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The Airbus A340, a long-range wide-body quad-engine passenger airliner, was developed alongside the twin-engine Airbus A330 in the 1980s. The first model, the Airbus A340-300, took its maiden flight on October 25, 1991. It entered commercial service in 1993 with Lufthansa and Air France. Later models included the larger A340-500 and A340-600 variants, introduced in 1997 and 2002.
The aircraft's design featured four CFM 56 engines for early models and Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines for later ones. This configuration allowed it to bypass restrictions that limited twin-engine jets from long-haul overwater flights due to safety regulations by aerospace agencies. The aircraft also had a three-leg main landing gear for higher maximum takeoff weight compared to its contemporaries.
Despite these advantages, the A340 struggled against more efficient twinjets like Boeing's 777 due to its less economical four-engine design. Only 377 units were produced, with one variant performing particularly poorly in sales.
