A340 tracker: every Airbus A340 flying right now
The Airbus A340 was Airbus's four-engine long-haul jet, built alongside the twin-engine A330 with the same wing and cabin. Production ended in 2011, and the remaining A340s are getting rarer every year.
| Flight | Registration | Operator | Type | Altitude | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading… | |||||
Airbus A340 at a glance
- First flight
- October 25, 1991
- Entered service
- 1993, with Lufthansa and Air France
- Production ended
- 2011
- Variants tracked
- A340-200, -300, -500 and -600
Why the A340 faded
When the A340 was designed, rules kept twin-engine jets close to diversion airports, so four engines meant freedom to fly anywhere. As those rules relaxed, efficient twins like the 777 could fly the same routes on two engines, with lower fuel and maintenance costs, and A340 orders dried up.
The ultra-long-range A340-500 flew some of the longest flights of its era, including Singapore Airlines' nonstop to Newark, before rising fuel prices made them uneconomic.
Where to see one
Lufthansa and Swiss are among the last major passenger operators, so Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich are the best places to spot one. The A340-600 guide covers the longest version.
Questions
Is the A340 still in service?
Yes, with a shrinking number of airlines. Lufthansa and Swiss are among the last large passenger operators.
What is the difference between the A340 and the A330?
They share the same fuselage and wing, but the A340 has four engines and the A330 two. The A330 won out because two engines burn less fuel.
Why isn't an aircraft I know is flying on the map?
Positions come from volunteer ADS-B receivers, which only hear aircraft within roughly 200 nautical miles. Over oceans, deserts and parts of Africa and Asia there are few receivers, so an aircraft can vanish mid-flight and reappear near land. Military and some government aircraft also switch their transponders' public data off.
More live trackers
Positions from the adsb.lol volunteer ADS-B network (ODbL). Aircraft are shown only while a receiver can hear them.