5 Former Operators That You Didn’t Know Used To Fly The Quadjet

The Airbus A340 quadjet is becoming a rare sight in commercial aviation as newer and more fuel-efficient widebody aircraft are replacing it. According to ch-aviation data, a total of 82 airframes are currently listed to be in active service.

However, the list of airlines that operated the Airbus A340 widebody was extensive. 377 A340s have been delivered to more than 40 carriers worldwide, based on Airbus orders and deliveries data. This article will explore five former carriers that used to fly the A340 quadjet.

1

Eurowings

Historic Airbus A340 fleet: 2

At one point, Lufthansa’s low-cost subsidiary,

Eurowings

, operated two Airbus A340-300 widebodies. These aircraft, which were operated by Brussels Airlines on behalf of Eurowings, were added to the fleet in 2018, but they were only in service for just over a year.

Photo: EvrenKalinbacak | Shutterstock

According to Planespotters.net data, both aircraft (previously registered as OO-SCW and OO-SCX) were first delivered to Lufthansa in 2000. Eighteen years later, they joined the Brussels Airlines fleet after being operated by Eurowings. They subsequently returned to the

Lufthansa

fleet in 2019. Since then, both aircraft have been in active service with Lufthansa’s livery.

Eurowings used to operate long-haul flights with its A340s and A330s from its base at Düsseldorf (DUS). However, as part of its strategic shift, Lufthansa Group withdrew the A340s and A330s from Eurowings’ fleet and relocated them to other group companies, including

Brussels Airlines

and Lufthansa.

2

Hainan Airlines

Historic Airbus A340 fleet: 3

Historically, China’s

Hainan Airlines

operated a fleet of three Airbus A340 widebody aircraft. All of the three A340s spent little time flying for the airline.

According to Planespotters.net, the first A340-600, registered as B-6510, joined Hainan Airlines in 2008, while the remaining two (registered as B-6509 and B-6508) were delivered in 2009. After flying for roughly six years with Hainan Airlines, all three A340s exited the fleet in 2014. Notably, Planespotters.net data shows that before joining the Hainan Airlines fleet, all three widebodies had been flying for

Cathay Pacific

, Hong Kong’s flagship airline, since 2002.

According to ch-aviation, Hainan Airlines’ fleet of three A340s used to service these routes:

• Beijing (PEK) to Shenzhen (SZX) route
• Beijing (PEK) to Toronto Pearson (YYZ) corridor

3

Kuwait Airways

Historic Airbus A340 fleet: 4

Kuwait Airways

received its first Airbus A340 in March 1995. The second and third A340s arrived later that same year, while the final one was delivered in 1999.

Photo: Bjoern Wylezich | Shutterstock

According to a 1995 report by FlightGlobal, all A340s have been deployed on a transatlantic route to New York (JFK) via London (LHR) and Frankfurt (FRA), and direct long-range flights to East Asia, namely to Bombay, India, Bangkok, Thailand and Manila, the Philippines.

All four A340-300s exited the Kuwait Airways fleet in 2017, according to Planespotters.net data. The airline’s fleet of Airbus A340s has been replaced by widebodies such as rare Airbus A330-800s and Boeing 777s. Currently, the Kuwaiti carrier operates a young fleet consisting of 28 aircraft: 14 widebodies and 14 narrowbodies.

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4

Turkish Airlines

Historic Airbus A340 fleet: 9

The Turkish national airline no longer operates the Airbus A340 aircraft, as it has since integrated various modern Airbus widebody designs into its fleet. However, the nine A340 have played a significant role in the

Turkish Airlines

network expansion.

In 1990, Turkish Airlines ordered five Airbus A340s with the option to purchase five more. This expansion aimed to boost its route network and facilitate nonstop flights to North American and East Asian destinations. It is worth noting that one option to purchase an A340 was not exercised.

The A340s had a significant tenure in the carrier’s fleet. From the first delivery to its final retirement, Turkish Airlines operated its A340s for 26 years. Based on ch-aviation data, the carrier’s last Airbus A340-300, registered as TC-JII, was retired in January 2019 after nearly 19 years of service.

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5

Thai Airways

Historic Airbus A340 fleet: 10

Thai Airways

took delivery of its first Airbus A340 quadjet in April 2005. The Thai national airline operated ten A340s (four -500s and six -600s), putting them to use on its long-haul route network, which at the time included London Heathrow (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX), and Zurich (ZRH).

Photo: NYC Russ | Shutterstock

However, flying the four-engined aircraft proved to be a financial challenge, with high fuel costs hitting profitability. After just ten years, Thai Airways withdrew the type from service. The carrier’s final A340 flight touched down at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK), returning from Frankfurt (FRA) on March 28, 2015.

Over the years, there have been numerous reports of Thai Airways selling its A340s. The Royal Thai Air Force acquired one of the airline’s A340-500s, now registered as HS-TYV, back in May 2016.

HS-TYV is the only A340 from the former Thai Airways fleet that is still operational. The aircraft is 18.9 years old and has recently operated flights from Bangkok (DMK) to Munich (MUC) as well as between Bangkok (DMK) and Chiang Mai (CNX) on behalf of the Royal Thai Air Force, according to Flightradar24.com.

The A340 is used to transport VIPs, including members of the royal family, the privy council, the prime minister, and guests of the Thai government.

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