...But Program Has Fewer Customers Now Than Before

Airbus announced Friday the company has achieved European Aviation and Safety Agency (EASA) certification for the latest version of the long range A340-600, the upgraded 380-ton variant of the four-engine long-haul airliner. Qatar Airways is the first customer to take delivery of this new higher gross weight A340-600 with first deliveries due to begin in summer 2006, followed by deliveries to Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic and Etihad Airways.

There's a name missing from that list: Emirates, which was originally to receive 20 of the upgraded airliners, announced last month they would defer scheduled deliveries of the -600 to give Airbus time to come up with a more-efficient version of the plane, which has lost sales in recent years to Boeing's 777.

Earlier this week, Emirates also hinted they may decide to swap their A340 slots outright, for more A380 superjumbo jets.

That said, the A340-600 HGW (high gross weight) does feature some significant improvements over the original A340. Benefiting from A380 technology, reduced maintenance costs, and the latest development of Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines, the new A340-600, with typical seating of 380 passengers in three-class comfort, provides up to 18 percent higher productivity compared to earlier variants, while traveling 250nm further -- up to 7,900nm.

"Airbus is delighted to receive certification of this new version of our A340-600" said Airbus President and CEO Gustav Humbert. "The certification brings it closer to operation. This new A340-600 will allow our customers to fly further while maintaining the highest degree of passenger comfort and improved operating costs," Mr Humbert continued.

The new variants of the A340 also benefit from the existing comfort standards of the A340, with attributes such as a wide, quiet cabin with superior air quality that allows airlines to offer a distinctive product for each of their market requirements. The cabin can also be configured to ensure that no passenger is ever more than a seat away from an aisle or window.

Currently, more than 1060 A330/A340/A350 Family aircraft have been ordered by 72 customers around the world. More than 140 Airbus A340-500/-600s have been sold to 14 customers.

Certification of the new variant of the ultra long-range A340-500 is due to take place in the beginning of 2007.

FMI: www.airbus.com