AFAIK the decision about the next 8 big buses is still leaning toward more A330s... the extra capacity in getting A340s being judged not worth the loss of flexibility in swopping aircraft between routes.
Again
AFAIK, the Mumbai flights will be flown with a MAN based aircraft- the first Monday morning MAN-LHR will be an A330 instead of an A320/321. As I understand it, the MAN-LHR crews will stay on board for the Mumbai leg; that has got to be a tough duty!
Note: no insult is intended to the passengers or airports involved. The "rough duty" refers only to the length of day, and the mix of very busy shorthaul sector, with longhaul to complete afterward.
None of the above is gospel; it's all what I've gleaned from despatchers. They may not have the big picture, but I'm pretty sure they know more than me!
