The record of A319 is even more amazing. Been flying for 25 years, has 3 times the amount of A340s built (1500 built), and flies much more flights, some of them into the world’s most dangerous airports, and has never had a fatality. Great looking, too!
ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ QF32 at Signapore in Oct 2010 was about as close as anybody would like to get though. After the engine blew it was a great crew, fantastic Airmanship, luck , & an great aeroplane that stopped it being a total catastrophe.
ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ the 747 has been in service for 50 years, over 1,550 build and flown. The A380 has been in service for 13 years with 242 built. Give it time, statistically there will be an A380 crash if they are in service long enough. I doubt they will, with cargo versions uneconomically feasible you will see many retire quickly over the next 15 years. Look at the Boeing 777, operated for 25 years before a hull loss. The only fatalities on the 777 that were not due to aircraft issues (MH17 shot down, MH 370 unknown, but more than likely not an aircraft issue but nefarious intervention) are the victims from the Asiana 214 flight that landed short at SFO, and that was a pilot issue. It could be argued that not a single fatality can be attributed to the Boeing 777 itself.
And the 747 and 380 are no exceptions. I don't remember now, but the 707 was the first aircraft with a turbine engine with 4 on it. So sad it disappear
@@sergiolaurencio7534 The de Havilland Comet was not only the first jet liner but also sported four jet engines...the 707 was the better and safer US answer to it.
The A340 will always be one of my favs. The smoothest landing and flight I’ve ever experienced was on board an A340. I’ve flown on all of Boeing’s 700 series aircraft and the MD11 and the airbus still stands out.
Ok, So you have permission to fly Airbus. I haven't flown on any big plane yet, But I am planing. And the 787 would be my first one. I love both Boeing and Airbus. Just only with one thing
@@Luton-Mick The A380 is the most comfortable plane on the world. But not that most comfortable to nature. People don't understand how bad we are damaged the earth and time is running out
I remember flying in the A340. This was back in September 2004 when my dad and I were on our way to the Philippines for my brother's wedding. At the time Singapore Airlines was offering a non-stop flight from Newark Airport to Changi Airport using the A340. They only carried 120 passengers in a two class layout(Raffles (business class), and Executive Economy). The flight took 18 1/2 hrs. They flew with 2 complete flight crews that worked in 8hr shifts. Service on that flight was 2nd only to Lufthansa. At the time that was the longest flight. Seating in executive economy was a 2 - 3 - 2 configuration with a large galley space at the rear where they'd layout snacks and sandwiches available between meal service. Some day I'd like to fly that route again in the A350 - 900ULR.
I took that same flight a half dozen times. Sometimes we went straight over the North Pole. Other times we went straight east. Was definitely an interesting flight. No desire to do it again however. Too long to be in the air.
The A340 was a perfect plane to fly - smooth, safe thus giving passengers comfort and the safety reassurance of 4 engines. It’s a crying shame they were discontinued, replaced by twin engined noddy jets.
I can't really sleep on planes which is why I hate overnight flights and avoid them like the plague. The only time I slept on a plane was on Iberia from Barcelona to Chicago - on an A340. It was that smooth.
In 2018 I flew from Frankfurt to San Diego on a 340-300 with Lufthansa. Sad to hear that now this flight starts from Munich and is operated with a A350-900
Anything that gives passengers the human feeling of comfort, has to go, and be replaced by something smaller and more uncomfortable. Sardine can class is now the new King of air travel.
Comfort has a price. The actual problem lies on living standards rather than cutting costs. People are educated to look alike instead of becoming richer (legally). If your life model is to go to school, get some graduation, find a job, save money then die, you are the problem : you're poor. Instead, you should find what you're good at, fight to make what you like to do profitable in a substantial way, then *spend* your money. Every good thing that comes to an end is due to people becoming poorer and poorer. Supersonic flights ? Vacations ? Do something costy because it's a chidhood dream ? You can, but only if early enough you realized you actually could, then took decisions in your life to support it, financially. There is no government plan that can help you be wealthier. Now you know, but let's take a moment, and suppose you've achieved that step, you''re rich now, you can afford 5 first class seats in a supersonic jet for your family for a New York-Singapore trip... you're the only one able to do so. There is no other custommer willing to pay 30000$. So, me as the airline, I won't buy that supersonic wonderful top notch comfort Airbus jet to please you. I'll buy that A350 high density plane *because* the other passengers are *poor* and can only afford the 1000$ round JFK-SIN trip. The problem is not me/the airline, it's not the rich, it's the *poor lambda people that are all lookalike and satisfied with their conditions.*
No mention of the 5 specially modified (for extended range) A340-500’s that Singapore Airlines used on its SIN- EWR and SIN-LAX non stop routes. Regs were 9V-SGA thru to SGE. The former was typically an 18+ hour flight in both directions and the latter was around 14 hours outbound and 18+ hours inbound, with operating altitudes between 38,000 and 41,000 feet. I flew on both, (Premium economy.) Despite the horrific sound of 18 hours , they were actually very comfortable flights. The seats were very comfortable with good leg room, especially if you had a seat next to one of the emergency exit doors. Passengers were encouraged to get up and move around the cabin and use the “ Mini-Bar” for drinks and snacks. There was always a great selection of fruit and muffins there (self serve) and a friendly crew member to get you a drink....or give you a free lesson in Mandarin.
