View source for Wide-body aircraft

{{Short description|Airliner with two aisles}}
{{Redirect|Jumbo jet|the aircraft originally and specifically known as the jumbo jet|Boeing 747|other uses|Jumbo jet (disambiguation)}}
[[File:N26902@PEK (20181229152149).jpg|thumb|A [[Boeing 787 Dreamliner]] of [[United Airlines]] landing at [[Beijing Capital International Airport]] in December 2018.]]
A '''wide-body aircraft''', also known as a '''twin-aisle aircraft''' and in the largest cases as a '''jumbo jet''', is an [[airliner]] with a [[fuselage]] wide enough to accommodate two passenger aisles with seven or more seats abreast.<ref name="travelPro">{{cite book| title = A Guide to Becoming a Travel Professional| author1 = Ginger Gorham| author2 = Ginger Todd| author3 = Susan Rice| publisher = Cengage Learning| year = 2003| isbn = 9781401851774| page = [https://archive.org/details/guidetobecomingt0000gorh/page/40 40]| url = https://archive.org/details/guidetobecomingt0000gorh/page/40}}</ref> The typical [[fuselage]] diameter is {{convert|5|to|6|m|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20E15F93C59107A93CBA81788D85F468785F9&scp=133&sq=wide-body&st=p| title = the traveler's world; Test of a New Wide-Bodied Airbus| author = Paul J. C. Friedlander| newspaper = New York Times| date = 1972-03-19}}</ref> In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast,<ref>{{cite book| page = [https://archive.org/details/flyingoffcoursee00doga/page/n186 170]| title = Flying Off Course: The Economics of International Airlines| url = https://archive.org/details/flyingoffcoursee00doga| url-access = limited| author = Doganis, Rigas| publisher = Routledge| year = 2002| isbn = 9780415213240}}</ref> allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/passengeraircraft/a380family/a380-800/specifications/ |title=Dimensions & key data &#124; Airbus, a leading aircraft manufacturer |publisher=Airbus.com |date=2012-09-27 |access-date=2012-10-01 |archive-date=2012-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708071501/http://www.airbus.com/aircraftfamilies/passengeraircraft/a380family/a380-800/specifications/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> passengers. Seven-abreast aircraft typically seat 160 to 260 passengers, eight-abreast 250 to 380, nine- and ten-abreast 350 to 480.<ref>{{cite book |title= Aircraft Design |author= Ajoy Kumar Kundu |publisher= Cambridge University Press |date= 12 April 2010 |isbn= 978-1139487450}}</ref> The largest wide-body aircraft are over {{convert|6|m|abbr=on}} wide, and can accommodate up to eleven passengers abreast in high-density configurations.

By comparison, a typical [[narrow-body aircraft]] has a diameter of {{convert|3|to|4|m|0|abbr=on}}, with a single aisle,<ref name="travelPro" /><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/narrowbody-aircraft.html|title = narrowbody aircraft|access-date = 2009-03-18|archive-date = 2017-06-18|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170618035008/http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/narrowbody-aircraft.html|url-status = dead}}</ref> and seats between two and six people abreast.<ref>{{cite book| page = 552| title = Flight International| author = [[Royal Aero Club]] (Great Britain), Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom| year = 1967| publisher = IPC Transport Press Ltd.| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=U3s7AAAAMAAJ}}</ref>

Wide-body aircraft were originally designed for a combination of efficiency and passenger comfort and to increase the amount of cargo space.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02E3D61438F937A15756C0A967948260&sec=travel&spon=&pagewanted=all| title = How Airline Cabins are Being Reshaped| author = Eric Pace| newspaper = New York Times| date = 1981-05-24}}</ref> However, airlines quickly gave in to economic factors, and reduced the extra passenger space in order to insert more seats and increase revenue and profits.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical Snapshot: 747 Commercial Transport/YAL-1 |url=https://www.boeing.com/history/products/747.page |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609043110/https://www.boeing.com/history/products/747.page |archive-date=2023-06-09 |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=www.boeing.com |url-status=live }}</ref> Wide-body aircraft are also used by commercial [[cargo airline]]s,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.impactpub.com.au/aircargo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2659&Itemid=60| title = Wide body cargo screening still a challenge | date = 2008-11-18| publisher = Impact Publications| access-date = 2009-02-17}}</ref> along with other specialized uses.

