Why Airbus Built The A340-500

In the mid-1970s, Airbus was looking to build a widebody aircraft that could compete with similar offerings from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. Using the Airbus A300 as a launch pad, the European manufacturer came up with the A330 and A340. Based on a nearly identical airframe, the A330 would be a twin-aisle widebody aircraft powered by two engines, either the General Electric CF6, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or Rolls-Royce Trent 700.