The Airbus A340-500 quad-jet long held the record for the world’s longest range commercial aircraft until it was surpassed by its newer sibling, the A350-900ULR. The A340-500 had a range of 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 kilometers). It also flew the world’s longest nonstop route from Singapore to Newark with Singapore Airlines at the time.
Other airlines also used the A340-500 for ultra-long-distance flights. Air Canada flew the A340-500 between Hong Kong and Toronto. Emirates also increased the number of nonstop flights between Dubai and the United States using the A340-500.
However, with the introduction of twin-engine ultra-long range aircraft such as the Boeing 777-200LR and now the A350-900ULR, the A340-500 faded from view. There are currently only two A340-500s flying commercial passenger services.
Azerbaijan Airlines is operating the last two A340-500
Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) operates the world’s last two passenger Airbus A340-500s, while the Azeri government operates a single -600 in VIP configuration. Although only one of them is still regularly flying from Baku to Dubai and Istanbul, it is impossible to predict when they will retire.
According to Simple Flying, AZAL operates a small but diverse fleet. The airline has two A340-500s (4K-AZ85 and 4K-AZ86) with an average age of 13.8 years. Both aircraft are owned by the company and were delivered in 2013. While 4K-AZ86 is thought to have last flown in November 2020, sistership 4K-AZ85 has only been used infrequently. It is unlikely that 4K-AZ86 will ever fly commercially again.
All about the Airbus A340-500
The Airbus A340-500 was designed with one goal in mind: to fly nonstop ultra-long-distance flights of more than 15,000 kilometers. The fuselage is longer than that of the A340-300, and it is powered by four Rolls-Royce Trent 500 high-bypass turbofan engines. Each engine has a thrust of 54,000 lbf, which contributes to the aircraft’s range. It has 313 seats in a three-class configuration and can fly 16,020 kilometers. The A340-500 was created specifically for airlines looking for point-to-point ULR service without the need for a stopover.
The A340-500, which first flew in 2003, had the largest flight envelope of any widebody commercial aircraft. The four engines were absolutely essential. It was exempt from the stringent extended-range twin-engine operational performance standards (ETOPS) legislation.
Unpopular aircraft
Because of the niche market it serves, the A340-500 was somewhat unpopular at the time. The majority of people did not like nonstop ultra long haul flights at the time. Furthermore, the cost of running one was prohibitively expensive. Later, Boeing released its own ULR, the twin-engine Boeing 777-200LR, with an ETOPS rating of 15,843km and only two engines instead of four. The A340-500 program for commercial airlines was ended by the B777-200LR.
The A340-500 was only used by six major airlines: Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Arik Air, Thai Airways, and AZAL. The aircraft were only used on a temporary basis by Norwegian, SAS, TAP Air Portugal, El Al, and Finnair.
The Airbus A350-900ULR, which has a range of 18,000 kilometers and is currently flying the world’s longest flight from Singapore to New York, is the commercial aircraft with the longest range today.
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KLM used to fly A340 to Toronto until last year if I am not wrong.