The C919 first flew in 2017 and the first airframe to enter commercial service was delivered to China Eastern Airlines in December 2022. Actual commercial service started in May 2023.

Continue reading to learn more about which airlines operate or plan to operate the type and on which routes it can be seen.

COMAC C919 Operators and Routes in 2024

Currently, China Eastern Airlines is the only airline in the world to operate the C919. Whether other airlines will take delivery of the aircraft and put it into service in 2024 remains to be seen.

China Eastern Airlines

Originally, China Eastern Airlines placed firm orders for five C919s. More recently, it added another 100 to its order. Of those, four airframes have been delivered so far:

• B-919A: delivered in December 2022
• B919C: delivered in July 2023
• B919D: delivered in December 2023
• B919D: delivered in January 2024

It expects to receive the remaining aircraft by 2031, starting with an additional four airframes in 2024 and ramping up the delivery pace from there up to 20 airframes delivered in 2031.

China Eastern Airlines’ COMAC C919s are fitted with 164 seats including 8 recliner business class seats in a 2-2 layout and 156 economy class seats in a 3-3 layout.

The aircraft’s first commercial flight, aptly operated using the flight number MU9191, took passengers from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Beijing Capital Airport on May 28, 2023. The flight took off with 128 passengers onboard at 10:32AM and landed two hours later at 12:31PM.

Currently, the China Eastern C919 is deployed on two routes (four flights) each day:

• MU9189 from Shanghai Honqiao to Chengdu
• MU9190 from Chengdu to Shanghai Hongqiao
• MU5137 from Shanghai Hongqiao to Beijing Daxing
• MU5138 from Beijing Daxing to Shanghai Hongqiao

Once more airframes enter into service, the network of routes operated by the China Eastern Airlines C919 will expand. That said, it will still be primarily focused on domestic routes in China.

Future COMAC C919 Operators and Routes

While so far only two C919s have been delivered, the state-owned COMAC is certainly not short on orders, albeit mostly from Chinese airlines and leasing companies. The information about the exact size of the order book is conflicting, however, it appears to hover at around 1,000 airframes.

In addition to China Eastern Airlines, other major airlines from mainland China ordered the type; these include:

• Air China
• China Southern Airlines
• Hainan Airlines
• Hebei Airlines
• Joy Air
• Sichuan Airlines

The sole non-Chinese airline customer is GallopAir, a start-up airline from Brunei backed by Chinese investors. The airline ordered 30 aircraft from COMAC split evenly between the smaller ARJ21 and the C919. GallopAir is expected to launch operations in 2024 Q3. That said, chances are it will first receive the more readily available ARJ21s.

Once (or if) GallopAir gets to the point where it takes delivery of its first C919, it will likely be operated on routes between Brunei’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan and other major cities in Southeast Asia like Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

The second C919 customer outside China is AerCap, an Irish lessor, which ordered 20 airframes of the type. What airline customers it intends to deliver these aircraft to is not known. That said, they will likely be airlines outside China, extending the type’s footprint around the world.

Lastly, over a decade ago, Ryanair signed a memorandum of understanding with COMAC, expressing some interest in the C919. While anything coming to fruition out of that seems still far away (if it ever happens), I thought it would be worth mentioning it here nonetheless.

All in all, despite there being some interest in the C919 outside China, the vast majority of its current orders are from state-generated interest in the type’s home country. This combined with the fact that the type is yet to be certified in (and thus allowed to fly to) the rest of the world means that for the time being, the aircraft will continue being deployed solely on domestic flights around China.

Which routes in the second largest domestic air travel market in the world will follow China Eastern Airlines’ Shanghai – Chengdu route remains to be seen.

Summary

COMAC C919’s deliveries are going slower than originally planned. So far, only two airframes of the type that first flew in 2017 have been delivered. Both of those operate for China Eastern Airlines on domestic flights around China. The only scheduled route using the type right now is between Shanghai and Chengdu.

With about 1,000 orders, the type’s footprint is expected to expand considerably in the future. That said, while there are a couple of non-Chinese customers who ordered the C919, the vast majority of orders has been from Chinese airlines. Because of this, and the lack of certification outside China, the type is constrained to operating Chinese domestic flights for the time being.

First published on 2023/12/05. Last updated on 2024/01/10 with information about new deliveries and a new route.

The post COMAC C919 Operators and Routes in 2024: All You Need to Know appeared first on KN Aviation.

Not only that but the predominant variant is now the latest 747-8 rather than the 747-400.

Continue reading to learn more about airlines that still fly Boeing 747s in 2024 – especially those using the type on passenger routes.

Passenger Boeing 747 Operators in 2024

Currently, three airlines – Air China, Korean Air, and Lufthansa – operate relatively large fleets of passenger Boeing 747s. They are also the world’s only airlines to have received passenger 747-8s (excluding VIP aircraft).

Additionally, Asiana Airlines, Mahan Air, MaxAir, Rossiya, and Saudi Arabian Airlines still have some passenger 747s too.

Air China

Air China is, together with Lufthansa, one of the two operators using both the 747-400 and the 747-8. At this point, it only has two active airframes of the former. Of the seven 747-8s it received from Boeing, five are currently active. One of those operates for the Chinese government as a VIP plane.

When it comes to scheduled passenger flights, the 747-400s are used exclusively on domestic flights while the 747-8s can be seen on both domestic and international flights.

