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Axon Aviation Group has revealed that the price of an Airbus A340-300 in 2025 is set at $219 million, a figure that is slightly more than half the cost of a Boeing 747-8I as advertised by the same group. However, buyers are not restricted to outright purchasing as the aircraft is also available for hire from charter companies. As per Paramount Business Jets, this would incur an average hourly rate of $24,750.
Airbus developed the A340 alongside the twin-engine A330, sharing several technological elements that facilitated production at a lower expense, while also easing maintenance for carriers handling both models. The A340's quad-engined design was chosen to circumvent Extended-range Twin-engine Operations (ETOPS) restrictions. The aircraft's journey began in the mid-1970s, with its official design launch in 1987 and maiden flight occurring in October 1991. By December 1992, the A340-300 and A340-200 had obtained certification, subsequently entering service with Lufthansa and Air France.
Production persisted until November 2011 when Airbus announced its end, transitioning focus to its successor, the A350. By this time, 380 orders had been placed with Airbus delivering 377 units from Toulouse, France. Airbus also offers private and military variants of the A340. For instance, the Royal Thai Armed Forces use the A340-541 designated as B.L.19, and Airbus Corporate Jets provides the ACJ340, a luxurious private version that can carry up to 100 passengers.
