A
wide-body aircraft is a large
airlinerAn airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such planes are owned by airlines....
with two passenger
aisleAn aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on either side or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other. Aisles can be seen in airplanes, certain types of buildings such as churches, Cathedrals...
s, also known as a
twin-aisle aircraft. The typical
fuselageThe fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
diameter is . In the typical widebody economy cabin,
passengerA passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination.There are two common contexts in which the term is used:...
s are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 600 passengers. The largest widebody aircraft are over wide, and can accommodate up to eleven passengers abreast in high-density configurations. As well, wide-body aircraft are used for the transport of commercial
freight and cargoCargo airlines are airlines dedicated to the transport of cargo. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines.-Logistics:...
and other special uses, described further below.
For comparison, a traditional
narrow-bodyA narrow-body aircraft is an airliner with a fuselage aircraft cabin diameter typically of 3 to 4 metres , and airline seat arranged 2 to 6 abreast along a single aisle...
airliner has a diameter of , with a single aisle, and seats between two and six people abreast.
Widebody aircraft were originally designed for a combination of efficiency and passenger comfort. However, airlines quickly gave in to economic factors, and reduced the extra passenger space in order to maximize revenue and profits. Depending on how the
airlineAn airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit.Airlines vary...
configures the aircraft, the size and seat pitch of the
airline seatAirline seats are chairs on an airliner in which passengers are accommodated for the duration of the journey. Such seats are usually arranged in rows running across the airplane's fuselage...
s will vary significantly. For example, aircraft scheduled for shorter flights are often configured at a higher seat density than long-haul aircraft.
Due to current economic pressures on the airline industry, high seating densities in the economy cabin are likely to continue.
History
Following the success of the narrow-body
Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven"...
and
Douglas DC-8The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972. Launched later than the competing Boeing 707, the DC-8 nevertheless established Douglas in a strong position in the airliner market, and remained in production until 1972 when much larger designs, including the DC-10,...
in the late 1950s, airlines began seeking larger aircraft to meet the rising global demand for air travel. Engineers were faced with many challenges as airlines demanded more passenger seats per aircraft, longer fuel ranges and lower operating costs.
Early jet aircraft such as the 707 and DC-8 seated passengers along either side of a single aisle, with no more than six seats per row. Larger aircraft would have to be longer, higher (such as a double deck), or wider in order to accommodate the greater number of passenger seats. Engineers also realized that lengthening the fuselage would have resulted in aircraft that would be too long to be handled by airports, while having two decks created difficulties in meeting emergency evacuation regulations, which were extremely challenging provided the technology available at the time. These parameters left a wider fuselage as the best option: by adding a second aisle, the wider aircraft could accommodate as many as 10 seats across.
The widebody age began in 1970 with the entry into service of the first wide-body airliner, the four-engined, double-deck
Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a widebody commercial airliner, often referred to by the nickname "Jumbo Jet". It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first widebody ever produced...
. New
trijetA trijet is an aircraft powered by three jet engines. Early twin-jet designs were limited by the FAA's "60-minute rule", whereby the flight path of twin-engined jetliners was restricted to within 60 minutes' flying time from a suitable airport, in case of engine failure. In 1964 this rule was...
wide-body aircraft soon followed, including the
McDonnell Douglas DC-10The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine medium- to long-range widebody airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer...
and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar. The first widebody
twinjetA twinjet is a jet aircraft powered by two engines. There are two common configurations of the engines; one sees either engine slung under a wing, and the other sees them mounted at the back of the fuselage. Twinjets tend to be quieter and more efficient than aircraft with either three or four...
entered service in 1974, the
Airbus A300The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody aircraft. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of the Airbus consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS. The A300 ceased production in July 2007, along with the smaller...
.
After the success of the early widebody aircraft, several successors came to market over the next two decades, including the
Airbus A330-A340 SeriesThe Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engined wide-body commercial passenger airliner manufactured by Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It seats between 261 and 380 passengers, and has a range between 6,700 and 9,000 NM . It is similar in design to the twin-engined A330...
and the Boeing
767The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twinjet airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the 767 can carry between 181 and 375 passengers, and have a range of 5,200 to 6,590 nautical miles depending on variant and seating configuration. The Boeing 767 has been...
-
777The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The world's largest twinjet and commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven", the aircraft can carry between 301 and 368 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a range from...
