Lufthansa operated the first commercial Airbus A340 service in 1993.
The A340 was Airbus’s long-range, wide-body, four-engine airliner. Lufthansa became its launch operator and introduced the aircraft on scheduled passenger flights in 1993, helping establish it as an alternative to aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas MD-11.
The A340 family was designed for intercontinental routes and included several versions, including the A340-200, A340-300, A340-500, and A340-600. Its four-engine layout allowed long overwater operations before twin-engine aircraft received broader regulatory approval for such routes.
The A340 is sometimes confused with the twin-engine A330 because the aircraft share a related design. The A340’s distinctive feature is its four engines, while the A330 has two.