The main domestic route operated by the 747 is Beijing Capital – Guangzhou. International flights on which the 747-8 will appear at one point or another in 2024 include Beijing Capital – Frankfurt and Beijing Capital – New York JFK. Once in service, the latter will be the longest passenger 747 route in the world by block time.

Air China 747-400s have 344 seats in three classes (first, business, and economy). Its 747-8s have 365 seats in four classes (first, business, premium economy, and economy). That said, the premium economy class seats are just economy class seats with extra legroom.

Currently, there are no official retirement plans for the Air China 747s.

Learn more about Air China 747 fleet, routes, and retirement plans

Asiana Airlines

While in the past Asiana Airlines operated a larger passenger 747 fleet, today, it is left with only a single passenger 747-400. On top of that, it also operates several 747 freighters.

Asiana Airlines’ last passenger 747 is registered HL7428 and was delivered to the airline brand new in 1999. For quite some time now, the aircraft has been exclusively operating short-haul flights out of Seoul Incheon Airports. Among others, it regularly flew to Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo Narita, and Osaka Kansai. At the beginning of 2024, it is scheduled to fly to Sapporo.

The aircraft is equipped with 398 seats including 10 first class seats, 24 business class seats, and 364 economy class seats. That said, the first class seats are being sold as business class seats.

In early 2023, I had a chance to fly on HL7428 from Seoul Incheon to Tokyo Narita. I wrote in detail about the flight, as well as the aircraft, here.

Korean Air

While until relatively recently Korean Air operated both the 747-400 and the 747-8, at this point it only operates the latter.

The airline received 10 747-8 airframes between 2015 and 2017, and it still owns all of them. That said, one of them hasn’t flown in a few months now (perhaps it is undergoing heavier maintenance) and one of them has been leased to the Korean Air Force which uses it as a VIP plane.

Korean Air’s 747-8s regularly operate flights from Seoul Incheon to Atlanta and Honolulu in the United States, Paris Charles de Gaulle in France, Singapore, and Sydney in Australia. Occasionally, they also appear on shorter but busy routes like Seoul Incheon – Tokyo Narita.

Each Korean Air 747-8 can seat 368 passengers in three classes (first, business, and economy). In business class, the aircraft is equipped with the excellent Apex Suites.

It seems that Korean Air’s passenger 747s will be retired by 2031.

Learn more about Korean Air 747 fleet, routes, and retirement plans

Lufthansa

Having received its first Boeing 747 in 1970 and still operating the type over 50 years later, Lufthansa was not only one of the first operators of the type but is also the airline to have operated the 747s the longest. At this point, it is also the largest passenger 747 operator in the world. It is most likely to keep that distinction as long as it keeps operating the type.

Currently, Lufthansa operates two 747 variants: the 747-400 and the 747-8 for the passenger version of which it was the launch customer. In total, Lufthansa operates 27 747 airframes including eight “-400s” and 19 “-8s.”

The former are equipped with 371 seats in three classes (business, premium economy, and economy). The latter, albeit larger, “only” have 364 seats. The main reason behind that is the fact that Lufthansa’s 747-8s are in a four class configuration which includes first class.

Lufthansa 747s can be seen on long-haul flights out of Frankfurt to mainly destinations in North America and Africa. That said, they also serve some destinations in South America and Africa like Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, and Sao Paulo.

There are no official retirement plans for either the 747-400 or 747-8 at this point.

Learn more about Lufthansa 747 fleet, routes, and retirement plans

Mahan Air

Unlike the other airlines in this list, Mahan Air owns not only a pair of 747-400s but also a 747-300 which I had a chance to fly on a few years ago.

That said, the 747-300 and one of the 747-400s haven’t flown for quite some time now. Mahan Air’s last active 747, a 747-400 registered EP-MEE, was originally delivered to United Airlines back in 1990. It was acquired by Mahan Air in 2008. Originally registered as EP-MNA, the aircraft was re-registered in 2022.

Currently, the Mahan Air 747-400 flies regularly on domestic flights in Iran, primarily on the very busy Tehran Mehrabad – Mashad route. The aircraft is equipped with 442 seats including 44 in business class and 398 in economy class.

Max Air

Having been founded in 2008, Max Air is a relatively young Nigerian airline operating an all-Boeing fleet on domestic flights around the country and international flights to Saudi Arabia.

According to most sources, the airline owns two 747-400s (although its website claims three) of which one, registered 5N-HMM, appears to be active. That said, it doesn’t seem like the aircraft has flown since November 2023, and so it’s unclear what the future holds for it.

The aircraft was originally delivered to Korean Air in 1998 as HL7404. It was acquired by Max Air in 2016. It is in a fairly high-density configuration with 16 business class seats and 516 economy class seats for a total of 532 seats.

Rossiya

Rossiya Airlines, a fully-owned subsidiary of Aeroflot, acquired Transaero’s fleet of Boeing 747-400s upon its demise.

While it started with and still owns nine airframes of the type, most of them have been sitting on the ground since 2022 and 2023. With the ongoing situation in Ukraine and related sanctions against Russia, the airline is unable to secure the spare parts it needs to keep the airframes airworthy.

That said, two airframes – RA-73286 and RA73289 – flew in the last quarter of 2023, mainly operating flights between Moscow Sheremetyevo and Khabarovsk. In the past, the aircraft were mainly used on flights to holiday destinations like Bangkok, Phuket, Antalya, and Punta Cana.

