The A340-600 is quickly exiting from major airline service, a victim of the coronavirus downturn. Its last two large airline operators, Iberia and Lufthansa, are parking the four-engined jet known for its long fuselage but a short history.
Iberia will retire its A340-600s as part of a restructuring to make the airline smaller for the next five years, CEO Luis Gallego said. Iberia will also reportedly delay new A350s and A320s, and retire older A320 family aircraft.
A340-600s at its three largest operators, as of year-end
Coronavirus is accelerating changes afoot before the downturn. Iberia previously planned to end the year with 10 A340-600s, down from 17 last year. A further five would exit by 2022, and the remaining five by the end of 2025.
Airlines including China Eastern, Etihad, and Thai Airways retired their smaller A340-600 fleets last decade. Remaining -600s in commercial service is spread across smaller airlines, such as the four at South African Airways and seven at Iran’s Mahan Air, according to Airbus data. Other commercial operators include charter carriers.
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