Airbus 340-300

Entering service in 1993, the A340-300 was the initial "baseline" model of the A340 family. It was designed as a long-range, wide-body airliner to replace aging DC-10s and early Boeing 747s on routes where passenger volumes were high, but not high enough to justify a 747-400.

Like its shorter sibling, the A340-200, its primary selling point in the 1990s was its four engines, which allowed it to fly over any ocean or polar region without route restrictions (immunity from ETOPS regulations that hampered twin-jets at the time). More information below.

DW A340-300 Air Canada 'Nagano '98'

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PH A340-300 Air France

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HW A340-300 Air Jamaica

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GJ A340-300 Air Jamaica

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PH A340-300 AirLanka

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PH A340-300 Aerolineas Argentinas

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PH A340-300 Austrian Airlines

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PH A340-300 BWIA

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PL A340-300 Cathay Pacific

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PH A340-300 China Airlines '50th'

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PH A340-300 China Eastern

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PH A340-300 Edelweiss

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PH A340-300 Egypt Air

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PL A340-300 Eurowings

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PH A340-300 Finnair

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PH A340-300 Iberia

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GJ A340-300 JOON

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PH A340-300 Kam Air

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PH A340-300 Kuwait Airways

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PL A340-300 Lufthansa (D-AIGZ)

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PH A340-300 Mahan Air

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PL A340-300 Singapore Airlines

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PH A340-300 South African Airways

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PH A340-300 Swiss

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PH A340-300 Swiss 'red nose'

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DW A340-311 Virgin Atlantic 'Operation Seagull'

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PL A340-300 Virgin Atlantic (G-VAIR)

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PH A340-300 Virgin Atlantic (Dragon Lady)

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Key Design Characteristics

1. Fuselage and Capacity (The Standard Size):

Length: At 63.7 meters (209 feet), it is virtually identical in length to the A330-300. It is significantly longer than the A340-200.

Seating: Because of its longer fuselage, it carries more passengers than the -200. In a typical three-class layout (first/business/economy), it accommodates between 270 and 295 passengers. In high-density configurations, it could hold up to 440.

Cargo: The longer fuselage also provided a large lower-deck cargo holds, making it a decent revenue generator for freight alongside passengers.

2. Range and Performance:

The Balance: The A340-300 struck a balance between capacity and range. It couldn't fly quite as far as the shorter, lighter A340-200, but it carried significantly more payload.

Range: It had a range of approximately 7,300 nautical miles (13,500 km). This made it the workhorse for major European airlines connecting to Southeast Asia, or for crossing the Pacific.

3. Engines (A Defining Feature):

Like the -200, the A340-300 is powered by four CFM56-5C engines.

The "Hairdryer" Reputation: This is a critical point in aviation history. The CFM56 is a fantastic engine (it powers thousands of Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s). However, for a heavy, long-range, four-engine aircraft like the A340-300, these engines were somewhat underpowered.

As a result, the A340-300 is famous among pilots and enthusiasts for having a very slow, shallow rate of climb, especially when fully loaded on hot days. It is also generally slower at cruise altitude than competitors like the Boeing 747 or 777.

4. Cockpit and Cabin:

It features the standard Airbus Fly-By-Wire cockpit, ensuring crew commonality with the A330 and A320.

The cabin uses the passenger-favorite 2-4-2 economy seating layout, the same as the A330s.

Summary and Commercial Fate

The A340-300 was the most successful variant of the first generation A340s (the -200 and -300). It was heavily used by major carriers like Lufthansa, Air France, Iberia, and Singapore Airlines throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

However, its fate was sealed by the introduction of the Boeing 777-200ER. The Boeing 777 could carry a similar load over similar distances using only two, much larger, more powerful engines.

Once twin-engine aircraft proved they were reliable enough to cross oceans safely, the economics of flying four thirsty engines became unsustainable for most airlines. Most A340-300s have now been retired from major airline service, replaced by A350s, B787s, or A330neos.