Whether the aircraft will fly regularly in 2024 (and if so, on what routes) remains to be seen.

Saudi Arabian Airlines

The last airline to still have active Boeing 747s is Saudi Arabian Airlines. More specifically, Malta’s Air Atlanta Europe operates a pair of passenger 747-400s registered 9H-AZA and 9H-AZB on behalf of Saudi Arabian Airlines. Both were originally delivered to Air France, in 2004 and 2003 respectively.

Saudia’s 747s operate mainly scheduled “pilgrimage” flights between Jeddah and Medina in Saudi Arabia and large cities in countries with a Muslim majority. Among others, the 747s can be seen on flights to Algiers, Algeria; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Jakarta, Indonesia. They also operate some domestic flights between Jeddah and Medina.

The aircraft are equipped with 465 seats including 16 in business class and 449 in economy class.

Cargo and Other Boeing 747 Operators in 2024

While the number of passenger Boeing 747s on scheduled flights around the world has gone down drastically over the last few years, luckily, there are still hundreds of 747s in service as cargo aircraft, VIP aircraft, and so on.

Some of the largest cargo 747 operators include (all of the below operate both the 747-400 and 747-8 unless otherwise noted):

• Atlas Air (including the heavily modified 747-400LCF Dreamlifters on behalf of Boeing)
• UPS
• Cargolux
• Kalitta Air (747-400 only)
• Cathay Pacific

The governments/air forces of Bahrain, Dubai, Iran, Qatar, and Turkey among others, continue to use 747s as VIP aircraft.

Lastly, there are a few specially modified 747s serving as, for example, aircraft engine testbeds (Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce), rocket launch platforms (Stratolaunch), and “Doomsday planes” (US Air Force).

Summary

Once a widebody that could be seen on a large share of long-haul flights, today, only a few dozen passenger 747s remain in service. The majority of those are operated by Air China, Korean Air, and Lufthansa, with a few other airlines having an airframe or two each.

Luckily, though, thanks to the fairly new 747-8 and the large number of cargo 747s in service, the Queen of the Skies will continue to grace the skies for quite some time.

First published on 2017/12/23. Updated regularly since then. Last updated on 2023/12/13.

The post Boeing 747 Operators: Which Airlines Fly the Queen of the Skies in 2024? appeared first on KN Aviation.

Continue reading to learn about which airlines currently operate the type and which routes it can be flown on.

COMAC ARJ21 Operators in 2024

COMAC ARJ21 first flew on November 28, 2008, on a test flight from Shanghai Dachang Airport. Nearly eight years later, on June 28, 2016, it entered into service with Chengdu Airlines on a flight from Chengdu to Shanghai. To date, over 100 ARJ21s have been delivered to nine airlines.

All but one of the current ARJ21 operators are airlines from mainland China:

• Air China
• Chengdu Airlines
• China Express Airlines
• China Flight General Aviation Company (CFGAC)
• China Southern Airlines
• Genghis Khan Airlines
• Jiangxi Air
• OTT Airlines
• TransNusa (sole operator outside of China)

Other Chinese airlines reported to have ordered the ARJ21 include Shangdong Airlines, Joy Air, Xiamen Airlines, and Longhao Airlines (freighter). Outside China, Laos’s 9nes, GECAS, Indonesia’s Merukh Enterprises, and the Republic of Congo are reported to have placed orders for the aircraft.

COMAC ARJ21 Routes in 2024

Currently, domestic flights within China make up the vast majority of COMAC ARJ21 routes. Given the type’s order book, chances are it will remain that way for as long as the type is in service.

That said, there are a couple of international ARJ21 routes including Chengdu Airlines’ Harbin – Vladivostok and TransNusa’s Jakarta – Johor Baru.

Air China

Star Alliance member Air China took delivery of its first ARJ21 in June 2020. Since then it received a total of around 20 airframes or just under two-thirds of the 35 ARJ21s it ordered.

Like with most of the remaining operators, the airline uses the ARJ21s solely on domestic flights in China at this point. More specifically, they primarily operate routes out of Beijing and Inner Mongolia’s capital Hohhot including:

• Beijing Capital – Baotou, Daqing, Hefei, Hohhot, Xilinhot, and Yinchuan
• Hohhot – Bayannur, Manzhouli, Nanchang, Tongliao, Ulanhot, Wuhan, Xi’an, and Xilinhot

Chengdu Airlines

As mentioned earlier, Chengdu Airlines was the first airline to put the ARJ21 into service. Since October 2017 when it received the first airframe of the type, COMAC delivered the majority of the 30 ARJ21s it has on order.

Currently, Chengdu Airlines can be seen on many domestic flights around China. While a good portion of them are out of Chengdu, there are also plenty of routes from other airports. Among others, domestic ARJ21-operated Chengdu Airlines routes include:

• Chengdu – Anqing, Bayannur, Dazhou, Luoyang, Taiyuan, Ulanhot, Yueyang, and Zunyi
• Hailar – Jiagedaqi and Ulanhot
• Harbin – Fuyuan, Heihe, Mohe, and Weihai
• Luzhou – Hefei
• Xichang – Dazhou and Luzhou
• Xilinhot – Ulanhot, Wuhai, and Zhengzhou

In addition to domestic flights, Chengdu Airlines also uses the ARJ21 on flights between the capital of China’s Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, and Vladivostok in Russia.

