Everyone knows that the days of the quadjet are numbered. It reflects technological and natural evolution in favor of large and much more fuel-efficient and long-range twinjet equipment. This affects all four-engine machines, including the Airbus A340.

The latest Cirium Diio data indicates that the US will be the third-best country to see the A340 in 2026. It ranks after Germany and Iran for flights, but only because those countries have home-based operators with the type. In this sense, the US does well.

The US’s A340 Flights Have Fallen By 36% In A Year

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The latest data shows that the US will have 1,775 departures on the A340 in 2026, down by 36% year-over-year. Except for 2020 and 2021, during the worst of the pandemic, this year is due to be the lowest on record. And services aboard the type will inevitably only reduce further.

It is worth considering how specific A340 variants have changed compared to 2025. This is entirely due to the A340-300, as flights have fallen by 48%. This is for multiple reasons. In particular, Lufthansa’s offering has been reduced by 47%, while Edelweiss has scheduled 43% fewer A340-300 flights as it increasingly uses the A350-900 instead. SWISS’s last US A340 service was in June 2025, while Germany’s Discover used an aircraft leased from Lufthansa on its Frankfurt-Philadelphia route in July/August 2025.

In contrast, departures on the A340-600 have grown. They’re up by 7% year-over-year, which, under the circumstances, is pretty decent. But context is needed. It is still the third-worst result in the past 22 years. Note that in a normal, scheduled role, the A340-500 hasn’t been seen on US shores for years.

COVID-19 meant many airlines worldwide expedited the retirement of older and less fuel-efficient equipment, along with quite a few others. Compared to before the pandemic in 2019, US A340 services have fallen by 73%, against 79% for the Boeing 747. In contrast, the A380’s US activity is ‘only’ a third smaller, although that’s still a notable drop. It’s driven by many airlines ceasing to use the type to the US, including Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways.

US A340-300 Routes In 2026

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The latest information indicates that Lufthansa and Edelweiss will continue to fly the A340-300 to the US this year. With 14 frames, ch-aviation shows that Lufthansa remains the world’s largest user of it. The three-class equipment has 279 seats: 30 in business, 28 in premium economy, and 221 in economy.

Meanwhile, Swiss leisure carrier Edelweiss has three examples, each with 314 seats: 27 in business, 76 in economy max, and 211 in economy. Due to taking delivery of four A350-900s last year, its A340s have been increasingly stored. One aircraft was removed from service in October 2025, followed by another in January 2026.

Lufthansa’s A340-300s will be deployed on eight routes from its Frankfurt hub: Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, New York JFK, Seattle, and Washington Dulles. Compared to last year, Atlanta and Los Angeles won’t see it. Indeed, those two airports have lost all A340 flights. Meanwhile, Edelweiss will fly its 314-seaters from Zurich to Denver and Tampa. Last year, it was also seen in Las Vegas and Seattle. Sin City no longer has any scheduled A340 services.

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These Are The US’s A340-600 Routes In 2026

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Lufthansa is also the world’s largest user of the A340-600, not that there’s much competition for that title. It currently has five frames, each with 281 seats—two more than the airline’s A340-300s. But unlike that lighter variant, the A340-600 is configured in a much more premium way. It has eight seats in first, 56 in business, 28 in premum economy, and 189 in economy.

The German giant has been the sole airline user of the A340-600 to the US since 2020, when South African Airways and Virgin Atlantic’s examples were last used there. Both carriers have since retired the variant (I was on one of Virgin’s last A340-600 flights), while Lufthansa’s examples are due to be withdrawn later this year.

Lufthansa will deploy the 281-seater from Frankfurt to Chicago O’Hare, Newark, New York JFK, and Washington Dulles. Unlike last year, it won’t now be flown to Boston and Detroit. While those two airports will still see the A340-300, they’re unlikely to ever have A340-600 flights again.