. In the jumbo category, the capacity of the Boeing 747 was not surpassed until October 2007, when the
Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France, and made its first commercial flight on 25...
entered commercial service with the nickname
Superjumbo.
Design considerations
Although wide-body aircraft have a larger frontal area (and thus greater form drag) than a narrow-body aircraft of similar capacity, they have several advantages over their narrow-body counterparts:
- Larger volume of space for passengers, giving a more open feeling to the space
- Lower ratio of surface area to volume, and thus lower drag on a per-passenger basis
- Twin aisles that accelerate loading, unloading, and evacuation compared to a single aisle
- Wider fuselage that reduces the overall aircraft length, improving ground manoeuvrability and reducing the risk of tail strikes
Tailstrike is an aviation term that describes an event in which the rear end of an aircraft touches the runway. This can happen during takeoff of a fixed-wing aircraft if the pilot pulls up too rapidly, leading to the rear end of the fuselage touching the runway. It can also occur during landing...
- Greater under-floor freight capacity
- Better structural efficiency for larger aircraft than would be possible with a narrow-body design
British and Russian designers had proposed widebody aircraft similar in configuration to the Vickers VC-10 and Douglas DC-9, but with a wide-body fuselage. The British
Three-ElevenThe BAC Two-Eleven and BAC Three-Eleven were British airliner studies proposed by the British Aircraft Corporation in the late 1960s.The projects emerged from design studies aimed at competing first with the Boeing 727-200 and then with the proposed European Airbus.-BAC Two-Eleven:In 1966, the...
project never left the drawing board, while the Russian
Il-86The Ilyushin Il-86 is a medium-range wide-body jet airliner. Designed and tested by the Ilyushin design bureau in the 1970s, it was certificated by the Soviet aircraft industry during the 1970s and 1980s, manufactured jointly in the USSR and Poland, and marketed by the USSR...
wide-body proposal eventually gave way to a more conventional wing-mounted engine design, most likely due to the inefficiencies of mounting such a large engine on the aft fuselage.
Engines
As jet engine power and reliability have increased over the last decades, most of the widebody aircraft built today have only two engines. A
twinjetA twinjet is a jet aircraft powered by two engines. There are two common configurations of the engines; one sees either engine slung under a wing, and the other sees them mounted at the back of the fuselage. Twinjets tend to be quieter and more efficient than aircraft with either three or four...
design is more fuel-efficient than a comparable
trijetA trijet is an aircraft powered by three jet engines. Early twin-jet designs were limited by the FAA's "60-minute rule", whereby the flight path of twin-engined jetliners was restricted to within 60 minutes' flying time from a suitable airport, in case of engine failure. In 1964 this rule was...
or four-engined aircraft. The increased reliability of modern jet engines also allows aircraft to meet the ETOPS certification standard, which calculates reasonable safety margins for flights across oceans. The trijet design has been eliminated due to higher maintenance and fuel costs, and only the heaviest widebody aircraft today are built with four engines (the Airbus A340-600,
Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France, and made its first commercial flight on 25...
and
Boeing 747-8The Boeing 747-8 is a widebody commercial airliner being developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Officially announced in 2005, the 747-8 is the latest evolutionary variant of the Boeing 747, with lengthened fuselage, redesigned wings and improved efficiency...
).
The
Boeing 777The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The world's largest twinjet and commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven", the aircraft can carry between 301 and 368 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a range from...
twinjet features the largest and most powerful jet engine in the world, the
General Electric GE90General Electric GE90 is a family of high-bypass turbofan engines built by GE-Aviation for the Boeing 777, with thrust ranging from 74,000 to 115,000 lb
f . It was first introduced in November 1995 on British Airways' 777s, and is only available on the 777...
, which is in diameter. This is almost as wide as the entire fuselage of a
Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has nine variants with the -600, -700, -800 and -900 currently in production.Originally envisioned in...
at .
The massive maximum takeoff weight of the
Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France, and made its first commercial flight on 25...
would not have been possible without the engine technology developed for the Boeing 777 (such as contra-rotating spools). The Trent 900 engine pictured, used on the Airbus A380 has a fan blade diameter of , only slightly smaller than the GE90 engines on the Boeing 777. An interesting design constraint of the Trent 900 engines is that they are designed to fit into a Boeing 747-400F freighter for relatively easy transport by air cargo.
