Airbus Updates No.2399

Surinam's Airbus A340 has its last journey

Amsterdam, the Netherlands - The only widebody jet of Surinam Airways, an Airbus A340-300, had its last journey today.

The Airbus A340-300 of the Surinam Airways had been on the ground for a long time at Schiphol International Airport in the Netherlands. The aircraft flew to the United States with a stopover in Spain today, where it will be scrapped.

Surinam Airways historically operated two Airbus A340s. The first quadjet was employed by the Surinamese airline between 2009 and 2015. From 2015, the second A340-300 took over the airline's transatlantic routes.

The 21-old aircraft was built for China Southwest Airlines and was the only long-haul aircraft in the Surinam Airways' fleet. Surinam Airways operated it between Paramaribo, South America, and Schipol, Amsterdam during its career with the airline.

The aircraft also made charter flights on behalf of leisure operator TUI Airways.

Surinam's A340 was repeatedly grounded due to technical problems.

A Boeing 777-200ER will soon be added to the Surinam Airways fleet to take over the scheduled flights from Paramaribo to Schiphol. With the arrival of a Boeing 787 on order, the 777-200ER will be returned to the lessor.

Airbus Updates No.2221

Philippine Airlines exits A340 fleet

Philippine Airlines Airbus A340-300 © Tis Meyer (PlanePics.org)

16.07.2019 - 16:44 UTC

Philippine Airlines (PR, Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l) has confirmed it has now ended all A340 operations following the disposal of its last remaining A340-300 - RP-C3441 (msn 474) - on Wednesday, July 10.

Although the Filipino carrier had withdrawn the type from regular rotation last year, it retained it to act as a spare in the event of an AOG.

According to PAL, RP-C3441 was ferried from Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l to Orlando Int'l via San Francisco, CA on July 10. Its end-customer was not revealed.

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows PAL operated a total of ten A340-300s of which four were direct purchases from Airbus with the remainder ex-Iberia inventory.

PAL's widebody fleet now entails fifteen A330-300s, six A350-900s, and ten B777-300(ER)s.