VIRGIN ATLANTIC SHOWCASES FIRST A340-600 FROM AIRBUS

22 July 2002

The first A340-600 in airline livery was showcased at a ceremony at Farnborough Air Show today, held by Airbus and launch customer Virgin Atlantic Airways. It will be on display during the show and will enter commercial service with the airline shortly. The carrier will receive a total of four A340-600s this year to serve routes to the US, South Africa and Asia. A further six A340-600s will enter service with the airline by 2006.

Airbus' A340-600 was especially designed for high capacity long-haul operations and can carry some 380 passengers over a range of up to 13,900km/7,500nm. A fully-fledged member of Airbus' market leading A330/A340 Family, it provides operators with unrivalled standards of space, comfort and amenity in each cabin class. The A340-600 features a breathtaking new cabin design with expanded on-board services and sleek, harmonious lines that further enhance the A340s inherent qualities of spaciousness and quietness - a key element of passenger comfort in long-haul air travel. Virgin's layout also features a number of innovative amenities such as a redesigned bar and inflight beauty therapy area in Upper Class. In total, Virgin's A340-600 will seat 311 passengers - 50 in Upper Class, 28 Premium Economy and 233 Economy. 

"This new aircraft is great news for our passengers who will benefit from new products and services onboard including new seats and inflight entertainment," said Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic. "We are delighted to be able to showcase our new aircraft at Farnborough and I'm sure the A340-600 will be an international success." 

"It gives me great pleasure that Virgin Atlantic, an airline that shares Airbus' taste for innovation and excellence, should be the first carrier to receive the A340-600. I know that Virgin Atlantic will take full advantage of the A340-600's great potential," said Noël Forgeard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus. "I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all Airbus' employees, customers and suppliers who helped to make this new aircraft a reality," he added.

The A340-600, like the ultra-long range A340-500, is powered by four high bypass ratio Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines that burn up to 20 per cent less fuel than older generation jets while providing the aircraft with an outstanding performance not attainable by competing aircraft. Airbus' four-engine A340s also comply fully with the latest stringent QC2 noise quota limits at London Heathrow Airport and offer total freedom of flight, unrestricted by ETOPS (the rules governing the operation of twin-engine aircraft on very long flights). This allows them to fly more direct routes, saving travel time, cutting fuel consumption and reducing costs. In addition, the A340-600 offers twice as much cargo capacity as today's jumbo-jets, allowing airlines to benefit from more revenue generating cargo operations.

Airbus' A330/A340 Family is the market leader in the 250-375 seater segment, winning 76 per cent of the market so far in 2002.

A leading aircraft manufacturer with the most modern and comprehensive product line on the market, Airbus is a global company with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain as well as subsidiaries in the U.S., China and Japan. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE SYSTEMS.