The world of aviation has come a long way since the Wright brothers’ first flight. We’ve gone from simple flying machines to massive planes that can carry over 800 people! It’s pretty amazing when you think about it.
These days, it’s not just about how big a plane can be. Safety is the top priority for all the big aerospace companies. They’re always working hard to make sure flying is as safe and smooth as possible for everyone.
The aviation industry is a testament to human creativity and determination. Just imagine – they can build these enormous planes in a matter of days! It’s taken a lot of hard work and innovation to get where we are today.
When we talk about the largest aircraft, we’re looking at a bunch of different factors. For this list, though, we’re focusing on how many passengers each plane can carry. Let’s take a look at the top 10 largest passenger aircraft flying today. To keep things simple, we’ve grouped similar models together.
1. Airbus A380
The king of the skies! The Airbus A380 is the only passenger plane with two full decks. It’s powered by four huge engines that give it an incredible amount of thrust.
The A380’s first flight was on April 27, 2005, after some delays. Interestingly, the test pilot said flying it was as easy as riding a bicycle!
Airbus had hoped the A380 would give Boeing’s 747 a run for its money, but it didn’t quite work out that way. They ended up selling fewer A380s than expected.
By the end of 2021, Airbus had delivered 251 A380s to about 20 airlines around the world. Emirates is the biggest fan of the A380, with 120 of these giants in their fleet.
The A380 comes in a few different versions, but they all have a similar range of about 14,800 km (that’s about 9,200 miles). It’s about 73 meters long (238 feet) and has a wingspan of nearly 80 meters (262 feet). It cruises at about 903 km/h (561 mph).
Singapore Airlines was the first to fly passengers on an A380 on October 25, 2007. Airbus had plans for even bigger and more efficient versions, but those didn’t pan out.
The A380 can carry up to 853 passengers – that’s 200 more than the Boeing 747-400! Even in a more comfortable two-class setup, it can still fit 575 people. That’s almost three times as many as an A320!
2. Boeing 747
Coming in at number two is the “Queen of the Skies,” the Boeing 747. This famous plane has a partial upper deck, giving it its distinctive hump. It was designed by Joe Sutter, who switched over from the 737 project in 1965.
The first 747-100 took off on February 9, 1969. Over the years, it’s used different engines, getting more powerful and efficient with each new version.
The 747 has an impressive top speed of 939 km/h (507 mph). Different versions can fly different distances, from about 8,560 km (5,320 miles) for the original 747-100 to 14,320 km (8,900 miles) for the newer 747-8.
Pan Am was the first airline to fly passengers on a 747, back on January 22, 1970. Since then, Boeing has delivered 1,574 of these jumbo jets. The very last one was delivered to Atlas Air on January 31, 2023.
Each version of the 747 has its own seating layout. The smallest version can carry 400 people, while the biggest can squeeze in up to 660 passengers!
3. Boeing 777
The bronze medal goes to the Boeing 777, the biggest twin-engine airliner in the world. It uses different engines depending on the version, with the newest 777X using GE’s most powerful jet engine ever.
The original 777-200 first flew on June 12, 1994. Since then, Boeing has delivered over 1,700 of these planes, with orders for 440 more. Emirates is the biggest fan of the 777, with about 163 in their fleet.
Like the 747, different versions of the 777 can fly different distances. The original 777-200 can go 9,700 km (6,030 miles), while the long-range version can fly an impressive 13,080 km (8,130 miles).
4. Airbus A350XWB
In fourth place is the Airbus A350 Extra Wide Body (XWB). This long-range plane is mostly made of special carbon-fiber materials, making it lighter and more fuel-efficient.
The A350-900, the first version, took off for the first time on June 14, 2013. It’s designed to be comfortable, with a wide cabin that can fit nine seats across in economy class.
The A350 can fly really far – the A350-900 can go 15,372 km (9,550 miles), and the bigger A350-1000 can reach 16,100 km (10,000 miles). There’s also a cargo version that doesn’t fly as far but can carry lots of freight.
Qatar Airways was the first airline to fly passengers on an A350-900, starting on January 15, 2015. So far, Airbus has delivered 521 A350s and has orders for 441 more. Singapore Airlines is currently the biggest A350 operator with 61 planes.
The A350-900 can carry up to 440 passengers, while the larger A350-1000 can fit up to 480 people. That’s more than twice the capacity of the smaller A320 family planes!
5. Airbus A340
Number five on our list is the Airbus A340, a long-range plane that’s related to the A330. Early versions used CFM56 engines, while later models switched to more powerful Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines.
The first A340-300 took off on October 25, 1991. Airbus built 377 of these planes before stopping production in 2012 to focus on the newer A350 series.
There are four passenger versions of the A340, each with different capabilities. The A340-200 can fly 12,400 km (7,700 miles), while the A340-500 can go an impressive 16,670 km (10,360 miles). They range in length from about 59 meters (194 feet) to almost 75 meters (246 feet).
Lufthansa and Air France were the first airlines to fly the A340, starting on March 15, 1993. As of December 2022, about 200 A340s were still flying, with Lufthansa operating the most at 34 planes.