By the end of 2017, nearly 8,800 wide-body airplanes had been delivered since 1969, with production peaking at 412 in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://theblogbyjavier.com/2018/02/01/commercial-wide-body-airplanes-deliveries-per-year-1969-2017/ |title= Commercial wide-body airplanes' deliveries per year, 1969-2017 |date= Feb 1, 2018 |author= Javier Irastorza Mediavilla}}</ref>

== History ==
===1960s===
[[file:Pan Am Boeing 747-121 N732PA Bidini.jpg|thumb|A [[Boeing 747]], the first wide-body passenger aircraft, operated by [[Pan Am]], its launch customer in 1970]]
[[file:Cirrus SR20 Private, AMS Amsterdam (Schiphol), Netherlands PP1151411024 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Three widebodies, one in each main engine configuration: [[KLM]]'s [[Airbus A330]] [[twinjet]], [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]] [[trijet]] and [[Boeing 747-400]] [[Four-engined jet aircraft|quadjet]]]]

Following the success of the [[Boeing 707]] and [[Douglas DC-8]] in the late 1950s and early 1960s, 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 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 ([[double-deck aircraft]]), or wider in order to accommodate a greater number of passenger seats.

Engineers realized having two decks created difficulties in meeting emergency evacuation regulations with the technology available at that time. During the 1960s, it was also believed that [[supersonic airliner]]s would succeed larger, slower planes. Thus, it was believed that most subsonic aircraft would become obsolete for passenger travel and would be eventually converted to freighters. As a result, airline manufacturers opted for a wider fuselage rather than a taller one (the [[Boeing 747|747]], and eventually the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]] and [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]]). By adding a second aisle, the wider aircraft could accommodate as many as 10 seats across, but could also be easily converted to a freighter and carry two eight-by-eight freight pallets abreast.<ref name="Wide_Body">{{ cite book | last = Irving | first = Clive | title = Wide Body: The Making of the Boeing 747 | publisher = Coronet | year = 1994 | isbn = 0-340-59983-9 }}</ref>

The engineers also opted for creating "stretched" versions of the DC-8 (61, 62 and 63 models), as well as longer versions of Boeing's 707 (-320B and 320C models) and 727 (-200 model); and Douglas' DC-9 (-30, -40, and -50 models), all of which were capable of accommodating more seats than their shorter predecessor versions.
===1970s===
The wide-body age of jet travel began in 1970 with the entry into service of the first wide-body airliner, the four-engined, partial double-deck [[Boeing 747]].<ref name="ucfc747">Rumerman, Judy. [http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Aerospace/Boeing_747/Aero21.htm "The Boeing 747"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007143215/http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Aerospace/Boeing_747/Aero21.htm |date=October 7, 2012 }}, U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. Retrieved: 30 April 2006.</ref> New [[trijet]] wide-body aircraft soon followed, including the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and the L-1011 TriStar. The first wide-body [[twinjet]], the [[Airbus A300]], entered service in 1974. This period came to be known as the "wide-body wars".<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/the-airbus-a300-1.279241 | title = The Airbus A300 | publisher = CBC News | date = 2001-11-12 | access-date = 2009-08-24 }}</ref>

L-1011 TriStars were demonstrated in the USSR in 1974, as Lockheed sought to sell the aircraft to Aeroflot.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1974/1974%20-%200416.html |title= TriStar Flies to Moscow |magazine= Flight International |date= March 21, 1974 |page= 358|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618170622/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1974/1974%20-%200416.html|archivedate=18 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Hedrick |title=Lockheed's Tristar Is Displayed in Soviet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/03/13/archives/lockheeds-tristar-is-displayed-in-soviet-special-to-the-new-york.html |access-date=20 February 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=March 13, 1974|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220020515/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/03/13/archives/lockheeds-tristar-is-displayed-in-soviet-special-to-the-new-york.html|archivedate=20 February 2021}}</ref> However, in 1976 the Soviet Union launched its own first four-engined wide-body, the [[Ilyushin Il-86]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1977/1977%20-%202467.html |title= Russia's New Long-Hauler |magazine= Flight International |date= August 20, 1977 |page= 524|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207014909/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1977/1977%20-%202467.html|archivedate=7 February 2019}}</ref>

After the success of the early wide-body aircraft, several subsequent designs came to market over the next two decades, including the [[Boeing 767]] and [[Boeing 777|777]], the [[Airbus A330]] and [[Airbus A340]], and the [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]]. In the "jumbo" category, the capacity of the Boeing 747 was not surpassed until October 2007, when the [[Airbus A380]] entered commercial service with the nickname "Superjumbo".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4183201.stm |title=Business &#124; Airbus unveils 'superjumbo' jet |work=BBC News |date=2005-01-18 |access-date=2009-12-20}}</ref> Both the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 "jumbo jets" have four engines each (quad-jets), but the upcoming [[Boeing 777X]] ("mini jumbo jet") is a twinjet.<ref name="Bus"/><ref name="Tina"/>

In the mid-2000s, rising oil costs in a post-[[September 11 attacks|9/11]] climate caused airlines to look towards newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft. Two such examples are the [[Boeing 787 Dreamliner]] and [[Airbus A350 XWB]]. The proposed [[Comac C929]] and [[Comac C939|C939]] may also share this new wide-body market.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

