Airbus A340-500

The ultra-long-range airliner built to connect distant global city pairs.

Overview

Airbus France ICAO: A345 2003–2011 Active $261.8 million (2011)

The Airbus A340-500 was developed to extend the range of the A340 family into true ultra-long-haul territory. Entering service in the early 2000s, it enabled nonstop flights between some of the world’s most distant cities. The aircraft briefly held the record for the longest commercial route in operation.

Live Fleet Activity (A345)

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Specifications

Units
Engine
4 × Rolls Royce Trent 553
Engine type
Turbofan
Thrust
4 × 54,000 lbf · 240 kN
Avionics
Thales – Smiths Avionics
Wing tips
Canted winglets
Seats
440 economy · 313 business
Crew
—
Cabin width
17 ft 4 in  ·  5.28 m
Cabin height
8 ft 4 in  ·  2.54 m
Cabin length
175 ft 9 in  ·  53.56 m
Exterior length
222 ft 9 in  ·  67.90 m
Tail height
57 ft 6 in  ·  17.53 m
Fuselage diameter
18 ft 6 in  ·  5.64 m
Wing span
208 ft 2 in  ·  63.45 m
Baggage volume
5,287 ft³  ·  149.7 m³
Gross weight
—
Empty weight
—
Max takeoff weight
760,000 lb  ·  344,500 kg
Max landing weight
492,000 lb  ·  223,000 kg
Max payload
119,500 lb  ·  54,000 kg
Fuel capacity
58,900 gal · 222,900 L · 178,300 kg (Jet A)
Max cruise speed
475 kt  ·  547 mph  ·  880 km/h
Maximum speed
—
Cruise speed
—
Approach speed
160 kt  ·  184 mph  ·  296 km/h
Range
9,000 nm  ·  10,360 mi  ·  16,670 km
Fuel burn
0.16 nm/gal  ·  0.08 km/L
Ceiling
41,450 ft  ·  12,600 m
Rate of climb
5,700 ft/min  ·  29 m/s
Takeoff distance
10,500 ft  ·  3,200 m
Landing distance
6,300 ft  ·  1,920 m
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Airbus A340-500

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Operational Context

Airbus A340-500 — ultra-long-range widebody airliner

The A340-500 first flew in 2002 and entered service in 2003. It was a stretched and reinforced development of the earlier A340 variants, incorporating a longer fuselage and increased fuel capacity. Airbus positioned the aircraft for airlines seeking nonstop service on routes exceeding 8,000 nautical miles.

Four Rolls-Royce Trent 500 turbofan engines, each producing approximately 53,000 pounds of thrust (236 kN), powered the aircraft. Typical cruise speed was around Mach 0.82. Maximum takeoff weight exceeded 830,000 pounds (380,000 kg), supporting a range of roughly 9,000 nautical miles (16,670 km) depending on configuration.

The A340-500 enabled record-setting routes such as nonstop Singapore to New York services. However, its four-engine configuration became less economically competitive as twin-engine long-range aircraft improved. Production concluded in 2011, and the model remains a specialized but significant chapter in long-haul aviation development.