Airbus A340-500
The ultra-long-ranger that flew Singapore to New York non-stop · First flight 2002 · In service 2003
The A340-500 belongs to the second-generation A340 family developed alongside the -600: a bigger wing spanning 63.45 m, more fuel and four Rolls-Royce Trent 553 engines in place of the CFM56. Its fuselage is 67.93 m long — a little longer than the -300's — and it was optimised for range rather than seats, at up to 16,670 km.
It first flew on 11 February 2002 and was certified that December. Air Canada was meant to be the launch customer but filed for bankruptcy in January 2003, so Emirates introduced the type later that year; Thai Airways, Etihad and Singapore Airlines followed. Only 34 were delivered.
Singapore Airlines flew its A340-500s non-stop between Singapore and Newark from 2004 until 2013. At 15,344 km, the Newark–Singapore leg was the longest scheduled non-stop commercial flight in the world at the time; when the route was suspended, the aircraft went back to Airbus.