Each version of the A340 can carry a different number of passengers. The A340-200 fits up to 375 people, while the biggest version can take up to 475 passengers.
6. Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 takes sixth place on our list. It’s a follow-up to Airbus’s first plane, the A300, which came out in the mid-1970s. Airlines can choose from three different engine options for the A330.
The original A330-300 first flew on November 2, 1992. It looks a lot like the early A340 models because Airbus developed them at the same time. So far, Airbus has delivered 1,559 A330s and has orders for 215 more. Delta Air Lines and Turkish Airlines are two of the biggest A330 operators.
Different versions of the A330 can fly different distances. The A330-200 can go 13,450 km (8,360 miles), while the A330-300 can reach 11,750 km (7,300 miles). They’re between 59 and 64 meters long (194 to 210 feet).
Air Inter was the first airline to fly passengers on an A330-300, starting on January 17, 1994. Airbus has made several versions of the A330 over the years, including newer, more efficient models they call “NEO” (for “New Engine Option”).
The A330-300 can carry up to 440 passengers, while the newest A330-900 can fit up to 460 people in a high-density layout. That’s a lot of passengers for a twin-engine plane!
7. Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner comes in at number seven. It’s often called the most advanced commercial aircraft ever built. Boeing started working on it in 2003 after dropping plans for a supersonic passenger jet.
The first 787-8 took off on December 15, 2009, after some delays. Boeing designed it to replace the older, less efficient 767 and to compete with Airbus’s A330.
There are three passenger versions of the 787, each with different capabilities. The 787-8 can fly 13,620 km (8,460 miles), the 787-9 can go 14,140 km (8,785 miles), and the 787-10 can reach 11,910 km (7,400 miles).
The 787 comes in different lengths, from about 57 meters (187 feet) for the 787-8 to 68 meters (223 feet) for the 787-10. All versions have a wingspan of about 60 meters (197 feet).
All Nippon Airways was the first airline to fly passengers on a Dreamliner, starting on October 26, 2011. Boeing has delivered over 1,000 787s so far and has about 500 more on order. American Airlines and All Nippon Airways are the two biggest 787 operators.
The 787-8 can carry up to 381 passengers, the 787-9 fits up to 420, and the longest 787-10 can accommodate 440 people.
8. Ilyushin Il-96
The Ilyushin Il-96 is the only Russian plane on our list. It’s a four-engine jet designed by Ilyushin and built in Voronezh, Russia. The Il-96 first flew on September 28, 1988, during the Soviet era. It looks a bit like the American Douglas DC-10, with engines mounted under the wings.
Only 30 Il-96s were built, and they’re not as competitive as planes from Airbus and Boeing. Production almost stopped in 2014, but they still make cargo versions. Recently, there’s been talk of restarting passenger Il-96 production in Russia.
The Il-96 comes in four main versions, all with similar range. The longest version can fly about 11,482 km (7,135 miles). The biggest Il-96 is about 65 meters (213 feet) long with a wingspan of 60 meters (197 feet).
Aeroflot, Russia’s main airline, was the first to fly passengers on an Il-96 on December 29, 1992. Today, only a few airlines and government agencies use the Il-96. Rossiya Airlines, which serves the Russian government, is the main operator.
The original Il-96-300 can carry 300 passengers. The biggest version, the Il-96-400, can fit up to 436 people – just four less than some Boeing 787s!
9. Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 takes ninth place on our list. It was Boeing’s first wide-body twin-engine jet. Airlines can choose from three different engine options for their 767s.
The first 767-200 flew on September 26, 1981. Boeing designed it to replace the older 707 and to serve medium-sized, busy routes. They developed the 767 alongside the narrower 757. So far, Boeing has delivered 1,271 767s and has orders for 106 more.
There are several versions of the 767, including passenger and cargo models. The 767-400ER is special because it was Boeing’s first wide-body jet with two fuselage extensions.
Different versions of the 767 can carry different numbers of passengers. The smallest versions fit about 245 people, while the biggest 767-400ER can carry up to 375 passengers.
10. Boeing 757
Rounding out our top ten is the Boeing 757. It’s actually a narrow-body plane, designed to replace the older Boeing 727. The 757 uses either Rolls-Royce or Pratt & Whitney engines mounted under its wings.
The first 757-200 took off on February 19, 1982. Boeing created it to carry more passengers than the 727 on popular routes. The 757-200 can fly about 7,250 km (4,505 miles), while the longer 757-300 is about 54.4 meters (178 feet) long.
Delta Air Lines is the biggest fan of the 757, with 127 of these planes in their fleet. The 757-200 can carry up to 239 passengers, while the stretched 757-300 can fit up to 295 people. Boeing built 1,049 757s before ending production in 2004.
In conclusion, the Airbus A380 tops our list of the world’s largest passenger aircraft. It’s interesting to note that out of about 19 types of commercial planes currently being built, six of them made it onto our top ten list. While passenger jets are impressive, cargo planes are often even bigger and heavier. Some famous examples include the Stratolaunch, the Hughes H-4 Hercules, and the Antonov An-225 Mriya (sadly lost in the Russia-Ukraine conflict). The world of aviation keeps evolving, and who knows what amazing planes we’ll see in the future!
