Largest Passenger Aircraft in the World (2026): Size, Seats and Weight Compared

Which is the biggest passenger plane in the world? The short answer is the Airbus A380, the only full-length double-deck jet airliner. But “biggest” can mean the heaviest, the longest, the widest or the one with the most seats, and the answers are not always the same. In this guide we rank the largest passenger aircraft flying, or about to fly, in 2026.

Quick answer: the A380 is the largest by weight (575 tonnes), wingspan (79.75 m), cabin space and seats (up to 853). The Boeing 777-9 will be the longest at 76.7 m once it enters service; today the longest passenger jet flying is the Boeing 747-8 at 76.3 m.

If you are interested in cargo giants such as the Antonov An-225, see our separate list of the largest cargo planes in the world.

The Largest Passenger Aircraft: Quick Comparison

Sources: Wikipedia: Airbus A380; Boeing 747-8, 777, 777X and 787 specifications and Airbus A350 facts and figures, as compiled in our aircraft reviews.

We ranked them by maximum take-off weight, the best single measure of how big an aircraft really is. By that measure the A380 is in a class of its own: it weighs 133 tonnes more than the next aircraft, the 747-8.

1. Airbus A380: The Superjumbo

The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner and the only one with two passenger decks along its whole length. According to Wikipedia, Airbus studies began in 1988, the programme was launched on 19 December 2000, and the first A380 flew on 27 April 2005. Singapore Airlines flew the first commercial service, Singapore to Sydney, on 25 October 2007.

Source: Wikipedia: Airbus A380.

Inside, the A380 has 550 m2 of floor space across two decks, linked by wide stairways at the front and back. Wikipedia says it has 50% less cabin noise than the 747-400 and 60 cm more headroom, and economy seats up to 48 cm wide in a ten-across layout. Airlines used the space for features such as Emirates’ first-class showers and three-room first-class suites. Real layouts range from Korean Air’s 407 seats to Emirates’ two-class 615 seats.

The A380 has also been very safe: by December 2021 the fleet had carried over 300 million passengers on more than 800,000 flights with no hull-loss accidents. But it was a commercial failure for Airbus, which never recovered its estimated US$25 billion development cost. We explain why in why Airbus stopped making the A380, and how its biggest user plans to keep flying it in our Emirates A380 story.

2. Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental: The Longest Flying Today

The Boeing 747-8 is the final and longest version of the original jumbo jet. At 76.3 m it is the longest passenger aircraft in service today, and at 442 tonnes it is the heaviest aircraft Boeing has ever built. The passenger version, the 747-8 Intercontinental, seats 467 in three classes and flies about 7,790 nm on four GEnx-2B engines.

Lufthansa launched it with a Frankfurt to Washington flight on 1 June 2012, and Korean Air and Air China also ordered it. But airlines preferred cheaper-to-run twin-engine jets, so only 48 passenger 747-8s were built, along with 107 freighters. Boeing delivered the last 747, a freighter, to Atlas Air on 31 January 2023. Read our Boeing 747-8 review.

3. Boeing 777-9: The Longest Twinjet

The Boeing 777-9, part of the 777X family, will be the longest passenger aircraft ever built at 76.7 m, just ahead of the 747-8. Its 71.8 m wing is so long that the tips fold up on the ground to 64.8 m, so it fits the same airport gates as a 777-300ER. It carries 375 to 450 passengers in two classes on two giant GE9X engines, whose 134-inch fans are the largest on any airliner.

The 777-9 first flew on 25 January 2020, but certification has been delayed for years; Boeing expects first deliveries in 2027, with Lufthansa as the launch customer. Emirates has 270 on order to replace its 777-300ERs. See our 777-9 review and A350-1000 vs 777-9.

4. Boeing 777-300ER: The Workhorse

The Boeing 777-300ER is 73.9 m long and can take off at 351.5 tonnes, the same as the 777-9. It seats 350 to 425 in two classes and flies up to 7,500 nm on two GE90-115B engines, once the most powerful jet engines in service. With 833 delivered, it is the best-selling 777 model, and Air India had 19 in September 2026. Read our 777-300ER review.

5. Airbus A350-1000: The Biggest Airbus Twin

The Airbus A350-1000 is almost exactly as long as the 777-300ER at 73.78 m, but much lighter, at 308 to 322 tonnes, thanks to its carbon-fibre structure. Airbus lists 375 to 400 seats in three classes, and French Bee flies a 480-seat version. Its 8,100 nm range made it Qantas’s choice for Project Sunrise, nonstop flights from Sydney to London and New York. Read 777-300ER vs A350-1000.

6. Boeing 787-10: The Longest Dreamliner

The Boeing 787-10 is the smallest aircraft on this list, but still a big jet: 68.3 m long, with 300 to 375 seats in two classes. It trades range (7,500 nm) for capacity and is built only in Charleston, South Carolina, because its fuselage sections are too big to move to Everett. See 787-10 vs A350-900.

Largest by Each Measure

Why Giant Four-Engine Jets Disappeared

The A380 and 747-8 were the last of the four-engine giants, and both are now out of production. The reason is economics. Large twin-engine jets such as the 777-300ER and A350-1000 carry 350 to 400 people on two engines instead of four, which costs less to run. Wikipedia says airlines also moved from hub-and-spoke networks, which suit giant aircraft, to point-to-point flights, which suit smaller widebodies flown more often. Read why twin-engine jets took over long-haul flying.

Wikipedia quotes AirInsight estimates from 2015: an A380 cost about US$50 per seat-hour, against US$44 for a 777-300ER and US$90 for a 747-400. Wikipedia adds that the A380’s cost per seat is expected to be matched by the A350-1000 and 777-9, which have much lower costs per flight.

Can You Fly These Giants From India?

• Airbus A380: not with an Indian airline, but foreign airlines bring it to India. Wikipedia notes that Emirates began A380 flights to Bengaluru in October 2022, the airport’s first A380 service.
• Boeing 777-300ER: yes, with Air India, which had 19 in September 2026. See our Air India fleet guide.
• Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 787-10: not with Indian airlines yet; Air India’s A350s are A350-900s and its Dreamliners are 787-8s and 787-9s.
• Boeing 747-8 and 777-9: not in India. The passenger 747-8 was ordered by Lufthansa, Korean Air and Air China, and the 777-9 has not entered service yet.

Key Takeaways

• The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft: 575 tonnes, a 79.75 m wingspan and up to 853 seats.
• The Boeing 747-8 is the longest passenger jet flying today at 76.3 m; the 777-9 will take that title at 76.7 m.
• Both four-engine giants are out of production: the last A380 was delivered in 2021 and the last 747 in 2023.
• Big twins such as the 777-300ER, A350-1000 and upcoming 777-9 now do most of the heavy lifting on long routes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Featured image: FlyingFuel graphic using a photo of Emirates Airbus A380 A6-EOR at Denpasar, Bali by Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.