World’s Largest Airplanes

Aviation has evolved remarkably, from planes barely staying aloft for moments to safely ferrying hundreds across continents. One significant aspect of this evolution is the increasing size of planes, exemplified by the Airbus A380, the largest passenger aircraft in service. There has been a trend to make airplanes more versatile and fuel-efficient, meaning the tendency to construct larger aircraft is much less. However, it is worth acknowledging the diverse array of massive planes that have soared through history alongside it.

List of Large Planes Still in Service

Some of the world’s largest aircraft are still in service. We have arranged these planes by their maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), which is the most common factor determining how much a plane can carry, including fuel, passengers, cargo, etc., and is widely used as a standardized measure.

Aircraft	When Did it First Fly	How Many Were Built	Primary Role	Length	Wingspan	MTOW	Known For
Airbus A380	27 Apr, 2005	254	Commercial Airliner	238.5 ft	261.8 ft	560 tonnes	Highest passenger capacity airliner
Boeing 747-8	8 Feb, 2010	155	Commercial Airliner	250.3 ft	224.4 ft	447 tonnes	Last member of the Boeing 747 series
Antonov An-124	26 Dec, 1982	55	Transport	226.7 ft	240.5 ft	402 tonnes	Most capable transport until the An-225
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy	30 Jun, 1968	131	Military transport	247 ft	222.7 ft	381 tonnes	Largest payload capacity until the An-124
Boeing Dreamlifter	9 Sep, 2006	4	Outsize cargo	235.23 ft	211.28 ft	364 tonnes	Boeing 747-400 derivative, largest volume until the BelugaXL
Antonov An-22	27 Feb, 1965	68	Transport	190 ft	212 ft	250 tonnes	Heaviest turboprop aircraft
Airbus BelugaXL	19 Jul, 2018	5	Outsize cargo	207 ft	197.8 ft	227 tonnes	Airbus A330 derivative, with the largest volume
Boeing B-52	15 Apr, 1952	744	Bomber	159.1 ft	185.03 ft	220 tonnes	Heaviest until the XB-70
Airbus Beluga	13 Sep, 1994	5	Outsize cargo	184.38 ft	147 ft	155 tonnes	Airbus A300 derivative, largest volume until the Dreamlifter

List of Large Fixed-wing Aircrafts No Longer in Service

A lot of these aircraft are no longer in service. Reasons could include a preference for sleeker and more versatile models, being destroyed during a crash, or an experimental prototype that wasn’t feasible for mass production. They are similarly arranged by their maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), with a cut-off of 100 tonnes.

Aircraft	When Did it First Fly	How Many Were Built	Primary Role	Length	Wingspan	MTOW	Why Is It Not in Use
Antonov An-225 Mriya	21 Dec, 1988	1	Transport	275.6 ft	290 ft	640 tonnes	Destroyed in 2022 during Russia’s assault on Ukraine
Stratolaunch	13 Apr, 2019	1	Air Launch	239.5 ft	383.5 ft	589 tonnes	Ownership changes leading to the craft being used for flight tests currently
Caspian Sea Monster	16 Oct, 1966	1	Ground Effect Vehicle	301.8 ft	123.4 ft	544 tonnes	Crashed into the Caspian Sea in 1980
XB-70	21 Sep, 1964	2	Bomber	185.03 ft	104 ft	246 tonnes	Retired in favor of the An-22
Convair B-36	8 Aug, 1946	384	Bomber	162 ft	230 ft	186 tonnes	Retired in favor of the An-22
Hughes H-4 Hercules	2 Nov, 1947	1	Flying Boat	218.8 ft	320.8 ft	180 tonnes	Experimental wooden craft that made a single flight
Convair XC-99	23 Nov, 1947	1	Transport	182.4 ft	230 ft	145 tonnes	Retired in favor of the An-22
Blohm & Voss BV 238	Apr 1944	1	Flying Boat	142 ft	197.5 ft	100 tonnes	Destroyed in 1945, near the end of World War II

Over time, there have been marked improvements in materials used to construct airplanes, as well as in aerodynamics and propulsion. These improvements have expanded the capabilities of large aircraft, influencing global travel and cargo transport and leaving a mark on how we travel throughout the skies.