Airbus A340-600

Designed as an early-generation Boeing 747 replacement, the A340-600 is capable of carrying 379 passengers in a three-class cabin layout 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km). It provides similar passenger capacity to a 747 but with 25 percent more cargo volume, and at lower trip and seat costs. First flight of the A340-600 was made on 23 April 2001. Virgin Atlantic began commercial services in August 2002.[68][69] The most direct Boeing equivalent to the A340-600 is the 777-300ER. The A340-600 will eventually be replaced by the A350-1000, which will also compete with the 777-300ER.

The A340-600 is 12 metres (39 ft 4.4 in) longer than a basic −300, more than four metres longer than the Boeing 747-400 and 2.3 metres (7 ft 6.6 in) longer than the A380. It held the record for being the world's longest commercial aircraft until February 2010 with the first flight of the Boeing 747-8. The A340-600 is powered by four 56,000 lbf (249.1 kN) thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 556 turbofans and uses theHoneywell 331–600[A] APU. As with the -500, it has a four-wheel undercarriage boogie on the fuselage centre-line to cope with the increased MTOW. Airbus has made provisions for freeing additional upper deck main cabin space by providing optional arrangements for additional facilities such as crew rest areas, galleys, and lavatories upon the "stretched" A340 aircraft's lower deck.