China Express Airlines

China Express Airlines, a regional airline with hubs at Chongqing, Guiyang, and Weifang Airports, received the first of its 50 ordered ARJ21s in November 2020. Since then, it received around half a dozen more airframes.

Primarily, the China Express Airlines ARJ21s can be seen on routes from Chongqing to destinations like Changde, Chenzhou, Dongying, Ezhou, Hengyang, Ordos, Wuzhou, Yan’an, and Zunyi.

That said, they also operate some routes out of other airports including Changde to Nanjing and Shanghai, Ezhou to Qingdao and Wezhou, Fuzhou to Chenzhou and Hengyang, and Xilinhot to Ordos.

China Flight General Aviation Company

Both ARJ21s that China Flight General Aviation Company (CFGAC) had on order were delivered between 2019 and 2020. The two airframes comprise the entire fleet of this mysterious operator.

While one of the ARJ21s appears to fly regularly, it seems to do so on some sort of test flights rather than on scheduled routes.

China Southern Airlines

Over 20 of the 35 ARJ21s that another one of China’s major airlines – China Southern Airlines – placed on order in 2019, have been delivered so far. The first of those joined the airline’s fleet in June 2020. China Southern Airlines is another airline that uses the type solely on domestic flights.

Its ARJ21s can be seen on over a dozen routes from Guangzhou, including destinations such as Changde, Ganzhou, Huai’an, Jieyang, Linfen, Luzhou, Meixian, Nanchang, Shanghrao, Quanzhou, Xuzhou, Yancheng, Yibin, and Yiwu.

China Southern’s ARJ21s can also be seen on over a dozen routes out of Jieyang. These include flights to Chizhou, Chongqing, Guilin, Guiyang, Ji’an, Linyi, Luzhou, Nantong, Nanyang, Ningbo, Wuhan, Xuzhou, Yiwu, and Zhengzhou.

Other China Southern Airlines ARJ21 routes include Taiyuan – Yiwu and Ji’an – Zhengzhou.

Genghis Khan Airlines

Genghis Khan Airlines is a relatively young airline based at Hohhot Airport in Inner Mongolia, China. It ordered 25 ARJ21s (with options for a further 25) in August 2018 and received the first of those in February 2019.

The airline launched operations in July 2019 with flights between Hohhot and Ulanhot. Since then, the all-ARJ21 operator received additional aircraft and grew its network considerably, primarily with other routes around Inner Mongolia.

Among others, Genghis Khan Airlines’ network now includes the following routes:

• Chifeng – Manzhouli and Zhalantun
• Hailar – Tongliao and Xilinhot
• Hohhot – Ulanhot, Yulin, and Xilinhot
• Ulanhot – Changchun and Ordos

Jiangxi Air

Jiangxi Air is a Chinese low-cost airline that commenced operations in January 2016. The airline is majority-owned by SkyTeam member XiamenAir.

While originally it operated an all-Boeing 737-800 fleet, in 2020, it also started taking delivery of some ARJ21s.

The ARJ21s operated by Jiangxi Air are primarily used on routes between its Nanchang Airport hub and Guiyang, Huai’an, Linfen, Luzhou, Quingdao, Tianjin, Xiamen, and Xuzhou. They also operate on the Nanjing – Nanyang and Linfen – Hohhot routes.

OTT Airlines

Standing for “One Two Three,” OTT Airlines is one of the newest Chinese airlines. It is a subsidiary of SkyTeam’s China Eastern Airlines and launched operations out of its Shanghai Hongqiao Airport hub in December 2020.

On its scheduled flights, OTT Airlines uses an all-ARJ21 fleet. In addition to the Chinese-produced airliners, it also operates a couple of business jets.

OTT Airlines’ nearly 20 ARJ21s can be seen on, a wide variety of domestic routes operated under China Eastern’s MU flight numbers.

Some of these routes include Shanghai Pudong – Jieyang and Shijiazhuang; Jieyang – Guilin, Hefei, Nanchang, and Wenzhou; Ordos – Shijiazhuang; and Beihai – Guilin.

TransNusa

Last but not least is Indonesia’s TransNusa – ARJ21’s sole non-Chinese operator.

This low-cost carrier operates a fleet of five aircraft including three A320s and two ARJ21s on domestic routes in Indonesia, as well as flights between Indonesia and China, Malaysia, and Singapore.

TransNusa’s ARJ21s operate flights from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Johor Bahru, Malaysia. They also regularly appear on flights between the Indonesian capital and its Malaysian counterpart Kuala Lumpur and on domestic flights between Jakarta and Denpasar.

Summary

Over 100 COMAC ARJ21 aircraft have been delivered so far. All but two of those were delivered to Chinese airlines including the type’s launch customer Chengdu Airlines and other operators large and small. Because of this, the ARJ21 can be seen on dozens and dozens of domestic routes within China.

On the other hand, on international flights, the ARJ21 is still – and will likely remain for a long time – very rare. The only two airlines to fly the type outside China are Indonesia’s TransNusa and China’s Chengdu Airlines which uses it on its Harbin – Vladivostok route.

The post COMAC ARJ21 Operators and Routes in 2024: All You Need to Know appeared first on KN Aviation.

In this article, I’ll compare these two aircraft from a number of different perspectives. So, let’s see how the 767 and the A320 fare against each other in terms of size, seating capacity, range, orders, and more.