[[file:Airbus A380 versus Boeing 747.svg|thumb|A cross-section comparison of Airbus A380 (double-deck the full length) and Boeing 747-400 (double-deck only in the front section)]]

The production of the large [[Boeing 747-8]] and Airbus A380 four-engine, long-haul jets has come to an end as airlines are now preferring the smaller, more efficient Airbus A350, Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 twin-engine, long-range airliners.<ref>{{ cite web | last1 = Pallini | first1 = Thomas | title = Double-decker planes are going extinct as Airbus and Boeing discontinue their largest models. Here's why airlines are abandoning 4-engine jets. | url = https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-a380-boeing-747-stop-production-double-decker-airliners-2020-7#:~:text=Boeing%20is%20stopping%20production%20of,than%20two%20decades%20of%20production. |website=Business Insider |access-date=3 March 2021 |date=30 July 2020}}</ref>

== Design ==

=== Fuselage ===
[[file:Airbus A300 cross section.jpg|thumb|An [[Airbus A300]]'s cross-section, showing cargo, passenger, and overhead areas]]

Although wide-body aircraft have larger frontal areas (and thus greater [[form drag]]) than narrow-body aircraft of similar capacity, they have several advantages over their narrow-body counterparts, such as:

* Larger cabin space for passengers, giving a more open feeling.
* Lower ratio of surface area to volume, and thus lower drag per passenger or cargo volume. The only exception to this would be with very long narrow-body aircraft, such as the [[Boeing 757]] and [[Airbus A321]].
* Twin aisles that accelerate loading, unloading, and evacuation compared to a single aisle (wide-body airliners typically have 3.5 to 5 seats abreast per aisle, compared to 5–6 on most narrow-body aircraft).<ref>{{cite book | title = Passenger Behaviour | author = Bor, Robert | year = 2003 | publisher = Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. | isbn = 9780754609360 | page = 170 }}</ref>
* Reduced overall aircraft length for a given capacity, improving ground manoeuvrability and reducing the risk of [[Tailstrike|tail strikes]].
* Greater under-floor freight capacity.
* Better structural efficiency for larger aircraft than would be possible with a narrow-body design.
[[File:LX-LCL VN-A899 VN-A289 HAN 290325.jpg|thumb|An [[Airbus A321]] of [[Vietravel Airlines]] parking next to a [[Vietnam Airlines]] [[Airbus A350-900]] and a [[Cargolux]] [[Boeing 747-400]] widebodies, highlighting their size differences.]]
British and Russian designers had proposed wide-body aircraft similar in configuration to the [[Vickers VC10]] and [[Douglas DC-9]], but with a wide-body fuselage. The British [[BAC Three-Eleven]] project did not proceed due to lack of government backing, while the Russian [[Ilyushin Il-86]] wide-body proposal eventually gave way to a more conventional wing-mounted engine design, most likely due to the inefficiencies of mounting such large engines on the aft fuselage.

=== Engines ===
[[file:General Electric GE90 displayed at Farnborough Air Show 2008.jpg|thumb|The [[General Electric GE90]] is the most powerful [[turbofan]] engine.]]

As jet engine power and reliability have increased over the last decades, most of the wide-body aircraft built today have only two engines. A [[twinjet]] design is more [[fuel-efficient]] than a [[trijet]] or [[quadjet]] of similar size.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} 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 was dismissed due to higher maintenance and fuel costs compared to a twinjet.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} However, the heaviest wide-body aircraft, the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747-8, are built with four engines. The upcoming Boeing 777X-9 twinjet is approaching the capacity of the earlier Boeing 747.<ref name="Bus"/><ref name="Tina"/>

The Boeing 777 twinjet features the most powerful jet engine, the [[General Electric GE90]].<ref name=120119PR>{{cite press release |url= https://www.geaviation.com/press-release/ge90-engine-family/record-year-worlds-largest-most-powerful-jet-engine |title= Record Year For The World's Largest, Most Powerful Jet Engine |date= January 19, 2012 |publisher= GE Aviation}}</ref> The early variants have a fan diameter of {{convert|123|in|cm|0|order=flip}}, and the larger GE90-115B has a fan diameter of {{convert|128|in|cm|0|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite press release |url= https://www.geaviation.com/press-release/ge90-engine-family/ge90-115b-fan-completing-blade-testing-schedule-first-engine-test |title= GE90-115B Fan Completing Blade Testing; On Schedule For First Engine To Test |date= June 17, 2001 |publisher= GE Aviation }}</ref> This is almost as wide as the {{convert|3.30|m|in|0}} [[Fokker 100]] fuselage. Complete GE90 engines can only be ferried by outsize cargo aircraft such as the [[Antonov An-124]], presenting logistics problems if a 777 is stranded in a place due to emergency diversions without the proper spare parts. If the fan is removed from the core, then the engines may be shipped on a Boeing 747 Freighter.<ref>{{cite news |title= GE strives to identify Air France engine fault |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/ge-strives-to-identify-air-france-engine-fault-203826/ |work= [[Flight International]] |date= January 3, 2006 }}</ref>
The [[General Electric GE9X]], powering the Boeing 777X, is wider than the GE90 by {{convert|6|in|cm|0|order=flip}}.

