The Most Unfortunate Airbus Aircraft: A Story of the A340

In the early days of long-haul aviation, specifically in the 1980s; Flying over oceans or remote regions was a tricky business. 

There were strict safety rules in place: twin-engine aircraft were only allowed to fly within 60 minutes of a diversion airport. This meant that if one engine failed, the aircraft had to be able to safely reach an airport on the remaining engine within an hour.

Because of this limitation, aircraft with more than two engines like the Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas DC 10 were the go-to choice for airlines operating long-distance routes over water or isolated terrain.

Enter the Airbus A340

To meet this demand, Airbus designed the A340, a four-engine, long-haul widebody aircraft. Since it had four engines, it was not limited by the 60-minute rule and could fly far from diversion airports without issue.

At first, the A340 used CFM56 engines, which were also famously used on smaller aircraft like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. Later versions of the A340, such as the A340-500 and -600, were upgraded with Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines for more power and range.

At the time, the A340 made perfect sense.

But Then ETOPS and EDTO Happened

As engine technology improved, the rules began to change. Aviation authorities introduced ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) and later EDTO (Extended Diversion Time Operations). These rules allowed twin-engine aircraft to fly much farther away from diversion airports, as long as the airline and aircraft met strict safety and maintenance standards.

Twin-Engine Rivals: A330 vs A340

However, around the same time, Airbus also developed the A330—a twin-engine cousin to the A340. While both aircraft shared similar fuselage and cockpit designs, the A330 had only two engines, which initially limited its operational range under the older rules.

But as ETOPS approvals became more generous, the A330 quickly gained popularity. It offered similar capacity and range to some A340 variants but with lower fuel consumption and reduced maintenance costs due to having fewer engines. Airlines started favoring the A330 for its cost-effectiveness, especially on routes where ETOPS clearance allowed for more direct paths.

Game-Changers: The 330s and 767s

Thanks to ETOPS/EDTO, newer twin-engine jets like the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 could now do what only four-engine planes used to do—but more efficiently.

• The Boeing 767, one of the early ETOPS-certified aircraft, proved that long-haul routes could be handled by reliable twin-jets.

  
  

• The Airbus A330, once limited by range restrictions, eventually received ETOPS-240 and beyond, allowing it to compete directly with aircraft like the A340.

  
  

• Today the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A350 (both Twin Engine aircraft) with ETOPS-330 and ETOPS-370 respectively have far exceeded the 60 min limitation.

  
  

These aircraft could fly more direct and fuel-efficient routes, making the older four-engine A340 less attractive. With higher fuel burn and operating costs, the A340 couldn’t compete.

A Victim of Its Time

The Airbus A340 was a smart solution for its era, built for a world before long-range twin-jets were allowed to roam freely. But as technology and regulations evolved, it quickly became outdated.

In the end, the A340 wasn’t a bad aircraft it was just unfortunate, outpaced by changing rules and better-timed competitors.