History

The Airbus A320 narrow-body twinjet family first flew commercially more than 30 years ago in 1988. The aircraft received a new lease of life in December 2010, when Airbus announced the A320neo (new engine option), entering service in 2016. Once the A320neo was introduced, older A320 versions became known as the A320ceo (current engine option).

With more efficient engines and other efficiency improvements, the A320neo provides improved fuel economy compared to previous A320 variants.  The new engine technology available on the neo aircraft also provides airlines with lower operating costs and increased range. Additionally, the neo engines are quieter, improving travel comfort in the aircraft cabin.

The first A320 airframes to be manufactured were classified as A320-100s. Only around twenty A320-100s were produced before Airbus began to roll out A320-200s. The A320-200 offered increased fuel capacity and increased range compared to the A320-100.

The A320 variants and their first in-service years are shown in the table below:

The 767 was the first Boeing widebody aircraft to be designed for two flight crew members. First orders for the aircraft were placed in 1978 and the type first went into service in 1982. The passenger versions of the 767 are no longer in production, with the last such airframe rolling out in 2014. After 2012, all 767 orders have been for the freighter and tanker versions of this aircraft, with FedEx being the major freighter customer.

Designed to replace the market at the time occupied by aircraft such as the aging 707, Douglas DC-8, Lockheed L1011 Tristar, and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, five passenger models, the 767 freighter which is based on the 767-300ER fuselage, and the 767 military tanker which is based on the 767-200ER (the KC-46 designated as the 767-2C in Boeing’s order book data) were developed over time.

In 1985, the 767 was ETOPS certified allowing it to fly regular routes across the Atlantic Ocean.

The main 767 variants and their first in-commercial service dates are as follows:

Dimensions

Let’s take a look at some key physical characteristics and see how these two aircraft measure up against each other.

The 767 variants fall into FAA Airplane Design (ADG) Group IV with wingspans between 36m and 52m:

The A320 variants fall into FAA ADG Group III with wingspans between 24m and 36m:

In all respects, the 767 is a significantly larger and heavier aircraft than the A320.

Range

The ranges of the 767 variants are shown in the table below:

Whilst the 767 was originally targeted at hub and point-to-point carriers operating short- to mid-range transcontinental routes, its later 180-minute ETOPS certifications allowed it to operate intercontinental routes, including transatlantic routes, boosting sales.

The ranges of all of the A320 variants are similar at around 3,400nm. All A320 variants are ETOPS certified for 180 minutes since 2004 (EASA) and 2006 (FAA). ETOPS 180 minutes certification opens up new route possibilities for these narrowbody aircraft such as London – New York, Los Angeles – Honolulu, and Seoul – Darwin.

The ranges of the A320 variants are below those of all of the 767 passenger variants, and are shown in the table below:

Seat Capacity

The 767’s official seat numbers from Boeing vary by variant and number of cabin classes. The 767-200 variants range from 174 (3-class) to 245 seats (1-class), the 767-300 variants range from 210 to 290 seats, and the 767-400 variants range from 243 to 409 seats.

In practice, actual seat numbers vary significantly by airline and depend on their seating standards, number of classes, and whether premium classes are fitted-out with lie-flat seats. Based on my research I conclude that 767-300s with two-class cabins typically have around 230 seats.

The twin-aisle 767 typically has seven seats abreast in economy class (2-3-2), six or seven seats abreast in premium economy class (2-2-2, 2-3-2), and four to six seats abreast in business class (1–⁠2–⁠1, 2-1-2, 2-2-2).

Airbus’ typical 2-class and maximum seating capacities for the A320 variants are shown in the table below.

In practice, there is significant variety around these numbers as airlines have fitted out these aircraft in 1-class, 2-class, and 3-class configurations. In a small number of premium cabins, there are lie-flat seats which reduce overall seat density.

Looking at a variety of airlines operating A320 aircraft, actual fitted-out seat numbers typically vary as follows:

The single-aisle A320 typically offers six seats across each aisle (3-3) in economy and premium economy classes. Where business class is offered, the typical seating layout offers four seats per row (2-2).

Customers and Orders

Boeing 767 deliveries to the end of June 2023 totaled 1,280 aircraft and, of these, the split between the various 767 variants is as follows:

• 767-2C: 73
• 767-200: 128
• 767-200ER: 121
• 767-300: 104
• 767-300ER: 583
• 767-300F: 233
• 767-400ER: 38

To date, the 767-300ER accounts for 46% of all 767 deliveries. At the end of June 2023, Boeing had 112 unfulfilled orders for the 767, 47 of which were for the 767-300F and 65 for the 767-2C.

Adding deliveries and unfulfilled orders together, the 767-300ER is the most popular 767 variant with a total of 583 aircraft, representing 42% of all 767 deliveries and unfulfilled orders combined at the end of June 2023. Interestingly, the second most popular 767 variant is the 767-300F with a total of 280 deliveries and unfulfilled orders at the end of June 2023 (20% of all 767 deliveries and unfulfilled orders).

In total, the 767 deliveries and unfulfilled orders at the end of June 2023 were 1,392 aircraft (1,280 deliveries and 112 unfulfilled orders).

As of the end of June 2023, an incredible total of 9,070 A320 aircraft have been ordered, of which 6,509 (72%) have been delivered. The majority of this order backlog is for A320neo aircraft as the vast majority of A320ceo orders have now been delivered. Between the end of March 2023 and the end of June 2023, a total of 318 orders were placed for the A320neo.

