What is the largest Boeing 747?

The largest of all 747s is the 747-8, launched in 2005 and built between 2008 and 2023. It measures 76.3 m (250 ft) in length, nearly six metres longer than the 747-400, with a wingspan of 68.4 m thanks to a redesigned wing and a maximum takeoff weight of 447,700 kg (987,000 lb). For over a decade it was the longest commercial aircraft in the world, until the Boeing 777-9 just barely surpassed it on the drawing board.

There are two versions. The 747-8F freighter first flew on 8 February 2010 and carries about 137 tonnes of cargo; the passenger 747-8 Intercontinental took off on 20 March 2011 and seats 410 passengers in three classes. Both are powered by four General Electric GEnx-2B67 engines derived from those of the 787.

The 747-400, in service since 1989, was the best-selling version of the family with nearly 700 units built, and its 70.6 m length defined the jumbo jet standard for years. The 747-8 lengthened the fuselage both ahead of and behind the wing and borrowed the aerodynamics and engines of the 787, letting Boeing claim significantly lower fuel burn per seat than the -400.

Despite its size, the 747-8 sold poorly as a passenger aircraft: Lufthansa, Korean Air and Air China were its main airline customers, and barely fifty Intercontinentals were built. The freighter fared better among operators such as Cargolux, UPS and Atlas Air. A 747-8F for Atlas Air, delivered on 31 January 2023, was in fact the last of the 1,574 Boeing 747s ever built. Two more 747-8s, converted into VC-25Bs, will replace the current US presidential aircraft.