@@visionist7 Singapore Airlines recommenced flying that route with the A350 just before the Covid situation hit the planet. They did suspend it as a consequence, but I am sure it will be restarted in the near future. So your wish may become opportunity within a couple of years.
I took a similar flight several times, NYC (Newark, IIRC) to Bangkok. It’s a long flight - 16 hours or so - but you’re always moving. I prefer to go directly to Asia rather than stopover in Europe. Asian airports, in my opinion, are much much nicer. The Middle East is also a viable stopover spot, Qatar flies A350s and 777s out of JFK nowadays, and the Doha airport is impeccable. These long range flights have made international travel much more pleasant. I sometimes wondered by Airbus didn’t just reengineer the A340 to be a twin once the large GE90-style turbofans became available. I suppose that’s easier said than done.
@@ClockworksOfGL In fact, the original design for A350 was to be pretty much just that, with a new wing, but otherwise an A330/340 derived fuselage + GEnx engines. That however turned out to be incompetitive with the Dreamliner, so they went on to design the all-composite XWB that we all know and love
@@antonklymenko5569 - Oh yeah, I remember Airbus back then tried to nickel-and-dime “improvements” to their existing airframes and the airlines were totally unimpressed.
I love A340. The best aircraft I've ever experienced. Beautiful. Comfortable to fly on. Perfect safety record! It's not a failure, it's a great success for what was needed at the time...Sadly nowadays Aviation is not about the best and most reliable, it's about the cheapest and most efficient! So A340 it's not there! Goodbye A340, you will probably remain my most loved Aircraft ever!
Regular flyer on the A343 however, I once flew the A350, B777 and return leg B777, A343 in less than 3 days. The A340-300 is by far the most comfortable aircraft in terms of flight dynamics and quiteness. B777 and to a much lesser extent the A350 has this constant humming from those massive engines which the A343 (4 × small CFM56 engines) doesnt suffer from. Add to that a very loud sound of the cabin airconditioning on the 777, I still feel that the A340-300 remains a gem in terms of long haul comfort
One thing to add: Aircraft certification relies heavily on its one engine out take off performance (1 engine failure during take off). A twin engine jet will in this case lose 50% of thrust while a quad engine aircraft will only lose 25%. That's the reason for the A340 having a much higher max takeiff weight compared to an a330 despite having the same fuselage and almost the same amount of lbs of thrust
I once had a long haul flight with a LH A340-600 from Francfort to Seoul in business class. Until then this was my most comfortable flight ever, only topped by several flights in an A380 business class a couple of years later.
Out of many, many types of aircraft I’ve flown on since 1959, the A340 really was my favourite. When boarding and when you looked down the aisles, it always gave a good feeling and just felt comfortable. Carriers like Air Canada and Cathay Pacific used them extensively between North America and Asia and you were able rested
My first A340 flight was Copenhagen - Tokyo Narita with SAS, interior was showing age with resistive touchscreens but the outdoor cameras were a novel feature to me then, had a great return trip on the type
To be honest, as a passenger, I found the A340-300 to be sluggish, taking nervously what felt like forever to rotate then, the long slow climb to cruise altitude. Once at altitude, then eventual descent and landing everything was normal. I never got the chance to fly on the A340-200. It was a completely different experience with the A340-500 and A340-600, ( and also the A330-200 and A330-300 ) so much so, I could not help feeling the A340-300 was underpowered. I didn't realize, nor understood at the time, it was programmed that way to produce the most economical fuel burn. I was young and naive back then and the best part / the main fun about flying was to feel the g-force on take-off and the power of the reverse thrust upon landing lol. I certainly would classify the A340 as a failure, as you stated, back then with no ETOPS it was a different situation. The MD11 however was a different story in that when produced, it simply did not live up to the economics that it was marketed and sold to achieve. In addition, as KLM found out, it suffered from reliability issues and was not as easy to fly as the DC10. By luck, it appears to have faired better as a freighter than a passenger aircraft, but even there, it does not appear to have the same longevity as the DC10/MD10.
5:19 PAL A340 Now retired, pity that i can't see it anymore nor fly with this beauty, last time i saw this flyby on our area taking off, magnificent quad engine sounds and long fuselage flying overhead.
Having flown on this aircraft on numerous occasions I would say that for quietness and comfort it beats its American rivals hands down. Happy that Lufthansa still flies it.
The A340-600 is still the sexiest commercial aircraft to fly. Its long slender fuselage and wide graceful wings culminating it a prideful flick of its wingtip evokes the grace of a skillful dancing ballerina
I've been lucky enough to fly the 340-300, 500 and, most recently just before the pandemic, the 600. From the inside there isn't much of a difference (aside from the downstairs bathrooms on Lufthansa) but the aircraft is so elegant and beautiful from the outside.
Thank you for this video. Ironically, I heard a pilot say on TH-cam that the economy of the A340-300's smaller engines outways the expense of maintaining 4 engines
Lovely to see that there are fans of Airbus in the comments. Although in my country, there never was an Airline who bought the A340 but I've always been a fan of Airbus having done numerous flights with A319/20/21, Boeing 737, ATR36/72, Bombardier Q400. Airbus has the best seats, best cabin insulation and smoothest landings.
Taking an A340-600 was one of the best flights I ever had, I loved how I had to go downstairs for the bathroom as it allowed me to stretch my legs, making me more relaxed.
One of the more beatiful airplane ever. The symetric lines, surround sound generated in your 4 fans when a take off is amazin. Greetings from SGBR neighbor.