Below is the number of orders and deliveries for the A320ceo and A320neo received by Airbus as of the end of June 2023:

• 4,752 of 4,763 A320ceos delivered
• 1,757 of 4,307 A320neos delivered

You can see that almost all A320ceo orders have been delivered (99.8%) and the A320 order backlog is mainly for the A320neo (40.8% of orders delivered).

There are 26 organizations that have ordered more than 100 A320 aircraft. The top customer is India’s low-cost airline Indigo with 565 orders (270 of which, or 48%, have been delivered).

767 vs. A320: Summary

Unsurprisingly, the 767 and the A320 are two very different aircraft. The widebody 767s are longer, heavier, and have greater wingspans than all of the narrowbody A320s.

The narrowbody A320 came only shortly after the widebody 767 but continues to outlive the 767 which is no longer in mainstream production (apart from its freighter and tanker versions). In contrast, the A320 is in full production in the form of the A320neo. There is a large order backlog for the A320neo meaning that the A320 will be gracing our skies for decades to come. In contrast, the number of 767s in airline fleets is declining rapidly.

There is, however, one key similarity between these two aircraft. Both are twinjets that have benefited commercially from ETOPS certification allowing airlines to deploy these aircraft on intercontinental routes.

The post Boeing 767 vs. Airbus A320: How Do They Compare? appeared first on KN Aviation.

In this article, I’ll compare these two aircraft from a number of different perspectives including size, seating capacity, range, and orders.

History

The 767 was the first Boeing wide-body aircraft to be designed for two flight crew members. The first 767 orders were placed in 1978 and the commercial jet versions of the 767 are no longer in production, with the last 767 rolling out in 2014. After 2012, all 767 orders have been for the freighter and tanker versions of this aircraft, with FedEx being the major customer.

Boeing 767 was designed to replace the market at the time occupied by types such as the aging Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8, Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10.

Over time, the 767 family has grown to include five passenger models, the 767 freighter based on the 767-300ER, and the 767 military tanker which is based on the 767-200ER. In 1985, the 767 was ETOPS certified allowing it to fly regular routes across the Atlantic Ocean. The main 767 variants and their first in-commercial service dates are as follows:

The A380 is no longer in production and was available in just one variant – the A380-800. Other variants were proposed but never produced, including the A380 Freighter (A380F), the A380-200 or ‘A380 Stretch,’ the A380-900 (another stretched variant), the A380neo (stretched, new engines and higher passenger capacity), and the A380plus (higher seat capacity and improved fuel efficiency).

The A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck commercial passenger aircraft. Airbus originally conceived the initial idea for the A380 back in the late-1980s and it was developed as a direct long-haul competitor to the Boeing 747 (see how the two compare). The A380 program was not launched until 2000, and the first prototype was produced in Toulouse, France, in 2005. FAA and EASA type ratings were received in 2006.

The first A380 deliveries were delayed and took place in 2007, with Singapore Airlines being the launch customer. At its production peak, Airbus was able to produce thirty A380s a year.

The A380s largest customer is Emirates with 123 deliveries. In 2019, Emirates canceled part of a large order, and subsequently, Airbus decided to end the A380’s short-lived production run. The final, 251st A380 was delivered to Emirates in 2021.

Dimensions

Let’s take a look at some key physical characteristics and see how these two aircraft measure up against each other. As you would expect, the double-passenger deck A380 is significantly heavier than the single-passenger deck 767 and has a wider diameter fuselage. The A380 also has a longer wingspan and a longer fuselage than the 767 variants.

The FAA classifies aircraft by size based on wingspan into one of six categories (I to VI). The A380 is classified as an FAA Group VI aircraft because of its long wingspan. Group VI includes aircraft with wingspans between 65m and 80m. The 767 variants fall into Group IV with wingspans between 36m and 52m:

Range

The ranges of the 767 variants are shown in the table below:

Whilst the 767 was originally targeted at hub and point-to-point carriers operating short- to mid-range transcontinental routes, its later 180-minute ETOPS certifications allowed it to operate intercontinental routes, including transatlantic routes, boosting sales.

Airbus indicates that the A380 has a range of 8,000nm (15,000km), with a standard 4-class cabin configuration. This is longer than all 767 variants.

Seat Capacity and Cabin Layout

The 767’s official seat numbers from Boeing vary by variant and number of cabin classes. The 767-200 variants range from 174 (3-class) to 245 seats (1-class), the 767-300 variants range from 210 to 290 seats, and the 767-400 variants range from 243 to 409 seats.

In practice, actual seat numbers vary significantly by airline and depend on their seating standards, number of classes, and whether premium classes are fitted-out with lie-flat seats.

The twin-aisle 767 generally has seven seats abreast in economy class (2-3-2), six or seven seats abreast in premium economy class (2-2-2, 2-3-2), and four to six seats abreast in business class (1–⁠2–⁠1, 2-1-2, 2-2-2).

Airbus indicates that the A380 allows 545 seats in a standard 4-class configuration and a maximum seating capacity of 853. The maximum 4-class configuration currently operating is 520 seats.

For the A380 I looked at the seating configurations of a range of A380 operators. Typically, this aircraft is configured with three- or four-class cabin configurations, with one airline (Emirates) operating a two-class configuration (business and economy classes) on some of its aircraft. The average seat numbers for each cabin configuration are set out in the table below.