The {{convert|560|t|lb}} [[maximum takeoff weight]] of the Airbus A380 would not have been possible without the engine technology developed for the Boeing 777 such as contra-rotating spools.<ref>{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=KcaYjPhRnWUC&pg=PA105 | title = Airbus A380: superjumbo of the 21st century
|author1=Guy Norris |author2=Mark Wagner | year = 2005 | publisher = Zenith Imprint | isbn = 9780760322185 | pages = 105–115 }}</ref> Its [[Trent 900]] engine has a fan diameter of {{convert|116|in|cm|order=flip}}, slightly smaller than the GE90 engines on the Boeing 777. The Trent 900 is designed to fit into a Boeing 747-400F freighter for easier transport by [[air cargo]].<ref>{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=KcaYjPhRnWUC&pg=PA111 | title = Airbus A380: superjumbo of the 21st century
|author1=Guy Norris |author2=Mark Wagner | year = 2005 | publisher = Zenith Imprint | isbn = 9780760322185 | page = 111 }}</ref>

=== Interior ===

The interiors of aircraft, known as the [[aircraft cabin]], have been undergoing evolution since the first passenger aircraft. Today, between one and four [[Travel class|classes of travel]] are available on wide-body aircraft.

Bar and lounge areas which were once installed on wide-body aircraft have mostly disappeared, but a few have returned in [[First class (aviation)|first class]] or [[business class]] on the [[Airbus A340-600]],<ref>[http://www.etihadairways.com/sites/etihad/SiteCollectionDocuments/global/Documents/Call%20Centre/October07/A340-600%20FAM%20.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120212039/http://www.etihadairways.com/sites/etihad/SiteCollectionDocuments/global/Documents/Call%20Centre/October07/A340-600%20FAM%20.pdf|date=November 20, 2008}}</ref> [[777-300ER|Boeing 777-300ER]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vaustralia.com.au/in-flight-services/international-business/index.htm |title=International Business Class |publisher=Vaustralia.com.au |date=2010-08-18 |access-date=2011-05-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109053821/http://www.vaustralia.com.au/in-flight-services/international-business/index.htm |archive-date=2011-11-09 }}</ref> and on the Airbus A380.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emirates.com/uk/english/flying/our_fleet/emirates_a380/first_class/social_area_onboard_lounge.aspx |title=A380 First Class Social Area & onboard Lounge &#124; Emirates A380 First Class &#124; The Emirates A380 &#124; Our Fleet &#124; Flying with |publisher=Emirates |date=2009-06-02 |access-date=2009-12-20}}</ref> [[Emirates (airline)|Emirates]] 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/experience/cabin-features/first-class/a380/ |title=Emirates A380 First Class cabin features |publisher=Emirates |access-date=27 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kingsley-Jones |first=Max |date=1 September 2008 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/09/01/315369/double-luxury-how-the-airlines-are-configuring-their.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080902071813/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/09/01/315369/double-luxury-how-the-airlines-are-configuring-their.html |archive-date=2 September 2008 |title=Double luxury&nbsp;— how the airlines are configuring their A380s |publisher=FlightGlobal}}</ref>

Depending on how the [[airline]] configures the aircraft, the size and [[seat pitch]] of the [[airline seat]]s will vary significantly.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.uk-air.net/seatpitch.htm| title = Airline Seat Pitch| publisher = UK-Air.net| access-date = 2009-02-17| archive-date = 2009-02-18| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090218110105/http://uk-air.net/seatpitch.htm| url-status = dead}}</ref> For example, aircraft scheduled for shorter flights are often configured at a higher [[aircraft seat map|seat density]] than [[long-haul]] aircraft. Due to current economic pressures on the airline industry, high seating densities in the [[economy class]] cabin are likely to continue.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=348873&story_id=12454133| title = Flying through a storm| publisher = Economist.com| date = 2008-10-22| access-date = 2009-03-16}}</ref>

In some of the largest single-deck wide-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 777, the extra space above the cabin is used for crew rest areas and galley storage.

