The last Airbus A340-300 currently on order is undergoing testing in Toulouse ahead of delivery to an undisclosed customer - believed to be a Russian VIP. Unless Airbus secures more orders, this aircraft (MSN 955) will be the last of 246 CFM International CFM56-powered A340-200/300 “Classics” to be delivered.
Airbus secured net orders for 1,341 aircraft during 2007, giving the European manufacturer a 48.7% share of the market.
The first scrapping of a new-generation Airbus widebody is looming, with a 13-year-old ex-Virgin Atlantic A340-300 expected to be broken for spares.
The A340 (MSN 0016), which is managed by lessor AerCap, was ferried from Hamburg to the company’s storage facility at Phoenix Goodyear airport in July. Although AerCap says that “the decision hasn’t been made” [...]
The one and only Airbus “A340-8000″ originally destined for the Sultan of Brunei’s brother has been acquired by Saudi Arabian VIP as it updates its widebody fleet, according to Flight’s ACAS database.
The A340-213, line number 204, delivered to Brunei-based HM the Sultan’s Flight in November 1998, never entered service and has been parked unfitted at [...]
The Airbus comes in at 75 metres and is the world’s longest passenger jet, able to fly non-stop between Doha and the US east coast with a full load of passengers and cargo. The airline has ordered a further 10 A340-600 aircrafts to be delivered over the next two years, as plans to break into the North American market next year with direct flights to the United States remains a priority on Qatar’s agenda.