The twin-aisle A380 interior typically allows cabin configurations of ten seats per row in economy class on the lower deck and eight seats per row in economy class on the upper deck. Premium economy is typically seven, or eight seats per row, depending on which deck is used. Business class typically has four to six seats per row (with eight seats abreast in British Airways’ opposing seat layout), and first class has three or four seats per row.

That said, two airlines – Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines – equipped their first class with suites in a single-aisle 1-1 arrangement creating two of the world’s spacious first class products.

Customers and Orders

Boeing 767 deliveries as of the end of June 2023 totaled 1,280 aircraft and, of these, the split between the various 767 variants is as follows:

• 767-2C: 73
• 767-200: 128
• 767-200ER: 121
• 767-300: 104
• 767-300ER: 583
• 767-300F: 233
• 767-400ER: 38

To date, the 767-300ER accounts for 46% of all 767 deliveries. At the end of June 2023, Boeing had 112 unfulfilled orders for the 767, 47 of which were for the 767-300F and 65 for the 767-2C.

Adding deliveries and unfulfilled orders together, the 767-300ER is the most popular 767 variant with a total of 583 aircraft, representing 42% of all 767 deliveries and unfulfilled orders combined at the end of June 2023. Interestingly, the second most popular 767 variant is the 767-300F with a total of 280 deliveries and unfulfilled orders at the end of June 2023 (20% of all 767 deliveries and unfulfilled orders).

The last order for a 767 passenger jet variant was placed in 2012, and in 2014, Boeing dropped the 767-400ER and the 767-200ER from its pricing list. Since 2012 the only 767 orders received by Boeing have been for the 767-2C and the 767-300F, and orders keep coming in for these variants, albeit in relatively modest numbers.

The A380 is no longer in production and Airbus received a total of 251 orders from Air France, ANA, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, China Southern, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways.

Emirates is by far the A380’s largest customer, accounting for almost 50% of the total orders. Singapore Airlines is the second largest customer accounting for around 10% of orders.

767 vs. A380: Summary

The 767 and A380 widebody aircraft are, physically, quite different aircraft. Whilst they are both widebody aircraft the much larger quad-engine A380 with its two passenger decks is a larger and heavier aircraft compared to the twin-engine 767. The A380 also carries significantly more passengers and has a longer range than the 767 variants.

With the A380 no longer in production, and with 767 production now restricted only to freighters and tankers, delivery numbers make for a relatively simple comparison. In terms of commercial success, it can be said that the 767 is a far more successful aircraft than the A380, with more than five times as many orders to date.

The post Boeing 767 vs. Airbus A380: How Do They Compare? appeared first on KN Aviation.

The 767 first went into service in 1982, and the passenger variants of the 767 are no longer in production with the numbers in commercial airline fleets now dwindling rapidly. However, the 767 freighter and tanker are still available.

The 737 preceded the 767, first entering into commercial service in 1967. This means that the 737 has been around in various formats for over five decades. It has continued to evolve and improve over this time and is still in production with plenty of orders for the 737 MAX variants still to be delivered.

In this article, I’ll compare these two aircraft from a number of different perspectives, so, let’s see how these two aircraft compare in terms of size, seating capacity, range, orders, and more.

History

The first 767 orders were placed in 1978 and the first aircraft went into service in 1982. The passenger versions of the 767 are no longer in production, with the last 767 rolling out in 2014. After 2012, all 767 orders have been for freighters and tankers, with FedEx being the major freighter customer.

Boeing 767 was designed to replace the market at the time occupied by aircraft such as the aging 707, Douglas DC-8, Lockheed L1011 Tristar, and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. Over time, the 767 series grew to include five passenger models, the 767 freighter which is based on the 767-300ER fuselage, and the 767 military tanker which is based on the 767-200ER (designated as the 767-2C in Boeing’s order book data).

In 1985 the 767 was ETOPS certified allowing it to fly regular routes across the Atlantic Ocean.

The main 767 variants and their first in-commercial service dates are as follows:

The flying history of the 737 goes all the way back to the 1960s and can be described as a constant evolution. The 737 delivery run has, so far, lasted for 55 years and will continue well into this decade with significant orders still to be completed for the 737 MAX.

The 737 family has been developed over four separate series (or generations), the earlier two of which are no longer in production:

• Boeing 737 Original comprises two main variants – the 737-100 and the 737-200. More than 1,000 737 Originals were delivered by Boeing.
• Boeing 737 Classic comprises three more fuel-efficient variants with differing capacities and ranges: the 737-300, the 737-400, and the 737-500. Almost 2,000 737 Classics were delivered by Boeing.
• Boeing 737 Next Generation (Next Gen of NG) comprises four main variants – the 737-600, the 737-700 (and 737-700ER), the 737-800, and the 737-900 (and 737-900ER). More than 6,000 737NG aircraft were delivered by Boeing.
• Boeing 737 MAX is an evolution of earlier 737 generations, with more efficient engines, aerodynamic improvements such as distinctive split-tip winglets, as well as airframe modifications. The 737MAX series has four variants – MAX7, MAX8, MAX9, and MAX10.

The majority of Boeing’s 737 production is now focused on the 737MAX, with only a small number of 737-800s, and the specialist 737-800A, aircraft yet to be delivered from the NG series.

Dimensions

Let’s take a look at some key physical characteristics and see how the passenger versions of these two aircraft measure up against each other. The 767 variants fall into FAA Airplane Design (ADG) Group IV with wingspans between 36m and 52m.