<!-- this gallery should be limited to 4 pics for brevity -->
<gallery mode="packed">
File:N173DZ B767 DELTA FLIGHT CDG-EWR (14534829043).jpg|[[Delta Air Lines]]' [[economy class]] cabin on a Boeing 767
File:Airbus A340-313X, Swiss International Air Lines AN2063811.jpg|[[Swiss International Air Lines]]' [[business class]] cabin on an Airbus A340
File:First class cabin B747-400 Cathay Pacific.jpg|[[Cathay Pacific]]'s [[First class (aviation)|first class]] cabin on board a [[Boeing 747-400]]
</gallery>

== Jumbo jets ==
[[File:Qantas, VH-OQK Airbus A380 (16703628173).jpg|thumb|An [[Airbus A380]] of [[Qantas]]. The A380 is the world's largest passenger airliner.]]
The term "jumbo jet" usually refers to the largest variants of wide-body airliners; examples include the [[Boeing 747]] (the first wide-body and original "jumbo jet"), [[Airbus A380]] ("superjumbo jet"), and [[Boeing 777-9]].<ref name="Bus">{{cite news|url=http://business.financialpost.com/2013/11/18/boeing-777-dubai-airshow/ |title=Boeing lands US$100B worth of orders for its new 777 mini-jumbo jet, its biggest combined haul ever &#124; Financial Post |newspaper=Financial Post |publisher=Business.financialpost.com |date=2013-11-18 |access-date=2014-04-27}}</ref><ref name="Tina">{{cite web|author=Tina Fletcher-Hill |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b017ld03 |title=BBC Two – How to Build..., Series 2, A Super Jumbo Wing |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2011-11-23 |access-date=2014-04-27}}</ref> The phrase "jumbo jet" derives from [[Jumbo]], a circus elephant in the 19th century.<ref>Henry Nicholls, "[https://www.theguardian.com/global/2013/nov/07/jumbo-the-elephant-goes-large Jumbo the Elephant goes large]", ''The Guardian'' (November 7, 2013).</ref><ref>Eric Partridge, Tom Dalzell, Terry Victor, ''The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English: J-Z'' (2006), p. 1128.</ref>

== Wake turbulence and separation ==
[[file:Airplane vortex edit.jpg|thumb|A [[NASA]] study on [[wingtip vortices]], which illustrates wake turbulence]]
{{Main|Wake turbulence|Separation (air traffic control)}}

Aircraft are categorized by [[ICAO]] according to the [[wake turbulence]] they produce. Because wake turbulence is generally related to the weight of an aircraft, these categories are based on one of four weight categories:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurocontrol.int/eec/public/standard_page/EEC_News_2008_3_RECAT.html |title=EUROCONTROL&nbsp;— Revising wake turbulence categories to gain capacity (RECAT) |publisher=Eurocontrol.int |date=2008-11-21 |access-date=2009-12-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525143924/http://www.eurocontrol.int/eec/public/standard_page/EEC_News_2008_3_RECAT.html |archive-date=2009-05-25 }}</ref> light, medium, heavy, and super.<ref>{{cite web|author=B. N. Sullivan |url=http://propilotnews.com/2008/08/airbus-a380-requires-new-super-wake.html |title=Professional Pilot News: Airbus A380 requires new 'super' wake separation category |publisher=Propilotnews.com |date=2008-08-04 |access-date=2009-12-20}}</ref>

Due to their weight, all current wide-body aircraft are categorized as "[[Heavy (aeronautics)|heavy]]", or in the case of the A380 in U.S. airspace, "super".

The wake-turbulence category also is used to guide the [[separation (air traffic control)|separation]] of aircraft.<ref>[http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/Chap7/aim0703.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090905114743/http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/Chap7/aim0703.html|date=September 5, 2009}}</ref> Super- and heavy-category aircraft require greater separation behind them than those in other categories. In some countries, such as the [[United States]], it is a requirement to suffix the aircraft's [[call sign#Aviation|call sign]] with the word ''heavy'' (or ''super'') when communicating with [[air traffic control]] in certain areas.

