4 engines....

Is it still 1958?

Conclusion: there will be no new built A340s in the near future, but the used airframes could end up as being of a good residual value, maybe some even getting more attractive when their 4 engines are of advantage.

Look, they're not even repairing A340s when they suffer a tail strike anymore. Let it die.

[Alessandro]

???


Is it still 1958?


Look, they're not even repairing A340s when they suffer a tail strike anymore. Let it die.

Iberia and Qantas are two different companies, patching up A346/B744 to allow you to have a
write-off free record isnīt done by all companies.

[HalcyonDays]

The Emirates A340-500 will probably be patched up and ferried back to Dubai or Toulouse for full repair.

[Schorsch]

Is it still 1958?

When you operate into Buwa-Buwa in Durkadurkistan on a regular basis, who have a nice runway full of dirt and gravel, four engines might be of advantage to recover the aircraft or continue the flight after an engine failed. An aircraft sitting in Buwa-Buwa while waiting for the special transport to fly in a GE90 plus repair will eat up any fuel cost benefit.

[DAL767-400ER]

When you operate into Buwa-Buwa in Durkadurkistan on a regular basis, who have a nice runway full of dirt and gravel, four engines might be of advantage to recover the aircraft or continue the flight after an engine failed.

Maybe it's just me, but I haven't seen any major airports capable of handling widebodies that still have gravel runways since the 60's or so. Besides, 4 engines for 2 times the number of FOD risk.