My favourite plane. It’s so sad they discontinued it. A beautiful aircraft, one of the very few quad jet planes ever built. I can recall only 4, Airbus A380, A340, Boeing 747, Boeing Dreamliftrr
I did fly with lufthansa 340/600 . What a beautiful aircraft, in end outside! With the lavatories in the lower section of the aircraft makes it very unique!!!!!!!! Nice memories!!!!!!!! Can’t wait to fly the 777x .
I enjoyed flying in the A340, and for me, the added comfort of 4 Engines as opposed to two used to put me at ease. The A340 has had a bulletproof safety record. I miss that about it.
The -500 variant gets my vote as the prettiest subsonic airliner, those nicely spaced four Trent 500s giving it a balanced look with unrivalled presence in the air and on the tarmac. As for comfort, older aircraft are usually better when it comes to personal space and the A340 is no exception with a typical 2-4-2 layout in economy meaning fewer middle seats compared to other long-haul jets.
I used to fly Athens to Melbourne with Olympic airways A340-313. Best looking aircraft I enjoyed looking at it and traveling every time. Still miss it. It was something special.
Flight attendants at the front of the A340-600 used to wave goodbye to the rearmost crew on takeoff as the fuselage would bend so much you couldn't see the rear of the aircraft under load.
Flew the A340 twice on Air France between Mumbai - Paris in premium economy in 2013/4. Smoothest flight and landing in my experience till then having flew B777, B747, A330 and B767. However, that crown was taken over by the A380 when i first flew in it in 2017.
Pendolino Fan Ohh! Cool. When I see it it is because it flies from Cape Town to Bergen (Norway). I have problems understanding how it can fly so far. All of this is according to Flightradar24.
I flew an A340 with Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow to Los Angeles when I was 9. From what I remember it was a surprisingly pleasant flight given the duration
not the products fault whatsoever, the aircraft was a quad jet beauty combined with its safety its a godfather to many of the newer aircrafts produced nowadays!
These sound like highly successful well used aircraft. Iberian Airlines most likely used these for their Spain to South American routes where they make the most sense.
The Boeing 777-300ER will always be my favorite widebody but the A346 is an absolute beauty. Watching it take off its like watching a swimsuit model walk by. You just have to stop what you're doing and take it all in.
Had the chance to fly aerolineas Argentina’s a340-200 and the 300 variant before it’s retirement. They were so cool to fly in, sadly they all got retired 2 years ago or so:(
I never flew on the A-340 aircraft. This aircraft was even more impressive to see when I operated the Embraer 145 RJ IN Washington Dulles airport just due to it’ sheer length, even more impressive than the A-380.
@@ProfessorFickle Tri-jets are like the crappy compromise between the two, they've got the added complexity of a third engine placed in an inconvenient location while having the fuel efficiency of a quadjet.
I recall first flying on an A340 with Aerolineas Argentinas back in 2011 and 2012 when I flew from Sydney to Buenos Aires and back. I was awestruck by the long silhouette of the plane and loved the quad engine design. It became my second most favourite airplane, after the Queen of the Skies of course.
It was never a fail. It still holds the best safety record of any airplane. It’s time passed like the 747. The rise of twin engine XWB airplanes took place of the quad engine planes. It had nothing to do with the plane being bad or failure, but rather fuel efficiency demands.
The A340 was developed at a time when ETOPS 180 certification was just a pipe dream. Once the Boeing 777 proved that twinjets could fly long overwater routes, Airbus suddenly got a rush of A330 orders, especially the A330-200 model that became available in the late 1990's.
Look at that A340-600.. I remember seeing them at airports and they looked so long as their bodies were slender. I did not realize that they are no longer being produced
I took a Swiss A340-300. I only realized it was a 340 mid way through the flight because it looked so much like a 330 inside; I didn't get a good glance at the wings prior to boarding.
The A340 is my favorite , I remember flying with it as a child , and slowly as I started growing up , I always had a love for aviation so I knew exactly what it can do , It always made the best landings , the plane looks incredible , it is spacy and adorable , I love the Pen ... Also how dare somebody call the safest aircraft in history a failure !
I miss the security of 4 engines despite ETOPS. The 340 was an impressive aircraft. I enjoyed a comfortable non stop journey from London to Mauritius in 2017 with Air Mauritius and am glad to have had the experience.
I am sorry to say I have never flown in any model of the Airbus A 340 but I do remember the enthusiasm Sir Richard Branson had for the model and finished up ordering 16 of the Largest A 340 600 powered by the Rolls Royce Trent. The cost of Aviation fuel and the drive to reduce costs killed of the Four Engine Airliners in favor of the Big Twins which I have never felt were as safe, for if you lose an Engine you only have one left to bring you home, but the Jet Engine has proved so reliable that the Big Twin is here to stay. meantime as you say there are lots of A.340 Quads giving great service.
Personally I love the A340 series. Flew the -200, -300 and -600. SAA, TAP, Iberia, Air France and Swiss. I don’t think it was a failure at all of an aircraft. As explained in the video it was developed during the days when ETOPS 120 was the limit and ETOPS 180 was a dream to any airline and regulators. It was made to be an economical-restriction free airplane and it did just that. It gave good performance under FLEX takeoffs out of hot and high airports with a significant amount of weight. If you compare fuel flow per hour, the A340-600 burns slightly less than the 777-300ER. Only problem were maintenance fees, double the engines, systems etc. If you view it as a transitional jet which allowed airlines to open up new markets, and it had a an amazing economy layout 2-4-2, very spacious and comfortable then it was a successful aircraft.