== Special uses ==
[[file:Space Shuttle Atlantis2.jpg|thumb|A U.S. [[Space Shuttle]] mounted on a modified [[Shuttle Carrier Aircraft|Boeing 747]]]]
[[file:Dmitry Medvedev in Namibia 26 June 2009-1.jpg|thumb|Russian presidential Il-96 used by Russian government officials]]
Wide-body aircraft are used in science, research, and the military. Some wide-body aircraft are used as flying command posts by the military like the [[Ilyushin Il-80]]{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} or the [[Boeing E-4]], while the [[Boeing E-767]] is used for [[airborne early warning and control]]. New military weapons are tested aboard wide-bodies, as in the laser weapons testing on the [[Boeing YAL-1]]. Other wide-body aircraft are used as flying research stations, such as the joint German–U.S. [[Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy]] (SOFIA). Airbus A340,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/09/26/316574/pictures-airbus-prepares-a340-600-testbed-for-gtf-ground-runs.html |title=PICTURES: Airbus prepares A340-600 testbed for GTF ground runs |publisher=Flightglobal.com |date=2008-09-29 |access-date=2009-12-20}}</ref> Airbus A380,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/29/341141/r-r-prepares-to-ground-test-trent-xwb-ahead-of-a380-trials-next.html |title=R-R prepares to ground-test Trent XWB ahead of A380 trials next year |publisher=Flightglobal.com |access-date=2011-05-21}}</ref> and Boeing 747<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geae.com/aboutgeae/presscenter/airshows/singapore/singapore_20020226c.html |title=GE&nbsp;— Aviation: GE90-115B Prepares For Flight Aboard GE's 747 Flying Testbed |publisher=Geae.com |date=2002-02-26 |access-date=2009-12-20 |archive-date=2011-06-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614055409/http://www.geae.com/aboutgeae/presscenter/airshows/singapore/singapore_20020226c.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> four-engine wide-body aircraft are used to test new generations of aircraft engines in flight. A few aircraft have also been converted for [[aerial firefighting]], such as the DC-10-based<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/03/30/324526/firefighting-dc-10-available-to-lease.html |title=Firefighting DC-10 available to lease |publisher=Flightglobal.com |access-date=2009-12-20}}</ref> [[Tanker 910]] and the [[Boeing 747-200|747-200]]-based [[Evergreen Supertanker]].<ref name="evergreen">{{cite web |url=http://www.evergreenaviation.com/supertanker/index.html |title=Evergreen International Aviation – Supertanker Services Inc |publisher=Evergreenaviation.com |access-date=2011-05-21 |archive-date=2012-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621202717/http://www.evergreenaviation.com/supertanker/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Some wide-body aircraft are used as [[Very Important Person|VIP]] transport. To transport those holding the highest offices, Canada uses the [[Airbus A310]], while Russia uses the [[Ilyushin Il-96]]. Germany replaced its aging Airbus A340 with three [[Airbus A350]] aircraft. Specially-modified Boeing 747-200s ([[Boeing VC-25]]s) are used to transport the [[President of the United States]].

=== Outsize cargo ===

Some wide-body aircraft have been modified to enable transport of [[oversize cargo]]. Examples include the [[Airbus Beluga]], [[Airbus BelugaXL]] and [[Boeing Dreamlifter]]. Two [[Shuttle Carrier Aircraft|specially modified Boeing 747s]] were used to transport the U.S. [[Space Shuttle]], while the [[Antonov An-225]] was initially built to carry the [[Buran (spacecraft)|Buran shuttle]].

