Airbus A340-212

The Airbus A340‑212 is a four‑engine, long‑range wide‑body jet that entered service in the early 2000s as a specialised off‑shoot of the A340‑200 family. Developed by Airbus SAS, the model was launched in 1999 to give airlines a high‑capacity aircraft capable of nonstop flights on routes where twin‑engine performance was limited by early ETOPS restrictions. Powered by a pair of Rolls‑Royce Trent 500 turbofans on each wing, the A340‑212 can cruise at Mach 0.84 and carries up to 260 passengers in a typical three‑class layout, while the spacious 55‑meter fuselage offers a cabin height of 2.3 m and a range of roughly 13 500 km. Its fly‑by‑wire flight‑control system, digital avionics suite and advanced wing‑let design reduce fuel burn and improve handling. The aircraft played a pivotal role in opening direct links between Europe, Asia and North America, proving the commercial viability of four‑engine designs before the advent of more efficient twin‑jets. Although production ceased in 2007, the A340‑212 remains a symbol of Airbus’s commitment to long‑haul capability and continues to serve a niche fleet of carriers that value its payload range balance today.