They did not try to meet both set of customer. Back then A330 was developed for a medium haul route, it did not have the range of today A330. The A340 was specifically for long haul route. If both have similar range then you can say that Airbus did try to meet both set of customer.
Four smaller engines of 340 vs two bigger engines of 330 but 330 found more customers of the two. One reason is the mass or structural weight of the wings, although not mentioned by factory sources. A wing carrying four engines must be heavier structurally than the one carrying two engines placed close the fuselage. Using the same weight logic, MD-80 series or the CRJ-700/900/1000 series, having engines exclusively on the fuselage allow a clean and lightweight wing and have found a good customer base.
29 years, 10s of millions of flights, not a single fatal accident. An incredible safety record.
Airbus is being Airbus💪
The record of A319 is even more amazing. Been flying for 25 years, has 3 times the amount of A340s built (1500 built), and flies much more flights, some of them into the world’s most dangerous airports, and has never had a fatality. Great looking, too!
The A380 also has zero fatalities in accidents... Unlike the B747 and its 4000 plus fatalities.
ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ QF32 at Signapore in Oct 2010 was about as close as anybody would like to get though. After the engine blew it was a great crew, fantastic Airmanship, luck , & an great aeroplane that stopped it being a total catastrophe.
ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ the 747 has been in service for 50 years, over 1,550 build and flown. The A380 has been in service for 13 years with 242 built. Give it time, statistically there will be an A380 crash if they are in service long enough. I doubt they will, with cargo versions uneconomically feasible you will see many retire quickly over the next 15 years. Look at the Boeing 777, operated for 25 years before a hull loss. The only fatalities on the 777 that were not due to aircraft issues (MH17 shot down, MH 370 unknown, but more than likely not an aircraft issue but nefarious intervention) are the victims from the Asiana 214 flight that landed short at SFO, and that was a pilot issue. It could be argued that not a single fatality can be attributed to the Boeing 777 itself.
The A340-600 is one of the sexiest looking aircraft ever, 4 engine aircrafts are just beautiful
And the 747 and 380 are no exceptions. I don't remember now, but the 707 was the first aircraft with a turbine engine with 4 on it. So sad it disappear
@@sergiolaurencio7534 The de Havilland Comet was not only the first jet liner but also sported four jet engines...the 707 was the better and safer US answer to it.
@@Luton-Mick So sad the 707 life was too short
The 777-200ER had hull losses. The 777-300ER did not crash at all
Ah yes the pencil
Simpleflying teaches me the following subjects
-English
-History
-Geography
-Physics, sciences
-General Knowledge
That's a school I'd love to attend
Well said Ali Khurrum
I agree to you
True
Nd future also 😂😂
Sameee
The A340 will always be one of my favs. The smoothest landing and flight I’ve ever experienced was on board an A340. I’ve flown on all of Boeing’s 700 series aircraft and the MD11 and the airbus still stands out.
how about an L1011 or BAC 111? I flown them, also...707, 737, 747, dc-9, dc-10 , several small Cessna, Trislander, and a B-17G. Never an airbus.
Ok, So you have permission to fly Airbus. I haven't flown on any big plane yet, But I am planing. And the 787 would be my first one. I love both Boeing and Airbus. Just only with one thing
Try the A380 if you want refinement, I flew to Bangkok with Thai on one and returned on a 777-300er, made the Boeing feel like a crop duster.
@@Luton-Mick The A380 is the most comfortable plane on the world. But not that most comfortable to nature. People don't understand how bad we are damaged the earth and time is running out
That why No came with the 787
I always find the dash 600 version looks photoshopped because it is so long
I'm sure they used a more expensive computer (aided design) program to copy+paste in the additional meters.
Seems I'm not the only one who thinks so
Have u seen the 757 300 or 777x and 777 300/ER
@@Lee247Jamaica the 777x doesn't seem that long because its wide
@@Lee247Jamaica 757-300 aka the flying pencil.
I flew once in an Iberia A340-600 from New York to Madrid and has been one of the best long haul flights I have ever had
Sadly Iberia is retiring the a340-600 and LUFTHANSA is doing so 😥😭😫
@@Lee247Jamaica 🙃😒🧐😬🧐😣🙂😜😙😣😉😣🙄😧😩😕😞😳😵😓😵😦😵😖😫😓🤕😨😳😲🤨😝😚😝😚😒😣😟🤫😕🤫🤨🙃😔😜🙃- You
Wow. A340-600 longest flight is JFK-HKG in 2004-2007. Did that on December 17th 2005.
Dam you flew on the flying pencial
@@breadboi1248 I actually flew on the flying pencil too its longest flight 16 hours 20 minutes New York to Hong Kong December 17th 2005
I remember flying in the A340. This was back in September 2004 when my dad and I were on our way to the Philippines for my brother's wedding. At the time Singapore Airlines was offering a non-stop flight from Newark Airport to Changi Airport using the A340. They only carried 120 passengers in a two class layout(Raffles (business class), and Executive Economy). The flight took 18 1/2 hrs. They flew with 2 complete flight crews that worked in 8hr shifts. Service on that flight was 2nd only to Lufthansa. At the time that was the longest flight.