Interiors
The interiors of aircraft, known as the
aircraft cabinAn aircraft cabin is the section of an aircraft in which passengers travel, often just called the cabin. At cruising altitudes, the surrounding atmosphere is too thin to breathe without an oxygen mask, so cabin pressurization adapts the cabin to atmospheric pressures.In commercial air travel,...
, have been under constant evolution since the first passenger aircraft. Bar and lounge areas which were once installed on the
Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a widebody commercial airliner, often referred to by the nickname "Jumbo Jet". It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first widebody ever produced...
have mostly disappeared, but a few have returned in first or business class on the Airbus A340-600 and on the
Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France, and made its first commercial flight on 25...
.
EmiratesEmirates is a major airline in the Middle East, and a subsidiary of The Emirates Group. It is the national airline of Dubai, United Arab Emirates and operates over 1,990 passenger flights per week, from its hub at Dubai International Airport, to 91 destinations in 55 countries across 6 continents...
has installed showers for First Class passengers on the A380; twenty-five minutes are allotted for use of the room, and the shower operates for a maximum of five minutes.
A comparison of interior cabin widths and economy class seating layout is further below in this article under widebody specifications, and further information can be found under external links.
Wake turbulence and separation
Aircraft are categorized by ICAO according to the
wake turbulenceWake turbulence is turbulence that forms behind an aircraft as it passes through the air. This turbulence includes various components, the most important of which are wingtip vortices and jetwash. Jetwash refers simply to the rapidly moving gases expelled from a jet engine; it is extremely...
they produce. Because wake turbulence is generally related to the weight of an aircraft, these categories are based on one of four weight categories: light, medium, heavy, and super.
Due to their weight, all current widebody aircraft are categorized as
heavy, or in the case of the A380,
super.
The wake-turbulence category also is used to guide the
separationIn air traffic control, separation is the name for the concept of keeping an aircraft in a minimum distance from another aircraft to reduce the risk of those aircraft colliding, as well as prevent accidents due to wake turbulence....
of aircraft. Super and heavy-category aircraft require greater separation behind them than those in other categories. In some countries, such as the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it is a requirement to suffix a heavy (or super) aircraft's call sign with the word "heavy" (or super) when communicating with
air traffic controlAir traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
in certain areas.
All wide-body airlines
Very few
passenger airlineA passenger airline is an airline dedicated to the transport of passengers. Cf. cargo airline. Passenger airlines usually operate a fleet of passenger aircraft which, rather than being owned outright, are usually leased from commercial aircraft sales and leasing companies such as GECAS and...
s have been economically successful operating a fleet consisting solely of widebody aircraft.
The following companies operate an all-widebody fleet:
- AirAsia X
AirAsia X, is a long haul budget airline operated by AirAsia X Sdn. Bhd. . Its first service commenced on 2 November 2007 to Gold Coast, Australia from its base Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia....
from MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
- Air Tahiti Nui
Air Tahiti Nui is French Polynesia's flag carrier airline with its headquarters in Papeete, Tahiti. It operates international services for the low and high-end leisure travel markets. Its main base is Faa'a International Airport, Papeete.- History :...
from French PolynesiaFrench Polynesia is a French overseas collectivity in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
- Air Transat
Air Transat A.T. Inc. is an airline based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, operating scheduled and charter flights and serving 90 destinations in 25 countries. The airline is owned and operated by Transat A.T. During the summer season its main destinations are Europe and domestic flights within Canada...
from CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its headquarters and main hub at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline also operates fifth freedom flights from Bangkok and Taipei, its major focus cities...
from Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
- Emirates Airline
Emirates is a major airline in the Middle East, and a subsidiary of The Emirates Group. It is the national airline of Dubai, United Arab Emirates and operates over 1,990 passenger flights per week, from its hub at Dubai International Airport, to 91 destinations in 55 countries across 6 continents...
from the United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras...
