Some airlines retain Airbus A340s amid shift toward newer twin-engine jets

The extra engines on the A340 provide certain benefits not found on twinjets. These include better performance at high-altitude airports or short runways and easier logistics when transporting aircraft for maintenance since it can be ferried with one engine out of service. However, these features come at a cost: higher fuel consumption compared to modern twin-engine planes.

Production of all versions of the A340 ended in 2011 after a total of 377 units were delivered worldwide. Today only about 72 remain active globally, serving specialized roles including government transport or cargo conversion due to their mechanical redundancy and electrical power capabilities.

The shift toward more efficient aircraft is clear as airlines await new deliveries. Lufthansa plans to retire its remaining A340s by 2028 as part of a broader fleet renewal strategy involving Boeing’s new long-haul models like the 787 Dreamliner and upcoming 777X series. Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa Group, stated: “With Boeing's new long-haul aircraft, the Lufthansa Group will continue to modernize its fleet with aircraft among the most fuel-efficient and sustainable long-haul aircraft in their class. The Boeing 787-9 passenger aircraft consume about 25 percent less kerosene than their predecessors, the 777-8F freighters nearly 15 percent less kerosene. Both aircraft will have an equally positive effect on the carbon footprint.”

Despite delays in delivery schedules for new widebodies such as Boeing’s troubled but highly anticipated 777X, airlines are committed to phasing out quadjets like the A340 in favor of next-generation designs that promise lower operating costs and emissions.

While commercial use is declining rapidly for quadjet airliners—including both Airbus’s A340 family and rivals like Boeing’s iconic “Queen of the Skies” (the 747)—specialized variants may continue flying where specific operational requirements demand them.

As newer planes gradually replace legacy models such as those from Airbus’s earlier widebody families (Lufthansa aims to retire its last remaining four-engined jets by late this decade), industry observers expect only niche operators or government agencies will keep these aging but capable jets airborne beyond this decade.