Seating in executive economy was a 2 - 3 - 2 configuration with a large galley space at the rear where they'd layout snacks and sandwiches available between meal service. Some day I'd like to fly that route again in the A350 - 900ULR.
Jesus! 18.5 hrs! That’d be a bit much for me.
18,5 hours... I thought you have a typo but then "Newark to Changi", darn.
@@grdprojekt now Singapore Airlines has revived the flight using the Airbus A350 XWB. Would love to see how the A350 stacks up to the A340.
@@rushfan3 that's right, of course, I almost completely forgot about the new SQ21/22
I took that same flight a half dozen times. Sometimes we went straight over the North Pole. Other times we went straight east. Was definitely an interesting flight. No desire to do it again however. Too long to be in the air.
In my humble opinion, the A340 was one of the most elegant and beautiful airliners ever built.
Yes indeed, It’s Sad that it is so underrated
The A340 was a perfect plane to fly - smooth, safe thus giving passengers comfort and the safety reassurance of 4 engines. It’s a crying shame they were discontinued, replaced by twin engined noddy jets.
Not a machine is safe, and error could happen at any moment. And the 340 have some accidents.
The man could not do anything perfectly. But yes, the 340 is good
The A350 is much more efficient, is selling like hot cakes, has no exact rivals and so far has had no accidents.
@TigerG It's a bit bigger than the 787, but I guess for some routes the overlap of size would work
@TigerG and the 777 depending on the route. A350 is right between both.
Never got to fly on one. The most graceful airplane I have ever seen. I miss them terribly at LAX and SAN.
I can't really sleep on planes which is why I hate overnight flights and avoid them like the plague. The only time I slept on a plane was on Iberia from Barcelona to Chicago - on an A340. It was that smooth.
In 2018 I flew from Frankfurt to San Diego on a 340-300 with Lufthansa. Sad to hear that now this flight starts from Munich and is operated with a A350-900
My first flight ever was on a SAA A340-600 from Frankfurt to Johannesburg. The A346 became my favorite plane
That was my first flight in a wide body jet, that same route. A 747-200
Anything that gives passengers the human feeling of comfort, has to go, and be replaced by something smaller and more uncomfortable. Sardine can class is now the new King of air travel.
I know right
Comfort has a price. The actual problem lies on living standards rather than cutting costs. People are educated to look alike instead of becoming richer (legally). If your life model is to go to school, get some graduation, find a job, save money then die, you are the problem : you're poor. Instead, you should find what you're good at, fight to make what you like to do profitable in a substantial way, then *spend* your money.
Every good thing that comes to an end is due to people becoming poorer and poorer. Supersonic flights ? Vacations ? Do something costy because it's a chidhood dream ? You can, but only if early enough you realized you actually could, then took decisions in your life to support it, financially. There is no government plan that can help you be wealthier.
Now you know, but let's take a moment, and suppose you've achieved that step, you''re rich now, you can afford 5 first class seats in a supersonic jet for your family for a New York-Singapore trip... you're the only one able to do so. There is no other custommer willing to pay 30000$. So, me as the airline, I won't buy that supersonic wonderful top notch comfort Airbus jet to please you. I'll buy that A350 high density plane *because* the other passengers are *poor* and can only afford the 1000$ round JFK-SIN trip. The problem is not me/the airline, it's not the rich, it's the *poor lambda people that are all lookalike and satisfied with their conditions.*
It’s all because no-one (except a few) wants to pay more than necessary. Hence, everything costing more than needed has to go…
No mention of the 5 specially modified (for extended range) A340-500’s that Singapore Airlines used on its SIN- EWR and SIN-LAX non stop routes. Regs were 9V-SGA thru to SGE.
The former was typically an 18+ hour flight in both directions and the latter was around 14 hours outbound and 18+ hours inbound, with operating altitudes between 38,000 and 41,000 feet. I flew on both, (Premium economy.) Despite the horrific sound of 18 hours , they were actually very comfortable flights. The seats were very comfortable with good leg room, especially if you had a seat next to one of the emergency exit doors.
Passengers were encouraged to get up and move around the cabin and use the “ Mini-Bar” for drinks and snacks. There was always a great selection of fruit and muffins there (self serve) and a friendly crew member to get you a drink....or give you a free lesson in Mandarin.
I wish I could have flown the EWR - SIN route. I guess I could still get the chance on the A350
@@visionist7 Singapore Airlines recommenced flying that route with the A350 just before the Covid situation hit the planet. They did suspend it as a consequence, but I am sure it will be restarted in the near future. So your wish may become opportunity within a couple of years.
I took a similar flight several times, NYC (Newark, IIRC) to Bangkok. It’s a long flight - 16 hours or so - but you’re always moving. I prefer to go directly to Asia rather than stopover in Europe. Asian airports, in my opinion, are much much nicer. The Middle East is also a viable stopover spot, Qatar flies A350s and 777s out of JFK nowadays, and the Doha airport is impeccable. These long range flights have made international travel much more pleasant. I sometimes wondered by Airbus didn’t just reengineer the A340 to be a twin once the large GE90-style turbofans became available. I suppose that’s easier said than done.
@@ClockworksOfGL In fact, the original design for A350 was to be pretty much just that, with a new wing, but otherwise an A330/340 derived fuselage + GEnx engines. That however turned out to be incompetitive with the Dreamliner, so they went on to design the all-composite XWB that we all know and love
@@antonklymenko5569 - Oh yeah, I remember Airbus back then tried to nickel-and-dime “improvements” to their existing airframes and the airlines were totally unimpressed.
