Whilst Boeing 787 and Airbus A340 are both long-range widebody aircraft, they are different in two main respects.
The 787 is a twinjet and the A340 is a quadjet, and the 787 is a much newer aircraft, first entering service almost two decades after the A340. The newer 787 first went into service in 2011, compared to 1993 for the A340. The A340 is no longer in production; in contrast, the 787 is still in production with a large order backlog.
In this article, I’ll compare these two aircraft from a number of different perspectives, including their dimensions, range, orders, and customers. First, though, let’s briefly look at the history of the two types.
History
Airbus developed the A340 quadjet in parallel with the A330 twinjet, launching both aircraft together in June 1987. The development of these two aircraft in parallel brought many cost-saving advantages. These aircraft share the same basic fuselage and wing designs, as well as many structural components and systems. They also share a common flight deck design.
At the time, the main selling point of the A340 was that it had four engines. Whilst ETOPS ratings have now made twin-engined aircraft much more attractive to airlines, back in the early 1980s there were still severe restrictions on the distances twin-engine aircraft could be from potential diversion airports, usually 60 minutes. This limited their usage on flights crossing some of the more remote regions.
One of the aims of the A340 program was to replace aging quadjets such as the 707 and DC-8, and to compete against trijets such as the MD-11. Early A340 sales were boosted when the MD-11 did not meet efficiency expectations.
The A340 took its maiden flight in October 1991. The A340-200 and A340-300 variants received European certification together in December 1992 and both entered into service in March 1993. US FAA certification came a little later in May 1993. The later and larger variants, the A340-500 and A340-600, were launched in December 1997; with the A340-600 flying for the first time in April 2001 and then entering into service in August 2002.
A unique feature of the A340 is its three-leg main landing gear instead of the standard two-leg gear. Most large airliners have two main landing gears with more wheels to cope with the extra load.
Four A340 variants were developed as follows:
- A340-200: One of the two initial variants offered at the A340 launch way back in 1987; it is the shortest A340 variant and only 28 airframes were ordered.
- A340-300: Also offered at the A340 launch and it was the first A340 to be delivered; the A340-300 is just over 4m longer than the A340-200 and a total of 218 airframes were delivered.
- A340-500: This variant began operations in 2003 and whilst it is just over 4m longer than the A340-300, the key design improvement of this variant is not increased seating capacity but its extended range. The A340-500 offers a similar seating capacity to the A340-300 but its range is increased to 16,670km (9,000nmi). This impressive range was the longest available at the time for a commercial airliner, surpassed only with the introduction of the A350ULR. Only 32 A340-500s were delivered.
- A340-600: This variant’s key selling point was its seating capacity. It began operations in 2002 offering similar passenger capacity to the 747 but with a higher cargo capacity. At 75.4m in length, the A340-600 was the longest aircraft in service (longer than both the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747-400) until the launch of the Boeing 747-8. Airbus delivered 99 A340-600s.
The A340 was a significant advancement in airliner technology when it was launched. However, with increasing engine reliability, twinjets increasingly began to be ETOPS certified and these more efficient aircraft types became more attractive as they were able to operate routes not previously served by twinjet aircraft. ETOPS 180 was first achieved in 1989 and the 777 became the first aircraft to receive this rating at its launch. Higher ratings increasingly followed and have now reached ETOPS 370 for the A350.
With ETOPS limits extending to more than 6 hours, there are very few routes around the world that twinjets cannot operate. This has allowed airlines to increasingly switch to more efficient twin-engined aircraft, and the 777 quickly became the A340’s main competitor with its similar capacity.
Production of the A340 ended in 2012 and A340 numbers declined rapidly during the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting downturn in air travel.
| Aircraft Model | Entry into Service | Launch Customer |
| A340-200 | 1993 | Lufthansa |
| A340-300 | 1993 | Air France |
| A340-500 | 2003 | Emirates |
| A340-600 | 2002 | Virgin Atlantic |
The 787 program was launched in April 2004 with a target introduction of 2008. However, the 787’s maiden flight did not occur until December 2009 and type certification was not achieved until August 2011. The first 787-8 was delivered in September 2011 to Japan’s ANA and entered into commercial service in October 2011.
Boeing 787’s development was driven by a need to produce more fuel-efficient aircraft. Boeing targeted 20% less consumption than the aircraft that the 787 was to replace (such as the 767), a carrying capacity of 200 to 300 passengers, and deployment mainly on point-to-point routes of up to 8,500nm (15,700km). The 787 was the first airliner developed with an airframe made mostly from composite materials.
Early 787 operations were beset with a number of problems, including onboard fires from the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries. In January 2013, the US FAA grounded all 787s until April 2013 following approval of a new battery design. There were other significant quality problems from 2019 onwards that resulted in a significant slowdown in production and minimal deliveries during the period from January 2021 to August 2022. Despite these problems, the 787 has become a very successful aircraft with a total of more than 1,000 deliveries by the end of April 2023.
