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The introduction of the A340-500/600 was Airbus's last dry run before next year's A380 debut. Five airlines tell us about their experiences - not all plain-sailing
When Airbus launched the Rolls-Royce Trent 500-powered A340-500/600 family in 1997, in one move it set new benchmarks for long-range airliners. This two-pronged attack on US rival Boeing comprised the -600, which according to Airbus's rules could carry almost as many passengers (380) as a Boeing 747-400 over greater distances; and the world's longest-range airliner, the -500, capable of carrying 313 passengers over 16,100km (8,700nm), with later versions of the aircraft having even greater range.
The A340-600 entered service in August 2002 with launch customer Virgin Atlantic Airways on services between London and New York, while Emirates initiated revenue flights with the A340-500 in October 2003 and used it to launch non-stop 14h duration Dubai-Sydney services two months later.
The new long-haul family gave Airbus such a strong hand that it took several false starts before Boeing was able to create a suitable rival - the General Electric GE90-115B-powered 777-200LR/300ER family. The delay in development meant that the first rival 777 model, the A340-600-sized 777-300ER, trailed almost two years behind, entering service in May 2004, while deliveries of the -500's ultra-long-haul opposition, the 777-200LR, will not begin until next year.
Bumpy ride
There are now 58 A340-500/600s in service (16 -500s and 42 -600s) with nine airlines and one government (see table) in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. All current airline operators were invited to participate in this report, although Air Canada, China Eastern Airlines, Emirates and South African Airways declined to be interviewed.
Virgin, by all accounts, had a fairly bumpy ride with the new quad-jet during the introductory period, suffering some niggling teething problems and unsatisfactory dispatch reliability. Most of the other operators Flight International has spoken to have had better experiences, partly because there was a sizeable interval between the start of Virgin services and theirs.
Operationally, the A340-600 has been used by most airlines to augment and, in some cases replace, long-haul 747 services. The -500 has initiated new ultra-long-haul services for operators, including the current longest air route, between Singapore and New York - a distance of 16,600km.
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