In this article, we will discuss the 5 Biggest Airplanes in the World in 2023. To see our industry overview and its future, go directly to the 15 Biggest Airplanes in the World in 2023.
5. Boeing 777-9
The largest aircraft in the Boeing 777 family, the 777-9 has a wingspan of 236 feet and a length of 252 feet, making it the world’s largest and longest twin-engine commercial aircraft. Once it goes into service, the 251-foot-long aircraft will ferry up to 425 passengers on long-haul flights—spanning up to 7,285 nautical miles—around the world.
Based on the success of the previous 777 generations, the much improved 777-9 will feature new technologies, including retractable wingtips and two of the most powerful engines to ever be equipped on a commercial aircraft, the General Electric GE9X. To get an idea, one such engine is as wide as the fuselage of a 737. Although development has been delayed due to engine problems and issues with structural testing, the 777-9 aircraft performed a new flight test on December 17, 2022.
4. Airbus A380-800
Also known as the European 747, the A380 is a spectacle of modern engineering, with the A380-800 variant reigning as the largest passenger aircraft ever made, boasting room for 850 passengers.
The A380-800 is a double-deck aircraft, with a wingspan of 262 feet, a length of 238 feet, and is powered by four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or General Electric GE9X engines. In service with major airlines around the world since 2007, its unique design and capabilities have made it a popular choice for long-haul flights between major international destinations. Unfortunately, it has not worked out as well as hoped for (most) airlines, with the exception of Emirates, which has made a success of the Superjumbo with its hub-based model.
3. Hughes H-4 Hercules
The Hughes H-4 Hercules is a prototype strategic airlift flying boat designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended as a transatlantic flight transport for use during World War II, it was not completed in time to be used in the war. To conserve metals during the war years, the aircraft was built with a wooden fuselage, hence its nickname, the ‘Spruce Goose.’
One of the most famous aircraft ever built and even though it was constructed almost entirely of wood in the 1940s, it remains one of the largest planes in the world. Currently, it sits in the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in Oregon, United States.
2. Antonov An-225 Mriya
The Antonov AN-225 Mriya, also known as ‘The Dream,’ was the largest cargo aircraft in the world and was the only aircraft that was powered by six Ivchenko-Progress D-18 turbofan engines, which provide a maximum thrust of up to 300,000 pounds (1.3 million newtons) in total. A modern engineering marvel, the aircraft was the only one of its kind ever built to completion, and was able to transport up to 250 tonnes of cargo, including single pieces weighing up to 200 tonnes, over short and medium-haul routes.
The mighty aircraft was part of numerous humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations, and was also used for transporting oversized cargo such as power plant equipment, wind turbines, and even a 117-ton generator for a hydropower plant in Armenia. Unfortunately, the supergiant was confirmed to be destroyed in an airfield near Kyiv, Ukraine, in February of 2022, much to the dismay of the aviation world.
1. Stratolaunch Roc
Topping our list is the Stratolaunch. The brainchild of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the aircraft – broadly based on the Boeing 747-400 – is a bizarre-looking 28-wheel, six-engine, twin-fuselage plane designed as a launch platform to put payloads into the stratosphere, from where they would launch into space orbit.
Codenamed ‘Roc’ after the mythical bird, it has a wingspan of approximately 383 feet, the largest of any plane in the history of aviation. Unlike existing gargantuan aircraft that are used to carrying cargo or passengers from point to point, the Roc will be used to haul other aircraft, missiles and vehicles. What makes it unique is that its aircraft will separate and launch its payload mid-flight.
Earlier this January, Stratolaunch made history by breaking its record for the longest sustained flight of the Roc. The aircraft proved capable of staying airborne for extended periods at a higher altitude than ever before. The new record is a significant milestone for the company as it demonstrates the project’s progression.
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