Summary

  • AirAsia X once operated two Airbus A340-300 jets to fly long-haul routes to European destinations.
  • The A340-300s were retired after six years due to unprofitability and low efficiency.
  • AirAsia X now operates an all-A330-300 fleet and has plans to modernize its fleet with orders for Airbus A321XLRs and A330neos.

Malaysia-based long-haul low-cost carrier AirAsia X is best known for its Airbus-operated flights across Asia, with its routes further afield serving Australia, New Zealand, and even the US federal state of Hawaii. However, did you know that the airline once also flew to Europe and operated a pair of quadjet Airbus A340-300s to do so? With this in mind, let's find out what happened to these jets.

Going long

AirAsia X was founded in 2007 as the long-haul arm of the popular Sepang-headquartered budget carrier AirAsia. The airline wanted to provide direct flights between Malaysia and Australia at a much lower price than legacy carriers and their full-service offerings. However, the airline quickly set its sights beyond the Asia-Pacific region and looked to become a fully long-haul airline.

Indeed, it had ambitions to reach destinations further afield, such as Europe, but in order to do so, AirAsia X required a longer-range aircraft than its existing Airbus A330s. The airline ultimately selected the A340-300 for this mission since it offered the needed capacity and was readily available. Rather than buying brand-new aircraft, it took two 1999-built ex-Air Canada jets.

Love aviation history? Discover more of our stories here!

These two Airbus A340-300s bore the registrations 9M-XAB and 9M-XAC, and they joined the AirAsia X fleet in February and June 2009, respectively, according to data from ATDB.aero. They were routinely deployed on routes to the UK, serving destinations including the likes of London and Manchester. The planes also flew to Paris for a short while, increasing AirAsia X's reach into the continent.

In line with AirAsia X's long-haul, low-cost airline operating model, the carrier configured these aircraft with high-density seating layouts. According to Planespotters.net, each A340 had 309 economy and 18 business class seats.

Long gone by now

Despite the initial promise of these aircraft, after six years of service, the two Airbus A340-300s were officially retired by AirAsia X. This was reportedly due to the unprofitability (and later cancellation) of the European routes and the low efficiency of the four-engine aircraft. While the carrier tried to wet lease the planes to several airlines (including Saudia and others), in the end, it opted to retire them.

Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today!

AirAsia X's first A340-300, 9M-XAB, exited the fleet in June 2015 and did not find a buyer. As such, it was eventually sent to Lourdes, France, to be scrapped. The second A340, 9M-XAC, had a more interesting journey after its retirement in August 2015. Its time at AirAsia X had also arguably been more interesting, with ATDB.aero noting that it wore a special Oakland Raiders livery until 2012.

The aircraft was sold to Lufthansa Technik, which had previously been in charge of maintaining the plane. The A340 later went to lessor TrueAero in 2016 before being leased to Afghanistan-based Kam Air. The carrier received the jet in 2017, although it has not flown for some time, raising doubts about its future. It is currently parked at Kabul Airport and still bears the Kam Air registration of YA-KMT.

No more quadjets

After retiring its Airbus A340s, AirAsia X returned to an all-A330-300 fleet and refocused on the Asia-Pacific market. This marked the end of its connections to Europe and the Middle East, except in the case of occasional charters.

Today, AirAsia X retains an all-A330-300 fleet, with data from ch-aviation showing that it has 17 of these twin-engine widebodies at its disposal. 13 of these are active (with three in storage and ine undergoing maintenance), and they are 12.2 years old on average. Going forward, the carrier has plans to modernize its fleet, with outstanding orders for 20 Airbus A321XLRs and 15 A330neos.

Did you know that AirAsia X used to fly the Airbus A340-300? Perhaps you even flew on one of these quadjets yourself back in the day? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Sources: ATDB.aero, ch-aviation, Planespotters.net

  • AirAsia Tile
    AirAsia
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    AK/AXM
    Airline Type:
    Low-Cost Carrier
    Year Founded:
    1993
    CEO:
    Tony Fernandes
    Country:
    Malaysia
    Hub(s):
    Kuala Lumpur International Airport
    Region:
    Asia