It’s probably the most unique airplane ever
It reminds me of the 707 for some
Reason
The 340 was and Ideas that airbus copy from the 707. We don't surprise me, also MD did it to. So the 707 was the first one to find the tresure.
@@sergiolaurencio7534 Wasnt the a340 made to compete with the B 767?
@@petrumsk3753 the real competitor for a340 is b777
Small in size but 4 engine , This is what is required 😍🚀
Still my favourite aircraft to spot. So interesting to look at and it is absolutely beautiful.
A340-600 was, by far, one of, if not THE quietest jet I’ve ever traveled on.
Data Masked Try the A380 - as long as it’s still around.
@@theypeedonmyrug Been on one also.
No wonder, if you sit in the first rows you are literelly 420 Meters away from the Engines :D
I’ve heard that the BAe-146 was very quiet too. I wish to see it some day.
@@theypeedonmyrug The A350 is just as quiet as the A380. It will be around for many years.
I love A340. The best aircraft I've ever experienced. Beautiful. Comfortable to fly on. Perfect safety record! It's not a failure, it's a great success for what was needed at the time...Sadly nowadays Aviation is not about the best and most reliable, it's about the cheapest and most efficient! So A340 it's not there! Goodbye A340, you will probably remain my most loved Aircraft ever!
Regular flyer on the A343 however, I once flew the A350, B777 and return leg B777, A343 in less than 3 days. The A340-300 is by far the most comfortable aircraft in terms of flight dynamics and quiteness. B777 and to a much lesser extent the A350 has this constant humming from those massive engines which the A343 (4 × small CFM56 engines) doesnt suffer from. Add to that a very loud sound of the cabin airconditioning on the 777, I still feel that the A340-300 remains a gem in terms of long haul comfort
One thing to add: Aircraft certification relies heavily on its one engine out take off performance (1 engine failure during take off). A twin engine jet will in this case lose 50% of thrust while a quad engine aircraft will only lose 25%. That's the reason for the A340 having a much higher max takeiff weight compared to an a330 despite having the same fuselage and almost the same amount of lbs of thrust
Even much than B777-300er
I once had a long haul flight with a LH A340-600 from Francfort to Seoul in business class. Until then this was my most comfortable flight ever, only topped by several flights in an A380 business class a couple of years later.
I flew aboard Philippine Airlines Airbus A340-300 from Manila to Singapore. Best plane so far. Loved the experience.
Sorry Raymond but the PR A340-300s were a heap of crap. Flew in one from Sydney to Manila once - never again!
I did a flight from paris to cape town on a Air France 340-300 amazing aircraft . Sadly missed by many .
Out of many, many types of aircraft I’ve flown on since 1959, the A340 really was my favourite. When boarding and when you looked down the aisles, it always gave a good feeling and just felt comfortable. Carriers like Air Canada and Cathay Pacific used them extensively between North America and Asia and you were able rested
My first A340 flight was Copenhagen - Tokyo Narita with SAS, interior was showing age with resistive touchscreens but the outdoor cameras were a novel feature to me then, had a great return trip on the type
Beautiful aircraft, flew Madrid - London (Iberia) in business class, quiet, well looked after by cabin crew, felt like a king !
To be honest, as a passenger, I found the A340-300 to be sluggish, taking nervously what felt like forever to rotate then, the long slow climb to cruise altitude. Once at altitude, then eventual descent and landing everything was normal. I never got the chance to fly on the A340-200. It was a completely different experience with the A340-500 and A340-600, ( and also the A330-200 and A330-300 ) so much so, I could not help feeling the A340-300 was underpowered. I didn't realize, nor understood at the time, it was programmed that way to produce the most economical fuel burn. I was young and naive back then and the best part / the main fun about flying was to feel the g-force on take-off and the power of the reverse thrust upon landing lol. I certainly would classify the A340 as a failure, as you stated, back then with no ETOPS it was a different situation. The MD11 however was a different story in that when produced, it simply did not live up to the economics that it was marketed and sold to achieve. In addition, as KLM found out, it suffered from reliability issues and was not as easy to fly as the DC10. By luck, it appears to have faired better as a freighter than a passenger aircraft, but even there, it does not appear to have the same longevity as the DC10/MD10.
5:19 PAL A340 Now retired, pity that i can't see it anymore nor fly with this beauty, last time i saw this flyby on our area taking off, magnificent quad engine sounds and long fuselage flying overhead.
Will always love the A340 no matter how many latest aircrafts enter the market
Having flown on this aircraft on numerous occasions I would say that for quietness and comfort it beats its American rivals hands down. Happy that Lufthansa still flies it.
0:17 can we talk about that flare??? That's the best one I have EVER seen
Only the 717 really shares the same distinction of having no fatal accidents over a long service history.
The A340-600 is still the sexiest commercial aircraft to fly. Its long slender fuselage and wide graceful wings culminating it a prideful flick of its wingtip evokes the grace of a skillful dancing ballerina
I've been lucky enough to fly the 340-300, 500 and, most recently just before the pandemic, the 600. From the inside there isn't much of a difference (aside from the downstairs bathrooms on Lufthansa) but the aircraft is so elegant and beautiful from the outside.
I flew in the A340 in the early 2006 and I loved it. 🇨🇦
Thank you for this video. Ironically, I heard a pilot say on TH-cam that the economy of the A340-300's smaller engines outways the expense of maintaining 4 engines
I love the A340! I've crossed the atlantic 15+ times in one.
