This A340-500 awaits final painting, outside the A330/340 final assembly hall. After getting off to a slow start in 1991, the A340 has become a world beater long-haul aircraft and is now a strong competitor in the long-haul high end, giving such competitors as the Boeing 747 and 777 strong competition. In fact, many airlines such as South African and Iberia have replaced their classic 747s with A340s.