- Martinair
Martinair is an airline based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It operates passenger and cargo services to over 50 destinations worldwide. Services are largely on a scheduled basis, but charter services are also operated. Its main base is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.- History:The airline was founded...
from the NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
- Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Limited is the state-owned national airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Singapore Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
from SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
- V Australia
Virgin Blue International Airlines Pty Ltd, trading as V Australia, is a long haul international airline owned by Virgin Blue Holdings Limited...
from AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
- Virgin Atlantic from the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
Special uses
Widebody aircraft are used in science, research, and the military. Two specially modified Boeing 747 aircraft, the
Shuttle Carrier AircraftThe Shuttle Carrier Aircraft are two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA uses to transport Space Shuttle orbiters...
, are used to transport the U.S. Space Shuttle. Some widebody aircraft are used as flying command posts by the military, such as the
Boeing E-4The Boeing E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post, with a project name of "Nightwatch", is an aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and is specially built to serve as a survivable mobile command post for the National Command Authority, including the President of the United States, the...
, while the
Boeing E-767The Boeing E-767 is an Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft. It was designed in response to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's requirements, and is essentially the E-3 Sentry mission package on a Boeing 767-200 platform.-Background:...
is used for Airborne Early Warning and Control. New military weapons are tested aboard widebodies, as in the laser weapons testing on the
Boeing YAL-1The Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser weapons system is a megawatt-class chemical oxygen iodine laser mounted inside a modified Boeing 747-400F. It is primarily designed as a missile defense system to destroy tactical ballistic missiles , while in boost phase. The low-power lasers have been test-fired...
. Other widebody aircraft are used as flying research stations, such as the joint German-U.S.
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared AstronomyThe Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center for the construction and maintenance of an airborne telescope...
. Both Airbus and Boeing four-engine widebody aircraft are used to test new generations of aircraft engines in-flight. A few aircraft have also been converted for
aerial firefightingAerial firefighting is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing...
, such as the DC-10-based
Tanker 910Tanker 910 is the call-sign of a wide-body jet air tanker currently in fire service. The aircraft, operated by 10 Tanker Air Carrier, is a converted McDonnell Douglas DC-10 aircraft used for fighting wildfires, typically in rural areas...
and the 747-based
Evergreen SupertankerThe Evergreen Supertanker is a Boeing 747-200 commercial airliner that was modified into an aerial firefighting aircraft by Evergreen International Aviation...
.
Some widebody aircraft are used as
VIPVIP and V.I.P. is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:-In general:* Vacuum insulated panel* Vampires in Public, a live action role-playing game system based in the UK.* Variable Information Printing, a form of on-demand printing...
transport. Germany uses the
Airbus A310The Airbus A310 is a medium to long-range widebody airliner. Launched in 1978, it was the second aircraft created by the Airbus consortium of European aerospace companies, which is now fully owned by EADS. The A310 is a shortened derivative of the A300, the first twin-engined widebody airliner...
, while Russia uses the
Ilyushin Il-96The Ilyushin Il-96 is a four-engined long-haul widebody airliner designed by Ilyushin in the Russian Federation and manufactured by the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association in Voronezh...
to transport their highest leaders. The specially modified Boeing 747-200 used by the President of the United States is known as
Air Force OneAir Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States...
, or the
Boeing VC-25The Boeing VC-25 is the designation of a United States Air Force passenger transportation aircraft, a military version of the Boeing 747. The A-model is the only variant of the VC-25....
. More information can be found under: Air transports of heads of state and government.
Future development
Airbus and Boeing are racing to market with two new wide-body designs, currently in development. Both manufacturers have been under significant pressure to see which obtains the most orders.
Currently, the
Boeing 787The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a mid-sized, wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner currently under development by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Its maximum seating capacity in a one-class configuration is between 290 to 330 passengers depending on variant...
has received more orders than Airbus, and will be first to enter into service with the airlines. The 787 is also the first large commercial aircraft to utilize a monolithic
compositeComposite materials are engineered materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level within the finished structure.- History :The most primitive composite materials were straw...
fuselageThe fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
.
The initial
Airbus A350The Airbus A350 is a long-range, mid-size, wide-body family of airliners currently under development by European manufacturing group Airbus. The A350 will be the first Airbus with fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic...
design was only a minor upgrade to that of the
A330The Airbus A330 is a large-capacity, wide-body, twin-engine, medium-to-long-range commercial passenger airliner. Built at Toulouse in France by Airbus, over 600 units have been delivered....