Love the A340. Flew on Lufthansa's Frankfurt-Baku route several times. Always smooth.
Lovely to see that there are fans of Airbus in the comments. Although in my country, there never was an Airline who bought the A340 but I've always been a fan of Airbus having done numerous flights with A319/20/21, Boeing 737, ATR36/72, Bombardier Q400. Airbus has the best seats, best cabin insulation and smoothest landings.
A340 is/was a magnificent beast. No other plane ever roared like that one.
Taking an A340-600 was one of the best flights I ever had, I loved how I had to go downstairs for the bathroom as it allowed me to stretch my legs, making me more relaxed.
After flying in almost all the commercial aircrafts of boeing and airbus, i have to say A340 and A380 are the best ever.
One of the more beatiful airplane ever. The symetric lines, surround sound generated in your 4 fans when a take off is amazin. Greetings from SGBR neighbor.
Smoothest flight, safest aircraft, and by far one of the most aesthetically pleasing. The A340 is a masterpiece and deserves more time in the skies.
Underrated aircraft. I went on A340 300 and 600 both decent. Went on Turkish A340 300 and with Virgin A340 600
One of my favorite jets, just a great looking quadie.
My favourite plane. It’s so sad they discontinued it. A beautiful aircraft, one of the very few quad jet planes ever built. I can recall only 4, Airbus A380, A340, Boeing 747, Boeing Dreamliftrr
I used to fly Iberia Madrid to JFK, which was operated using a A340. Loved the plane, what a rocket ship!
I did fly with lufthansa 340/600 . What a beautiful aircraft, in end outside! With the lavatories in the lower section of the aircraft makes it very unique!!!!!!!! Nice memories!!!!!!!! Can’t wait to fly the 777x .
The A340-600 will forever be the best looking aeroplane made. The proportions are so prefect!!! Wish i could fly it.😢
I enjoyed flying in the A340, and for me, the added comfort of 4 Engines as opposed to two used to put me at ease. The A340 has had a bulletproof safety record. I miss that about it.
The -500 variant gets my vote as the prettiest subsonic airliner, those nicely spaced four Trent 500s giving it a balanced look with unrivalled presence in the air and on the tarmac. As for comfort, older aircraft are usually better when it comes to personal space and the A340 is no exception with a typical 2-4-2 layout in economy meaning fewer middle seats compared to other long-haul jets.
OK, I'm hooked - new subscriber. I especially like the clarity of your voice, and the depth of the content... excellent!
Love the A340 so smooth and quiet.
I flew on Swiss Air from Johannesburg to Zurich and it was one of my best, and smooth rides of all times.
i have flown with the a340 in the iranian fleet many times. I like the way they look and also they are very safe and very quiet in the cabin
The a340-600 looks weird being so long
We could say its a flying pencil, a beautiful one at that
The A340 is indeed a true beauty! However, the flying pencil is still the 757-300.
@@aviationlba747 very true
F. L. Y. I. N. G. P. E. N. C. I. L
I still think the A340-600 is the most elegantly beautiful airliner ever built. I love the way it looks...
I used to fly Athens to Melbourne with Olympic airways A340-313. Best looking aircraft I enjoyed looking at it and traveling every time. Still miss it. It was something special.
Flight attendants at the front of the A340-600 used to wave goodbye to the rearmost crew on takeoff as the fuselage would bend so much you couldn't see the rear of the aircraft under load.
Flew the A340 twice on Air France between Mumbai - Paris in premium economy in 2013/4. Smoothest flight and landing in my experience till then having flew B777, B747, A330 and B767.
However, that crown was taken over by the A380 when i first flew in it in 2017.
Sometimes there flies an air Belgium a340 over my house.
Some times i see a340 I'm in Manchester
Pendolino Fan Ohh! Cool. When I see it it is because it flies from Cape Town to Bergen (Norway). I have problems understanding how it can fly so far. All of this is according to Flightradar24.
I flew an A340 with Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow to Los Angeles when I was 9. From what I remember it was a surprisingly pleasant flight given the duration
"the long boi"
Or also "The flying pencil"
@@trazkey No, I’m afraid that would be the 757-300.
not the products fault whatsoever, the aircraft was a quad jet beauty combined with its safety its a godfather to many of the newer aircrafts produced nowadays!
My favorite plane to fly in. Love the the fact the toilets we a level down as a result you have room to stretch out and the toilets where bigger
These sound like highly successful well used aircraft. Iberian Airlines most likely used these for their Spain to South American routes where they make the most sense.
The Boeing 777-300ER will always be my favorite widebody but the A346 is an absolute beauty. Watching it take off its like watching a swimsuit model walk by. You just have to stop what you're doing and take it all in.
What about South African Airways, Philippine Airlines, Qatar and Thai Airways?
o.k_aviation Flights and air Canada
There were many more 340 operators, Sri Lankan, Kuwait Airways, Thai, China, Vietnam
Indranil Chakrabarty yeah but you get the idea
Indranil Chakrabarty but Vietnam from what I seen, never own any a340 though
@@povsok3858 Vietnam leased a few 340s.
Ive been in love with the A340-600 since i was a kid and got fly on an South African Airways A340-600 🙂
Had the chance to fly aerolineas Argentina’s a340-200 and the 300 variant before it’s retirement. They were so cool to fly in, sadly they all got retired 2 years ago or so:(
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the 777-200LR stole the range crown from the A340-500, well before the A350-900ULR came on stream?