== Comparison ==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Model
! produced
! [[Maximum takeoff weight|MTOW]]<br />(tonnes)
! Length
! Fuselage width
! Cabin width
! Economy seats across
! Seat<br/>width{{efn|with 2" armrests when not otherwise specified}}
! Number built
|-
| Boeing [[767 (aircraft)|767]]<ref>{{cite web |title= 767 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |url= https://www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/commercial/airports/acaps/767.pdf |date= May 2011}}</ref>
| 1981–present
| 186.9
| {{convert|48.51-61.37|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
| {{convert|5.03|m|ftin|disp=br()}}
| {{convert|4.72|m|ftin|disp=br()}}
| 7: 2-3-2 ({{abbr|HD|high density}}, 8: 2-4-2)
| {{#expr:(42-3*2)/2round1}}" ({{#expr:(186-11*2)/10round1}}")
| 1317 (August 2024)
|-
| Airbus [[Airbus A300|A300]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A300-600-Dec-2009.pdf |title= A300-600 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |date= December 1, 2009 }}</ref>
| 1974–2007
| 171.7
| {{convert|53.61|-|54.08|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
| rowspan="4" | {{cvt|5.64|m|ftin}}
| rowspan="4" | {{cvt|5.28|m|ftin}}
| 8: 2-4-2 ({{abbr|HD|high density}}, 9: 3-3-3)
| {{#expr:(40.4-3*2)/2round1}}" ({{#expr:(57.1-4*2)/3round1}}")
| 561 (discontinued)
|-
| Airbus [[Airbus A310|A310]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A310-Dec-2009.pdf |title= A310 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |date= December 1, 2009 }}</ref>
| 1983–1998
| 164
| {{convert|46.66|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
| 8: 2-4-2
| {{#expr:(40.4-3*2)/2round1}}"
| 255 (discontinued)
|-
| Airbus [[Airbus A330|A330]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A330.pdf |title= A330 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |date= July 1, 2018 }}</ref>
| 1994–present
| 242
| {{convert|58.82|-|63.67|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
| 8: 2-4-2 (9: 3-3-3 on [[Cebu Pacific|5J]] and [[AirAsia X|D7]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/AirAsia_X/AirAsia_X_Airbus_A330-300.php |title=AirAsia X A330-300|publisher=Seatguru.com|access-date=2012-10-01}}</ref> and [[Lion Air|JT]])
| 18" (16.5")
| 1555 (November 2022)
|-
| Airbus [[Airbus A340|A340]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A340-200-300.pdf |title= A340-200/300 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |date= July 1, 2018 }}</ref>
| 1993–2011
| 380
| {{convert|59.40|-|75.36|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
| 8: 2-4-2 (9: 3-3-3)
| {{#expr:(41.5-3*2)/2round1}}" ({{#expr:(57.1-4*2)/3round1}}")
| 380 (discontinued)
|-
| Boeing [[787 (aircraft)|787]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/commercial/airports/acaps/787.pdf |title= 787 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |date= March 2018 |publisher= Boeing}}</ref>
| 2007–present
| 252.7
| {{convert|56.72|-|68.28|m|ftin|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
| {{cvt|5.76|m|ftin}}
| {{cvt|5.49|m|ftin}}
| 9: 3-3-3 (8: 2-4-2 on [[Japan Airlines|JL]]<ref>{{cite web |title=SeatGuru Seat Map Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 (788) V1 |url=https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Japan_Airlines/Japan_Airlines_787-800.php |website=www.seatguru.com}}</ref>)
| {{#expr:(59.6-4*2)/3round1}}"
| 1142 (August 2024)
|-
| Comac [[C929]]<ref name="awst-comac">{{cite web |url= http://www.penton.com/digitaleditions/AW/AWST_151012.pdf |title= Treading Carefully |at= Full-scale development of a Chinese and Russian 787-10 competitor looks imminent |date= 12 Oct 2015 |author= Bradley Perrett |work= Aviation Week & Space Technology}}</ref>
| 2025- ''<small>(projected)</small>''
| 245<ref name=AvWeek9nov2018/>
| {{cvt|63.755|m|ftin}}<ref name=AvWeek9nov2018>{{cite news |url= http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/cr929-schedule-may-be-optimistic-uac-says |title= CR929 Schedule May Be Optimistic, UAC Says |date= Nov 9, 2018 |author= Bradley Perrett |work= Aviation Week & Space Technology}}</ref>
| {{cvt|5.92|m|ftin}}
| {{cvt|5.61|m|ftin}}
| 9: 3-3-3
| {{#expr:(5.61/0.0254-2)/11-2round1}}"
| -
|-
| Comac [[Comac C939|C939]]<ref name="awst-comac" />
| colspan="7"|''TBA''
| -
|-
| Airbus [[Airbus A350|A350]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A350-900-1000.pdf |title= A350 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |date= June 1, 2018 |access-date= July 24, 2018 |archive-date= May 31, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190531215550/https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A350-900-1000.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref>
| 2010–present
| 316
| {{cvt|66.61-73.59|m|ft}}
| {{cvt|5.96|m|in}}
| {{cvt|5.61|m|in}}
| 9: 3-3-3 (10: 3-4-3 on [[French Bee|BF]] and [[Air Caraïbes|TX]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rains |first1=Taylor |title=Airbus debuts new A350 cabin that seats 10 people a row to compete with Boeing's new flagship 777X — look inside |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-created-cabin-10-seats-across-versus-9-boeing-777x-2022-10 |website=Business Insider |access-date=30 September 2025 |date=31 October 2022}}</ref>)