/
A340The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engined wide-body commercial passenger airliner manufactured by Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It seats between 261 and 380 passengers, and has a range between 6,700 and 9,000 NM . It is similar in design to the twin-engined A330...
series, but Airbus was forced to make significant design changes in response to feedback from the airlines. In addition to being a few inches wider than the Boeing, Airbus claims that the A350 final specifications will be better than that of the 787.
The article on
competition between Airbus and BoeingCompetition between Airbus and Boeing is a result of the two companies' domination of the large jet airliner market since the 1990s, which is itself a consequence of numerous corporate failures and mergers within the global aerospace industry over the years...
further discusses the rivalry, while order counts between the two aircraft can be compared under
Airbus A350 orders versus
Boeing 787 orders.
Widebody specifications
|
Model |
EIS -
Final
Prod.
Year |
#
Eng. |
Maximum
Metric
MTOW |
Inside Diameter,
main passenger deck,
upper passenger deck |
Outside Diameter,
main passenger deck |
Number of seats across in economy,
main deck (seat width) |
|
Airbus A300The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody aircraft. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of the Airbus consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS. The A300 ceased production in July 2007, along with the smaller...
|
1974 - 2007 |
2 |
132.0 tons
171.7 tons |
|
| 8 across (17.0" wide) in 2-4-2 on TG Thai Airways Company or Thai Airways was the domestic flag carrier of Thailand. Its main base was the Domestic Terminal at Don Mueang International Airport: DMK...
8 across (17.0" wide) in 2-4-2 on LHDeutsche Lufthansa AG is the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried, and the flag carrier of Germany. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fifth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried,...
|
|
Airbus A310The Airbus A310 is a medium to long-range widebody airliner. Launched in 1978, it was the second aircraft created by the Airbus consortium of European aerospace companies, which is now fully owned by EADS. The A310 is a shortened derivative of the A300, the first twin-engined widebody airliner...
|
1982 - 2007 |
2 |
164.0 tons |
|
| 8 across (17.4" wide) in 2-4-2 on AI{Infobox Airline|airline = Air India एअर इंडिया|logo = AI logo.gif|logo_size = 200|IATA = AI|ICAO = AIC|callsign = AIRINDIA|parent = NACIL...
|
|
Airbus A330The Airbus A330 is a large-capacity, wide-body, twin-engine, medium-to-long-range commercial passenger airliner. Built at Toulouse in France by Airbus, over 600 units have been delivered....
|
1994 |
2 |
233.0 tons |
|
| 8 across (17.5" wide) in 2-4-2 on EK
8 across (17.5" wide) in 2-4-2 on NWNorthwest Airlines, Inc. , a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Inc., is a major United States airline headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, near Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport...
|
|
Airbus A340The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engined wide-body commercial passenger airliner manufactured by Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It seats between 261 and 380 passengers, and has a range between 6,700 and 9,000 NM . It is similar in design to the twin-engined A330...
|
1993 |
4 |
380.0 tons |
|
| 8 across (17.3" wide) in 2-4-2 on EY Established in 2003, Etihad Airways is the flag carrier airline of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Etihad is based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates....
|
|
Airbus A350The Airbus A350 is a long-range, mid-size, wide-body family of airliners currently under development by European manufacturing group Airbus. The A350 will be the first Airbus with fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic...
|
2013 |
2 |
298.0 tons |
|
| 8 across (19.0" wide) in 2-4-2 proposed
9 across (17.7" wide) in 3-3-3 proposed |
|
Airbus A380 The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France, and made its first commercial flight on 25...
|
2007 |
4 |
560.0 tons |
|
| 10 across (18.6" wide) in 3-4-3 on SQSingapore Airlines Limited is the state-owned national airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Singapore Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
10 across (18.1" wide) in 3-4-3 on QF
10 across (18.0" wide) in 3-4-3 on EK |
|
Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a widebody commercial airliner, often referred to by the nickname "Jumbo Jet". It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first widebody ever produced...
|
1970 |
4 |
412.8 tons |
|
| 10 across (17.7" wide) in 3-4-3 on TG Thai Airways Company or Thai Airways was the domestic flag carrier of Thailand. Its main base was the Domestic Terminal at Don Mueang International Airport: DMK...
