The world’s 10 largest passenger jet aircraft can transport hundreds of passengers from one side of the world to another within hours.

Here, we give the lowdown on the 10 largest passenger aircraft in the world.

10. Boeing 757

The largest variant of the Boeing 757, the 757-300, carries 243 passengers in two-class seating and can fit up to 295 passengers in single-class configuration. So, it’s the largest narrow-body airliner ever built.

It was developed together with the Boeing 767 and became an instant success. However, sales of this aircraft declined in the 2000s and Boeing decided not to upgrade it, opting to offer new variants of the 737 MAX instead.

Most Boeing 757s have since been retired. But this model continues flying with many airlines across the world.

9. Boeing 767

The Boeing 767 has more range than the 757 but carries a similar number of people. The largest variant, the 767-400ER, holds 296 seats in a two-class configuration and up to 375 seats in all-economy configuration.

Boeing stopped selling passenger versions of the 767 in the early 2010s, and replaced them with an even bigger aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner. However, many 767s still remain in the fleets of the world’s airlines, although their number is steadily declining.

8. Airbus A330

Airbus introduced the A330 as in 1994. It was an upgrade of the manufacturer’s previous models, the A300 and the A310.

In the late 2010s, the A330 family was upgraded with new engines and introduced as the A330neo. The largest member of this family is the A330-900. It can carry between 260 and 300 passengers in a normal configuration, and up to 460 in all-economy seating.

7. Ilyushin Il-96

The Il-96 is the only wide-body airliner produced in Russia. Very few of them have been manufactured, but recently there have been attempts to ramp up production of this aircraft.

The largest variant of this jet, the Il-96-400, carries between 315 and 386 passengers in normal configurations and up to 436 in all-economy seating.

The only airline that continues to operate Il-96 in 2022 is Cuba’s Cubana de Aviación. However, up to 12 new and restored Il-96 airliners are planned to be delivered to commercial operators by 2030.

6. Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Designed to replace the 767, the new 787 was introduced in 2011. It has three variants, and the largest of them – the Boeing 787-10 – typically carries 330 people in a two-class configuration. In all-economy configuration it can fit 440 passengers.

The use of modern materials and advanced manufacturing techniques made the Dreamliner very efficient, and more than 1,000 of these aircraft were delivered to various airlines in the decade following the model’s introduction.

5. Airbus A340

The A340 was Airbus’s first long-range aircraft and the first quadjet. It was introduced in 1994, alongside the A330.

The largest variant of the A340 typically has between 320 and 370 seats, and the maximum is 440 in an all-economy configuration.

Very few passenger A340s remain operational, as most airlines switched to more efficient twinjets such as the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 777.

4. Airbus A350 XWB

The A350 is a modern, high-tech airliner that was designed as Airbus’s response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It also replaced the obsolete A340. However, the A350 is larger than both of them: the A350-1000, the largest variant of the jet, normally carries between 350 and 410 passengers, and can fit up to 480 in an all-economy configuration.

There are relatively few A350-1000s flying though, as the aircraft only entered production in 2018 and was not very popular. Its smaller brother, the A350-900, received more orders and more than 500 of them had been manufactured as of late 2022.

3. Boeing 777

The world’s first long-range twinjet, the Boeing 777, has many variants, all of them carrying around 300 passengers depending on configuration. However, in 2020 Boeing introduced an improved family of 777s, called 777X.

The largest of them, the 777-9, was dubbed ‘mini-Jumbo’ as it was nearly as big as the legendary Boeing 747 Jumbo jet.

The 777-9 is designed to carry between 349 and 426 seats in typical configurations and could fit many more in all-economy layout.

The first 777-9 will not be delivered until 2025 though, and the smaller 777-8 may come even later.

2. Boeing 747

Dubbed the Queen of the Skies, the Boeing 747 is one of the most recognizable aircraft in the world. It is the first wide-body aircraft ever built and one of the few modern aircraft with two decks.

The most numerous variant of this aircraft is the Boeing 747-400, which was introduced in the 1980s and can carry around 416 passengers in a three-class configuration, and up to 660 in all-economy seating.

The latest variant, the 747-8, is bigger than the 747-400 and normally carries between 364 and 467 passengers. No 747-8 was ever built in an all-economy configuration, and the aircraft was generally not very popular: only 84 of the 747-8 were manufactured.

1. Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft in the world and one of the largest airplanes ever built. It is a double-decker design, built by Airbus to compete with the Boeing 747.

The A380 typically carries around 575 passengers, but it can fit up to 853 in an all-economy configuration. Almost one-third of all A380s serve with Emirates and carry between 484 and 489 seats. However, they also have a shower spa, a bar, and enclosed suites for first-class passengers, so additional seats are exchanged for extra luxury for those who can afford it.