The stretched 787-9 entered service in 2014, also with ANA. The further stretched 787-10 entered service with Singapore Airlines in 2018. With that, the 787 family is now available in three variants:
| Aircraft Model | Entry into Service | Launch Customer |
| 787-8 | 2011 | All Nippon Airways |
| 787-9 | 2014 | Air New Zealand |
| 787-10 | 2018 | Singapore Airlines |
Dimensions
Let’s take a look at some key physical characteristics and see how these two aircraft measure up against each other:
| Aircraft Model | Length/ m | Wingspan/ m | Tail Height/m | Fuselage Width/ m | MTOW/ tonnes |
| 787-8 | 56.7 | 60.1 | 16.9 | 5.77 | 227.9 |
| 787-9 | 62.8 | 17.1 | 254.0 | ||
| 787-10 | 68.3 | ||||
| A340-200 | 59.4 | 60.3 | 16.8 | 5.64 | 275.0 |
| A340-300 | 63.7 | 17.0 | 276.5 | ||
| A340-500 | 67.9 | 63.5 | 17.5 | 380.0 | |
| A340-600 | 75.4 | 17.9 |
The 787 variants range in length from around 57m to 68m, compared to 59m to 75m for the A340. A340 and 787 wingspans and tail heights are similar, except for the longer A340-500 and A340-600 wingspans. In broad terms, these two aircraft series have similar dimensions, both falling within FAA Airplane Design Group (ADG) V.
We looked closer at the dimensions – and other specs – of the different Boeing 787 variants here.
Range
All 787 variants have relatively long ranges which vary from around 11,700km to 14,000km. With its impressive 330 minutes (5.5 hours) ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) certification, the 787 has proven to be a highly adaptable all-purpose aircraft, and it operates some of the longest direct air routes in the world such as Tokyo-Boston, Los Angeles-Melbourne, and the incredible London-Perth route.
But, the 787 is also deployed by some airlines on some very short routes such as domestic routes in Japan, confirming how versatile this aircraft can be.
The A340-200, A340-300, and A340-600 ranges vary from 12,400km to around 14,500km, similar to the 787. The A340-500’s range of around 16,700km exceeds the ranges of all 787 variants. While now replaced by the A350ULR, this range also allowed the A340-500 to operate many of the world’s longest commercial air routes back in the variant’s heyday, including direct Singapore-New York flights with durations of more than 18 hours.
| Aircraft Model | Range |
| 787-8 | 7,305nm (13,530km) |
| 787-9 | 7,565nm (14,010km) |
| 787-10 | 6,330nm (11,730km) |
| A340-200 | 6,700nm (12,400km) |
| A340-300 | 7,300nm (13,500km) |
| A340-500 | 9,000nm (16,670km) |
| A340-600 | 7,800nm (14,450km) |
Seat Capacity
The table below shows the passenger typical 2-class cabin configuration seating capacities of the 787 variants published by Boeing:
| Model | Passengers (Typical 2-Class Seating) |
| 787-8 | 248 |
| 787-9 | 296 |
| 787-10 | 336 |
The twin-aisle B787 typically has eight or nine seats abreast in economy class (3-2-3, 2-4-2, 3-3-3), with nine seats abreast being the more common configuration. Seat rows can be arranged in four to seven abreast in first or business, e.g. 1–2–1,2–2–2, or 2–3–2.
As an example, British Airways 4-class B787s are four abreast in first class (2-2), seven abreast in business and premium economy class (2-3-2), and nine abreast in economy class (3-3-3).
Airbus’ stated seating capacities for the A340 are as follows:
| Model | Passengers (Typical 3-Class Seating) |
| A340-200 | 210-250 |
| A340-300 | 250-290 |
| A340-500 | 270-310 |
| A340-600 | 320-370 |
As an example, Lufthansa’s twin-aisle A340-300s are laid out with 6 seats abreast (2-2-2) in business class, 7 seats abreast (2-3-2) in premium economy, and 8 seats abreast (2-4-2) in economy. Lufthansa’s A340-600s also have a first-class cabin with 4 seats abreast (1-2-1).
Customers and Orders
Boeing 787 deliveries as of the end of April 2023 totaled 1,054 aircraft and, of these, the split between the three 787 variants was as follows:
- 787-8: 388
- 787-9: 587
- 787-10: 79
To date, the 787-9 accounts for 56% of the total 787 deliveries.
At the end of April 2023, Boeing had 592 unfulfilled orders for the 787, the majority of which were for the 787-9 (76%):
- 787-8: 111
- 787-9: 447
- 787-10: 34
Adding deliveries and unfulfilled orders together, the 787-9 is the most popular 787 variant with a total of 1,034 aircraft, representing 63% of all 787 deliveries and unfulfilled orders combined at the end of April 2023. In total, the 787 deliveries and unfulfilled orders at the end of April 2023 were 1,646 aircraft (1,054 deliveries and 592 unfulfilled orders).
The most significant 787 airline customers include United Airlines, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Qantas, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, and leasing companies such as International Lease Finance Corporation and Air Lease Corporation.
Airbus delivered a total of 377 A340s split as follows:
- A340-200: 28
- A340-300: 218
- A340-500: 32
- A340-600: 99
The A340-300 was by far the most popular variant, accounting for 58% of all A340 deliveries.
The A430’s top customers included Lufthansa, Iberia, ILFC, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic among others. Lufthansa bought more than twice as many A340s as any other customer except for Iberia.
787 vs. A340: Summary
The highly-successful long-range twin-engined 787 has replaced Boeing’s older widebody aircraft such as the 767 and now competes head-to-head with Airbus’s widebody A350. The 787 has benefited commercially from its impressive ETOPS certification of 330 minutes allowing it to operate on most of the world’s popular long-haul routes.
It is the impressive ETOPS certifications of aircraft such as the 787 that ultimately led to the downfall of the A340 quadjet. The A340 was a ground-breaking aircraft in its day, but the popularity of the A340 declined as the number of more efficient twinjets able to fly even in the remotest regions thanks to new ETOPS certifications increased.
With A340 production ending more than a decade ago, its numbers around the world are in rapid decline. In contrast, the 787 remains in full production with a large order backlog; it is set to remain one of the world’s most popular commercial aircraft for many years to come.
