The first aircraft was manufactured in 1982 and originally had two variants, the -200 and -300. Two more variants, the -500 and -600, were made in the coming years.
According to Airbus, the different variants of the A340 could accommodate 250 to 475 passengers and had extended operating ranges of up to 9,000 nautical miles.
The manufacturer highlights that because it was a quad-engine aircraft, it could fly longer over-water routes without needing additional certification.
Extended-Range Twin-Engine Operation Performance Standards (ETOPS) certification was needed on other twin-engine planes.
When the A340 was developed, Airbus claimed it had one of the quietest cabins in the sky. The quad-jet was designed for long—and ultra-long-haul flights of up to 18 hours.
During its production history, which ended in 2012, Airbus received orders for 380 A340s.
Lufthansa and Air France were the launch customers for the -200 and -300 variants, respectively. Lufthansa is one of the few airlines that still operates its A340 fleet today, even sending them on some flights to the US. SWISS, Edelweiss, and South African Airways also continue to operate the quadjet.
Then-president of Airbus, Jean Pierson, said,
''We are extremely pleased that a highly demanding airline such as Northwest is a launch customer for the A340, and that it will have the distinction of being the first in North America to operate this aircraft.''
According to the New York Times, the order was worth at least $2.5 billion at the time. When it was placed, Northwest had not revealed its engine choice for the plane, but that quickly changed.
Five years after placing its order, Northwest canceled it. According to Northwest Airlines History, this was due to the Gulf War.
The A340 order was canceled on December 7, 1992, and Northwest had to do some restructuring because of the investment made into preparations for the A340.
In November 1989, the LA Times reported that Texas Air Corp, Continental Airlines’ parent company, had placed an order with Airbus.
The order included 40 Airbus A330s and A340s worth about $4.5 billion. Frank Lorenzo, who was chair of Texas Air at the time, said that the planes would replace older aircraft and expand the airline’s network.
Though the order was placed in 1989, delivery of the first aircraft was not expected until 1993. At the time of the purchase, Lorenzo stated that the type of engine that would power the planes had not been decided. Speaking on the deal, Lorenzo said,
“These aircraft place us in a strong position to capitalize on the new and exciting opportunities we have for growth in both the Pacific and Europe. And in particular as a result of the recently signed US-Japan bilateral agreement.”
The order for 40 planes was the largest order that Texas Air had placed for Continental, financially speaking. Earlier that year, Texas Air had signed an order with Boeing for up to 100 Boeing 737-300s worth about $2.8 billion. Continental never took any of the A340s it had ordered.
According to some online forums, the aircraft order was canceled because the airline entered bankruptcy.
Airlines for America has a record that shows Continental filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 1990. A 1990 report from the New York Times confirms this, citing the Gulf War as a major issue. The NYT wrote,
“Since Iraq invaded Kuwait in early August, the price of jet fuel has roughly doubled to about $1 a gallon. The increase is greater than the rise in oil prices largely because much of the refining capacity was in Kuwait.”
At the time, the airline said that in a four-month period, it spent an extra $230 million on fuel. Executives had planned to file for bankruptcy earlier in the year, but that board tried to intervene by selling routes and other assets.
