What is replacing the A340?
Lufthansa a340-600 at boston logan international airport (bos) october 2025. Lufthansa began operating the airbus a340-600 in 2003, with some still in service in 2025. The airline is phasing out its a340 fleet and replacing it with more fuel-efficient planes like the boeing 787 and airbus a350. As of april 2025, lufthansa continues to operate a fleet of airbus a340 aircraft, comprising both a340-300 and a340-600 variants. Here’s an overview of their current status and future plans: ⸻ ✈️ airbus a340-300. Active fleet: lufthansa operates 17 airbus a340-300 aircraft.The 777-200ER was still more capable than an improved A330-300, but only slightly. However, the beefed-up A330 was much cheaper to operate and could carry almost the same number of passengers. For the even less efficient A340-300, this spelled the end, as it could only fly less than 1,000 NM (1,800 KM) further.Debojo Maharshi, Chief Business Officer, SpiceJet, said “We are thrilled to introduce the Airbus A340 into our fleet as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance our service offerings and expand our domestic and international network.The departure of the final A340-300s and A330-200s in late 2016 left the airline with a fleet made up entirely of Airbus A380s, and the A340’s nemesis, the Boeing 777-300ER.
Why was the A340 discontinued?
The improved A340-300E entered service in April 1996, followed by the longer-range A340-500 and the stretched, higher-capacity A340-600 in the early 2000s. Airbus ceased production of the A340 family in November 2011, as its popularity waned in favour of newer twinjets with lower operating costs such as the Boeing 777. Ch-aviation data procured by Simple Flying reveals that the oldest A340 in active service is HZ-124, a Saudi Royal Flight aircraft. It began life as an A340-211, built by Airbus to serve as a test bed. The aircraft took its first flight on 1 April 1992, with the registration F-WWBA.