Airbus A340-500
Airbus · France · first flew 2002 · airliner
The A340-500 is the ultra-long-range variant of the A340 family, offering non-stop range of up to 16,700 km in a fuselage stretched beyond the -300 but shorter than the -600.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turbofan, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fuselage length of 67.9m places it between the A340-300 (63.7m) and the A340-600 (75.3m) — intermediate length among the quad-engine A340 family |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Fuselage length of 67.9m places it between the A340-300 (63.7m) and the A340-600 (75.3m) — intermediate length among the quad-engine A340 family
- Four CFM56-5C engines in underwing pods identical in appearance to the A340-300, but landing gear has six-wheel main bogies (vs four-wheel on -300) to handle higher weights
- Ultra-long-range mission: no other A340 variant was marketed specifically for non-stop ultra-long-haul (up to 16,700 km); small winglet fences at wingtips
Four underwing CFM56 engines distinguish it from all twin-engine widebodies; among A340 variants it is longer than the -300 but clearly shorter than the -600, with the fuselage plug difference visible when comparing aircraft side by side.
Specifications
- The Airbus A340-500 has a length of 67.9 m (223 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 63.5 m (208 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 880 km/h (547 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 flight crew.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The A340-500 first flew in February 2002 and entered service with Emirates in 2003. It was designed to enable non-stop routes such as Singapore–New York and Dubai–Los Angeles. However, its four CFM56 engines proved increasingly uneconomical against twin-engine alternatives, and Emirates retired its fleet by 2015.
Variants
No distinct civil sub-variants; the A340-500HGW (higher gross weight) offered additional range for certain route-limited operators.
Where you'll see it
Operated by Emirates, Etihad, Air Canada and a handful of other carriers; most have been retired or stored as fuel costs made the quad-engine type uncompetitive against the A350 and 777.
Related aircraft
- Airbus A318
- Airbus A310 MRTT
- Airbus A340-600
- Airbus A380-800
- Bombardier Learjet 40
- Embraer E-Jet
- Embraer E170
- Boeing 777-300ER
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