| 18" (16.5”)
| 509 (November 2022)
|-
| McDonnell Douglas [[DC-10]]<ref>{{cite web |title=DC-10 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |publisher= MCDONNELL DOUGLAS CORPORATION |url= https://www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/commercial/airports/acaps/dc10.pdf |date= May 2011}}</ref>
| 1971–1989
| 259.5
| {{cvt|51.97|m|ft}}
| rowspan="2" | {{cvt|6.02|m|in}}
| rowspan="2" | {{cvt|5.69|m|in}}
| 9: 2-4-3, 10: 3-4-3
| 18", 16.5"
| 446 (discontinued)
|-
| McDonnell Douglas [[MD-11]]<ref>{{cite web |title= MD-11 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |publisher= McDonnell Douglas |date= May 2011 |url= https://www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/commercial/airports/acaps/md11.pdf}}</ref>
| 1990–2001
| 286
| {{cvt|58.65|m|ft}}
| 9: 2-5-2, 10: 3-4-3
| 18", 16.5"
| 200 (discontinued)
|-
| Lockheed [[L-1011]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.tristar500.net/articles/techprofile.pdf |title= L-1011-500 TriStar technical profile |publisher= Lockheed |access-date= 2018-07-24 |archive-date= 2017-12-08 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171208144003/http://www.tristar500.net/articles/techprofile.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref>
| 1972–1985
| 231.3
| {{cvt|54.17-50.05|m|ft}}
| {{cvt|6.02|m|in}}
| {{cvt|5.77|m|in}}
| 9: 3-4-2/2-5-2, 10: 3-4-3
| {{#expr:(61-4*2)/3round1}}", {{#expr:(76-5*2)/4round1}}"
| 250 (discontinued)
|-
| Ilyushin [[Il-86]]
| 1980–1994
| 206
| {{cvt|60.21|m|ft}}
| rowspan="2" | {{cvt|6.08|m|in}}
| rowspan="2" | {{cvt|5.70|m|in}}
| rowspan=2 | 9: 3-3-3<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.flightglobalimages.com/cutaways/civil-aviation-1949-present-cutaways/ilyushin-il-96-300-cutaway-drawing-4913783.html |title=Ilyushin IL-96-300 Cutaway |work= Flightglobal}}</ref>
| rowspan=2 | {{#expr:(224-12*2)/11round0}}"
| 106 (discontinued)
|-
| Ilyushin [[Il-96]]
| 1992-present
| 270
| {{cvt|55.3-63.94|m|ft}}
| 30 (2016)
|-
| Boeing [[777 (aircraft)|777]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/commercial/airports/acaps/777_2lr3er.pdf |title= 777-200LR/300ER Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |date= March 2015 |publisher= Boeing}}</ref>
| 1993–present
| 351.5
| {{cvt|63.7-73.9|m|ft}}
| rowspan="2" | {{cvt|6.19|m|in}}
| {{cvt|5.86|m|in}}
| 9: 3-3-3, 10: 3-4-3
| 18.5", 17"
| 1738 (August 2024)
|-
| Boeing [[Boeing 777X|777X]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/commercial/airports/acaps/777-9_RevA.pdf |title= 777-9 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |date= March 2018 |publisher= Boeing}}</ref>
| 2019–present
|351.5
| {{cvt|70.87-76.73|m|ft}}
| {{cvt|{{#expr:59.6*2+18*2+78.8}}|in|m|2|order=flip}}
| 10: 3-4-3
| {{#expr:(59.6-4*2)/3round1}}"
| 4 (January 2021)
|-
| Boeing [[747 (aircraft)|747]]<ref>{{cite web |title= 747 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |url= https://www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/commercial/airports/acaps/747_8.pdf |date= Dec 2012}}</ref>
| 1968–2023
| 447.7
| {{cvt|56.3-76.25|m|ft}}
| {{cvt|6.50|m|in}}
| {{cvt|6.10|m|in}}<br/>up: {{cvt|{{#expr:0.56+1.45*2}}|m|in}}
| 10: 3-4-3 (main)<br/>6: 3-3 (upper)
| {{#expr:(59.5-4*2)/3round1}}"/{{#expr:(84-5*2)/4round1}}"
| 1574 (discontinued)
|-
| Airbus [[Airbus A380|A380]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A380-Dec-2016.pdf |title= A380 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |date= Dec 1, 2016 |access-date= July 24, 2018 |archive-date= July 11, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180711235126/https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/corporate-topics/publications/backgrounders/techdata/aircraft_characteristics/Airbus-Commercial-Aircraft-AC-A380-Dec-2016.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref>
| 2005–2021
| 575
| {{cvt|72.72|m|ft}}
| {{cvt|7.14|m|in}}
| {{cvt|6.54|m|in}}<br/>up: {{cvt|5.80|m|in}}
| 10: 3-4-3 (main)<br/>8: 2-4-2 (upper)
| {{#expr:(42-3*2)/2round1}}" (18")
| 254 (discontinued)
|}
{{notelist}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Aviation}}

* [[Aircraft seat map]]
* [[Competition between Airbus and Boeing]]
* [[Large aircraft]]
* [[List of large aircraft]]
* [[Middle of the market|Middle of the market airliners]]
* [[Narrow-body aircraft]]

== References ==

{{refs}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary|wide-body}}
{{Commons category|Widebody airliners}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081211054236/http://www.eskyguide.com/reference/plane_config.html Airplane seat pitch and width information in table form]
* [http://www.widebodyaircraft.nl/airindex.htm WidebodyAircraft.nl information and chronology]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081120212039/http://www.etihadairways.com/sites/etihad/SiteCollectionDocuments/global/Documents/Call%20Centre/October07/A340-600%20FAM%20.pdf Etihad Airways A340-600 interior]

{{Lists of aircraft}}
{{Airbus aircraft}}
{{Boeing airliners}}
{{Douglas airliners}}
{{Ilyushin aircraft}}
{{Commercial aviation}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Wide-body aircraft| ]]
[[Category:Aircraft configurations]]
[[Category:Lists of aircraft by design configuration]]