I never flew on the A-340 aircraft.
This aircraft was even more impressive to see when I operated the Embraer 145 RJ IN Washington Dulles airport just due to it’ sheer length, even more impressive than the A-380.
Airbus: A 340: 4 engines 4 Longhaul
Boeing 777: 2 Engines 2 make money
TRI-Jets ?
Correct.
bd5av8r1 so understandable
@@ProfessorFickle Tri-jets are like the crappy compromise between the two, they've got the added complexity of a third engine placed in an inconvenient location while having the fuel efficiency of a quadjet.
@@Fishfingers232 : Disagree about the efficiency .
I recall first flying on an A340 with Aerolineas Argentinas back in 2011 and 2012 when I flew from Sydney to Buenos Aires and back. I was awestruck by the long silhouette of the plane and loved the quad engine design. It became my second most favourite airplane, after the Queen of the Skies of course.
It was never a fail. It still holds the best safety record of any airplane. It’s time passed like the 747. The rise of twin engine XWB airplanes took place of the quad engine planes. It had nothing to do with the plane being bad or failure, but rather fuel efficiency demands.
The A340 was developed at a time when ETOPS 180 certification was just a pipe dream. Once the Boeing 777 proved that twinjets could fly long overwater routes, Airbus suddenly got a rush of A330 orders, especially the A330-200 model that became available in the late 1990's.
Look at that A340-600.. I remember seeing them at airports and they looked so long as their bodies were slender. I did not realize that they are no longer being produced
I took a Swiss A340-300. I only realized it was a 340 mid way through the flight because it looked so much like a 330 inside; I didn't get a good glance at the wings prior to boarding.
Probably the most comfortable long-haul jet ever, in my opinion.
The A340 is my favorite , I remember flying with it as a child , and slowly as I started growing up , I always had a love for aviation so I knew exactly what it can do , It always made the best landings , the plane looks incredible , it is spacy and adorable , I love the Pen ... Also how dare somebody call the safest aircraft in history a failure !
The A340-600 is one of my favorite planes.
I liked this plane. I flew with it several time, and i enjoyed every single flight. Fare Well buddy.
Thank you very much for this very well researched and very informative video!
I miss the security of 4 engines despite ETOPS. The 340 was an impressive aircraft. I enjoyed a comfortable non stop journey from London to Mauritius in 2017 with Air Mauritius and am glad to have had the experience.
I am sorry to say I have never flown in any model of the Airbus A 340 but I do remember the enthusiasm Sir Richard Branson had for the model and finished up ordering 16 of the Largest A 340 600 powered by the Rolls Royce Trent. The cost of Aviation fuel and the drive to reduce costs killed of the Four Engine Airliners in favor of the Big Twins which I have never felt were as safe, for if you lose an Engine you only have one left to bring you home, but the Jet Engine has proved so reliable that the Big Twin is here to stay. meantime as you say there are lots of A.340 Quads giving great service.
Personally I love the A340 series. Flew the -200, -300 and -600. SAA, TAP, Iberia, Air France and Swiss. I don’t think it was a failure at all of an aircraft. As explained in the video it was developed during the days when ETOPS 120 was the limit and ETOPS 180 was a dream to any airline and regulators. It was made to be an economical-restriction free airplane and it did just that. It gave good performance under FLEX takeoffs out of hot and high airports with a significant amount of weight. If you compare fuel flow per hour, the A340-600 burns slightly less than the 777-300ER. Only problem were maintenance fees, double the engines, systems etc. If you view it as a transitional jet which allowed airlines to open up new markets, and it had a an amazing economy layout 2-4-2, very spacious and comfortable then it was a successful aircraft.
flying on Edelweiss a340 soon. Can't wait to try the a340 for the first time
That 600 is a monster
The Airbus A340 series should never been stored as they proof to be the best safety record airlines currently
I have never saw a340 at any airport but a340 family is my favourite family of aircraft.
They did not try to meet both set of customer. Back then A330 was developed for a medium haul route, it did not have the range of today A330. The A340 was specifically for long haul route. If both have similar range then you can say that Airbus did try to meet both set of customer.
I watch this video everyday and cry
A340-600 is IMHO is the best looking passenger airplane of all time.
Edelweiss uses a 340 for their weekly Zurich to Vancouver route. I have seen it twice. Last time was Saturday Sept 10 2022. Landed at 2:55 pm
It was very comfortable when flying it from Sydney to Bankok, and from Paris to Bankok in 2010.
I flew in a Lufthansa A340-600 from Caracas to Frankfurt and back, the plane was amazing with the lavatories downstairs, one of my favorites types
I Love this History on The A340 Plus I've seen them more than once during travelling.
Four smaller engines of 340 vs two bigger engines of 330 but 330 found more customers of the two. One reason is the mass or structural weight of the wings, although not mentioned by factory sources. A wing carrying four engines must be heavier structurally than the one carrying two engines placed close the fuselage. Using the same weight logic, MD-80 series or the CRJ-700/900/1000 series, having engines exclusively on the fuselage allow a clean and lightweight wing and have found a good customer base.
Loved the two windows in the business class lavatories.
I flew on every one of Virgin Atlantic's A340-300s and several of the -600s. Always a good flight, and super quiet.
I loved this aircraft. I flew many times & I enjoyed it. Thanks Airbus.