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The Airbus A340 was built to rule long-haul travel, but now it’s vanishing

While the A380 superjumbo is enjoying a resurgence, its four-engined older sibling – the A340 – seems dangerously close to being grounded for good.

While the A380 superjumbo is enjoying a steady after having been on the brink of retirement during the pandemic, its older sibling – another four-engined aircraft from Airbus – seems dangerously close to being grounded for good. With the kind of routing flexibility that certification offers, airlines who want to service far-flung city pairs simply don’t need four engines anymore.” For now, however, the type still has some life left in it, and is even flying to one of the world’s most challenging destinations, Antarctica: Charter airline HiFly is operating flights to the region with an A340-300, carrying scientists and a small group of tourists.

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