In Pictures: 10 biggest passenger planes in the world

Three of the five biggest aircraft that were ever constructed aren’t passenger planes at all. One of them was the iconic Antonov An-225 Mriya, which was destroyed in the battle of Hostomel. The biggest passenger plane in the world also ranks among the safest aircraft to be ever constructed, as there have been no fatalities at all. Let’s dive into the list.

10. Boeing 787-10

The Boeing 787-10 is the “longest member of the super-efficient 787 family“, according to Boeing itself. With a capacity of 440 people, this aircraft is “25% better than the airplanes it will replace and 10% better in terms of fuel and emissions than the best available by the competition.”

Economy Plus on United’s Boeing 787-10 aircraft features 42 seats arranged 3-3-3, while economy class has 199 seats in a similar arrangement.

According to Airport-Technology, the Boeing 787-10 can travel 8055 miles, or “more than 90% of the world’s twin-aisle routes.”

9. A350-900

With a range of more than 15,000 kilometers, the Airbus A350-900 can carry up to 440 people. It is the first Airbus airplane composed of polymers reinforced with carbon fiber.

The A350’s original design was based on the A330. The A350-900 has a list price that is $50 million less than the A350-1000, making the -900 variant more popular.

The range of the Airbus A350-900 is 15,000 km (8,100NM). The aircraft has an exit limit of 440 seats. French bee, a leisure airline provides “376 seats arranged in a 3-4-3 configuration across three cabins” in economy class and “thirty-five recliner seats arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration” but is planning for a

8. Airbus A 330-300 (440 passengers)

Much like the two aircraft we have previously discussed before, the Airbus A330-300 has an exit limit of 440 passengers. It can accommodate 250-290 passengers in a three-class arrangement, with a maximum cabin width of 5.26 meters and a maximum cabin length of 50.36 meters, with a maximum cabin width of 5.26 meters and a maximum cabin length of 50.36 meters.

The A330-300 has a wingspan of 198 ft (60.3 m) and a range of 6,340 nautical miles (11,750 km; 7,300 mi).

One of the longer routes on the Airbus A330-300 is the one operated by one of the big three US carriers – Delta Air Lines. This route spans between Amsterdam, Netherlands (AMS), and Portland, US (PDX) and covers a distance of 5,004 miles.

7. Airbus A 340-300 and Airbus A 340-600

The Airbus A340-300/600 is a long-haul aircraft that is perfect for transcontinental travel because it typically has 380 people in a three-class configuration (12 first, 54 business, 314 economy). It can also carry 440 people in a one class configuration.

The Airbus A340-600 is the second-longest passenger plane in the world, standing at 75.3 meters.

The four CFM56-5C engines and remarkable range [7,800 nmi (14,450 km; 8,980 mi)] of the Airbus A340-300 make it an excellent aircraft for long-haul travel.

6.AirbusA330-900

The exit limit of the A330-900 is 460 – twenty seats more than all the other aircraft we have previously discussed. The A330-900 uses 25% less fuel and emits 25% less CO2 than the Boeing 777-200ER, an aircraft from the preceding generation.

With 31 A330-900s in its fleet, Delta Air Lines is the biggest operator if this aircraft. Following behind are TAP Air Portugal (19) and Condor (17).

The A330-900 is among one of the safest aircraft till date. According to the Aviation Safety Network, all the incidents/ accidents involving the A330-900 have been minor, and no fatalities have ever been observed.

5. Airbus A350-1000

The A350-1000 is referred to by Airbus as “the long-range leader” and has a range of 8,900 nmi (16,500 km; 10,200 mi). The company claims that “the A350-1000 comfortably accommodates from 350 to 410 passengers in a standard three-class configuration, with 40% more area for premium-category seating”. The aircraft has an exit limit of 480. French carrier, French bee operates its A350-1000s with 480 seats, making it the carrier with most seats on the A350-1000.

The A350-1000 is assembled after parts have been produced in several places such as:

• Broughton in Wales, UK for the wings
• Saint-Nazaire, France for the nose fuselage
• Bremen, Hamburg for final wing components (after construction in Broughton) etc.

The wings’ sophisticated design enables the aircraft to shift form and morph while in flight. Qatar Airways 7,848 nautical miles (14,543 kilometers) Doha – Auckland route is the longest on this aircraft type.

4. Boeing 777-300ER

Boeing 777-300, which was launched by Cathay Pacific, is the world’s largest twin-engine passenger plane, and has an exit limit of 550. In a standard three class layout, the aircraft can accommodate 365 passengers -22 first class, 70 business class, 273 economy class. 

Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER
Image: Aaron Davis | Wikimedia Commons832 aircraft of this type have been delivered till date. The aircraft has a range of 7,370 nmi (13,649 km; 8,480 mi) and has:

• extended raked wingtips
• a modified landing gear
• a strengthened fuselage

In October last year, the 777-300ER became the most tracked aircraft in San Franciso Fleet Week, as revealed by FlightRadar 24.

3.Boeing 747-8

The Boeing 747-8 has an exit limit of 605 while it can accommodate 467 passengers in a three-class layout – 24 in the first class, 87 in the business class, and 356 in the economy class.

In a typical passenger configuration, the 747-8 can fly as far as 7,730 nautical miles (14,320 km). The aircraft was introduced by Boeing as a competitor to the Airbus A380.

The engines of the 747-8 have a diameter of 3.35 meters. There are only three passenger operators of this carrier:

•  Lufthansa (19)
• Korean Air (7)
• Air China (7)

2.Boeing 747-400

The 747-400 has an exit limit of 660, with the aircraft being able to accommodate 416 passengers in a three-class layout -23 first class, 78 business class, and 315 economy). One of the largest airplane for battling fires is a modified 747-400, with 19,000 US gallons (72,000 liters) of water.

The -400 was the first aircraft in the 747 series which did not necessitate a flight engineer to be a part of the crew. The 747-400 also has a 747-400M Combi model, which is an aircraft that allowed operators to carry a combination of passengers and cargo on the main deck.

The wings of the 747 400 must be bent upwards during construction in order to fit within the production facility because of its remarkable wingspan.

1.Airbus A380-800

The wingspan of the Airbus A380-800 is about the length of a football field, and it has two decks and a broad body. This aircraft has an exit limit of 853 and can fit 489 passengers in a three-class layout- 14 first class, 76 business class, and 399 economy class.

The landing gear of the A380-800 has an unprecedented 22 wheels. However, because of its size and weight, the aircraft needs certain airport amenities, such longer runways, broader taxiways, and larger parking lots.

When it was first flown, the A380 had 50% more floor space than the next largest aircraft. Since then, the A380 has operated over 800,000 flights carrying over 300 million passengers.