The Problem Airbus Ran Into After Designing The Four-Engined A340

The Airbus A340 entered service in March 1993 with both Air France and Lufthansa less than a year before the Airbus A330 would make its commercial debut. With the A340, Airbus was looking to provide a widebody aircraft capable of handling long-haul overwater flights, like in the transatlantic or transpacific markets. At the time, twinjet aircraft were highly restricted by Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards (ETOPS) regulations that limited their deployment on certain sectors.