Who has the world's largest aircraft carrier?

Short answer

The world's largest aircraft carrier is the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) of the United States Navy: about 100,000 tons at full load, 337 m in length, nuclear-powered, and capacity for around 75 aircraft. It's followed by the ten US Nimitz-class carriers and, outside the US, China's Fujian, at about 80,000 tons (as of September 2026).

Published: September 21, 2026 · Updated: September 21, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Who has the world's largest aircraft carrier?

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) in dry dock front view 2013

The Gerald R. Ford, at the top of the list

The world's largest aircraft carrier belongs to the United States Navy: the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), first of its class, delivered in 2017 and first deployed in 2022. It displaces around 100,000 tons at full load, measures 337 m in length, and its flight deck exceeds 78 m in width. It is nuclear-powered, with two A1B reactors that allow it to sail at over 30 knots (56 km/h) without refueling for decades. It was built at the Newport News shipyard, part of Huntington Ingalls Industries, in Virginia.

What sets it apart from the Nimitz class

The ten Nimitz-class carriers, also American, have nearly identical dimensions, and for forty years they were the largest on the planet. The Ford's difference lies on the inside: electromagnetic catapults (EMALS) instead of steam, an advanced braking system, electric weapons elevators and a smaller island shifted toward the stern. The Navy estimates it can generate up to 25% more daily sorties than a Nimitz with a smaller crew. Its air wing numbers around 75 aircraft, including F/A-18E/F, F-35C, EA-18G, E-2D and helicopters.

The rest of the world

No other country comes close. China's Fujian, launched in 2022, displaces about 80,000 tons and is the largest aircraft carrier built outside the United States; it also uses electromagnetic catapults. Britain's Queen Elizabeth-class carriers displace around 65,000 tons and operate short-takeoff F-35Bs. France maintains the Charles de Gaulle, at 42,000 tons the only nuclear-powered carrier outside the US Navy. The ranking will only change in name, not in country, once the John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), the second ship of the Ford class, enters service.