Aircraft Asset Assessment – A340-300

Market Presence. The flawed original decision by Airbus to differentiate between four and two engines with respect to sector lengths finally unraveled with the launch of the A350 series after the launch of the B787 was met by an enthusiastic response. The size of the A340-300 was initially suited to the on-going fragmentation of the international scheduled market and the capability to serve a multitude of routes. However, the issue of higher fuel costs took their toll on the A340 as indeed did advancing age. The values of the A340-300 quickly became vulnerable to newer models. The problems for the A340-300 in latter years were perhaps caused just as much by the improvement of the range of the A330-300 as by the Airbus emphasis on selling new aircraft rather than seeking to support used aircraft. In 2007 Finnair placed an order for seven A340-300s but given the geographical location of Finland, the order was partly switched to the A330. This alternative was seen as being able to perform the majority, if not all, the routes destined to be served by the four engined variant but more efficiently.