Plus Ultra Retires Its Last Airbus A340 and Bets on a Uniform Fleet of A330 Aircraft
Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas has retired its last Airbus A340-300, marking the end of an era in its operations. The Spanish airline, based at Madrid-Barajas, has decommissioned the aircraft registered as EC-MQM and is now focusing on consolidating its fleet with A330-200 aircraft.
The A340-300 was transferred from Madrid to Enschede on March 31. In October 2024, the airline’s CEO, Robert Roselli, had mentioned in an interview with ch-aviation that the model would be retired in April 2025, once an ACMI lease agreement with Cubana de Aviación concluded.
Features of the Retired A340-300
The EC-MQM was 24.1 years old. It belonged to Fortress Ireland Leasing and was managed by AerCap. The aircraft featured a three-class configuration with a capacity for 275 passengers: 224 in economy class, 21 in premium economy, and 30 in business class.
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The plane operated for Air France from April 2001 until March 2017. It was then acquired by Plus Ultra in June of the same year, where it served until its retirement.
Transition to a Unified A330 Fleet
Although the retirement of the A340 might suggest the end of the agreement with Cubana de Aviación, Plus Ultra has clarified that it will continue its relationship with the Cuban airline by leasing an Airbus A330-200 to operate the route between Havana and Madrid.
Currently, the airline’s fleet consists of five A330-200s. Additionally, the company plans to add at least one more aircraft of this model during the year.
With this transition, Plus Ultra is betting on a more efficient and competitive operation, adapting to market needs and strengthening its growth strategy with a more modern and uniform fleet.
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