10 across (17.2" wide) in 3-4-3 on NWNorthwest Airlines, Inc. , a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Inc., is a major United States airline headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, near Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport...
|
|
Boeing 767The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twinjet airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the 767 can carry between 181 and 375 passengers, and have a range of 5,200 to 6,590 nautical miles depending on variant and seating configuration. The Boeing 767 has been...
|
1982 |
2 |
204.1 tons |
|
| 7 across (18.0" wide) in 2-3-2 on UAUnited Air Lines, Inc., trading as United Airlines , is a major airline of the United States. It is a subsidiary of UAL Corporation with corporate offices in Chicago at 77 West Wacker Drive in the Chicago Loop. United's largest hub is O'Hare International Airport, where it has more than 550 daily...
7 across (17.0" wide) in 2-3-2 on USUS Airways, Inc., an operating unit of US Airways Group, is the fifth largest airline in the United States.A member of the Star Alliance, the airline has a fleet of 353 mainline jet aircraft and 319 regional jet and turbo-prop aircraft connecting 200 destinations in North America, Central America,...
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Boeing 777The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The world's largest twinjet and commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven", the aircraft can carry between 301 and 368 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a range from...
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1995 |
2 |
351.5 tons |
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| 9 across (18.0" wide) in 2-5-2 on UAUnited Air Lines, Inc., trading as United Airlines , is a major airline of the United States. It is a subsidiary of UAL Corporation with corporate offices in Chicago at 77 West Wacker Drive in the Chicago Loop. United's largest hub is O'Hare International Airport, where it has more than 550 daily...
9 across (17.9" wide) in 3-3-3 on COContinental Airlines is a United States certificated air carrier. Based in Downtown Houston, Texas, it is the fourth-largest airline in the US based on revenue passenger miles. Since 1998, Continental's marketing slogan has been "Work Hard, Fly Right."Continental operates flights to destinations...
10 across (17.0" wide) in 3-4-3 on AFAir France is a French airline headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, France , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
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Boeing 787The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a mid-sized, wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner currently under development by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Its maximum seating capacity in a one-class configuration is between 290 to 330 passengers depending on variant...
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2010 |
2 |
245.0 tons |
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| 8 across (18.5" wide) in 2-4-2 proposed
9 across (17.2" wide) in 3-3-3 proposed |
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Ilyushin Il-86The Ilyushin Il-86 is a medium-range wide-body jet airliner. Designed and tested by the Ilyushin design bureau in the 1970s, it was certificated by the Soviet aircraft industry during the 1970s and 1980s, manufactured jointly in the USSR and Poland, and marketed by the USSR...
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1980 - 1994 |
4 |
208.0 tons |
224 inches (5.70 m) |
239 inches (6.08 m) |
9 across (18.0" wide) in 3-3-3 |
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Ilyushin Il-96The Ilyushin Il-96 is a four-engined long-haul widebody airliner designed by Ilyushin in the Russian Federation and manufactured by the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association in Voronezh...
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1992 |
4 |
240.0 tons |
224 inches (5.70 m) |
239 inches (6.08 m) |
9 across (18.0" wide) in 3-3-3 on SUOJSC "AeroflotRussian Airlines" , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the largest airline in Russia, based on passengers carried per year. Aeroflot, headquartered in Moscow, is one of the oldest airlines in the world, tracing its history back to 1923...
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L1011 Tristar |
1972 - 1984 |
3 |
231.3 tons |
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| 9 across (17.0" wide) in 2-5-2 on SVSaudi Arabian Airlines is the national airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 70 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Domestic and international charter flights are operated, mostly during...
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MD DC-10The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine medium- to long-range widebody airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer...
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1971 - 1988 |
3 |
259.5 tons |
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| 9 across (17.2" wide) in 2-5-2 on NWNorthwest Airlines, Inc. , a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Inc., is a major United States airline headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, near Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport...
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MD MD-11The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is an American three-engine medium to long-range widebody airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer...
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1990 - 2000 |
3 |
286.0 tons |
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| 9 across (17.5" wide) in 3-3-3 on KL |
See also
- Aircraft seat maps
- Seat configurations of the Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 has two full-length decks , the main deck measuring 6.58 m in width and the upper deck 5.92 m . This allows for multiple seat configurations...
- Competition between Airbus and Boeing
Competition between Airbus and Boeing is a result of the two companies' domination of the large jet airliner market since the 1990s, which is itself a consequence of numerous corporate failures and mergers within the global aerospace industry over the years...
External links
Wikipedia links