The introduction of the A340-500/600 was Airbus's last dry run before next year's A380 debut. Five airlines tell us about their experiences - not all plain-sailing. When Airbus launched the Rolls-Royce Trent 500-pow-ered A340-500/600 family in 1997, in one move it set new benchmarks for long-range airliners. This two-pronged attack on US rival Boeing comprised the -600, which according to Airbus's rules could carry almost as many passengers (380) as a Boeing 747-400 over greater distances; and the world's longest-range airliner, the -500, capable of carrying 313 passengers over 16,100km (8,700 nm), with later versions of the aircraft having even greater range. The A340-600 entered service in August 2002 with launch customer Virgin Atlantic Airways on services between London and New York, while Emirates initiated revenue flights with the A340-500 in October 2003 and used it to launch non-stop 14h duration Dubai-Sydney services two months later.
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