All 737 variants fall within FAA ADG III, although the numerous 737 variants demonstrate quite a lot of variety in terms of size and physical characteristics. The shortest 737 was the original 737-100 at 29m, and the longest will be the 737MAX10 at almost 44m. The 737 wingspan has varied from around 28m to 36m.

Let’s look in more detail at the 737 MAX variants:

Range

The ranges of the 767 variants are shown in the table below:

Whilst the 767 was originally targeted at hub and point-to-point carriers operating short- to mid-range transcontinental routes, its later 180-minute ETOPS certifications allowed it to operate intercontinental routes, including transatlantic routes, boosting sales.

All of the 737 variants are primarily designed for short- to medium-haul routes. However, some 737 aircraft, especially later variants, are also 180-minutes ETOPS certified.

The 737 variant ranges vary significantly, and so not to complicate matters too much, let’s take a look at the variants within the 737NG and 737 MAX series with the longest and shortest ranges as shown in the tables below, starting with the longest ranges:

The relatively rare 737-600 has the longest range of the 737NG models.

Below are the 737 variants with the shortest ranges:

Seat Capacity

The 767’s official seat numbers from Boeing vary by variant and number of cabin classes. The 767-200 variants range from 174 (3-class) to 245 seats (1-class), the 767-300 variants range from 210 to 290 seats, and the 767-400 variants range from 243 to 409 seats. In practice, actual seat numbers vary significantly by airline and depend on their seating standards, number of classes, and whether premium classes are fitted-out with lie-flat seats.

The twin-aisle 767 typically has seven seats abreast in economy class (2-3-2), six or seven seats abreast in premium economy class (2-2-2, 2-3-2), and four to six seats abreast in business class (1–⁠2–⁠1, 2-1-2, 2-2-2).

Boeing’s suggested seating numbers for the 737MAX are as follows:

Looking at a variety of airlines operating 737-8 and 737-9 aircraft (AeroMexico, Air Canada, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, China Southern, Copa Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, FlyDubai, Fiji Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Icelandair, Korean Air, LOT, Norwegian, Oman Air, Ryanair, Singapore Airlines, Spicejet, Southwest, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines), actual fitted-out seat numbers typically vary as follows:

Customers and Orders

767 deliveries to the end of June 2023 totaled 1,280 aircraft and, of these, the split between the various 767 variants is as follows:

• 767-2C: 73
• 767-200: 128
• 767-200ER: 121
• 767-300: 104
• 767-300ER: 583
• 767-300F: 233
• 767-400ER: 38

To date, the 767-300ER accounts for 46% of all 767 deliveries. At the end of June 2023, Boeing had 112 unfulfilled orders for the 767, 47 of which were for the 767-300F and 65 for the 767-2C. In total, the 767 deliveries and unfulfilled orders at the end of June 2023 were 1,392 aircraft (1,280 deliveries and 112 unfulfilled orders).

The last order for a 767 passenger jet variant was placed in 2012, and in 2014 Boeing dropped the 767-400ER and the 767-200ER from its pricing list. Since 2012 the only 767 orders received by Boeing have been for the 767-2C and the 767-300F, and orders keep coming in for these variants, albeit in relatively modest numbers.

The 767’s biggest passenger airline customer is United Airlines. However, the 767 has also been very popular with cargo airlines, and FedEx is actually the 767’s largest customer overall. UPS is also a very significant 767 customer. Current passenger version operators of the 767 include Air Astana, ANA, Austrian Airlines, Delta Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Icelandair, JAL, LATAM Airlines, and United Airlines.

I looked at Boeing’s official data to the end of June 2023 to investigate how many 737s have been ordered and delivered for each variant. In total, an amazing 11,328 737s have been already delivered and there are 4,379 unfulfilled orders.

The Next Generation is the most successful of the four 737 generations to date. In terms of individual variants, the 737-800 is the most successful.

Boeing has delivered around 23% of its 737 MAX orders, and the company is working hard to increase production of the 737 MAX, from its current 31 planes a month to about 50 per month by 2025, despite fuselage production problems at Spirit AeroSystems, one of Boeing’s major suppliers.

The 737MAX is proving very successful with low-cost airlines such as Southwest Airlines, Lion Air, and Ryanair. In fact, Southwest Airlines is the largest customer for the 737 MAX. United Airlines is the largest full-service carrier customer for the 737 MAX. Both of these airlines have each ordered more than 500 of the type.

767 vs. 737 Summary

So, are the 767 and 737 similar? Not really. The narrowbody 737 came before the widebody 767 but has outlived the 767 which is no longer in mainstream production (apart from its freighter and tanker versions).

The 737 has been a constantly evolving aircraft that has now been in production for more than five decades. The constant improvements to the 737 have given this aircraft a new lease of life with its NG and MAX series, and the 737, in the form of the 737 MAX, has a huge order backlog of more than 4,000 aircraft.

Not surprisingly, the 767 variants are longer, heavier, and have greater wingspans than all 737 variants.

But there are a few similarities. Both are Boeing aircraft and both are twinjets that have benefited commercially from ETOPS certification allowing airlines to deploy these aircraft on intercontinental routes.

With its huge order backlog still to be tackled, it does look like the 737MAX variants will be gracing our skies for decades to come. In contrast, the number of 767s in airline fleets is declining rapidly.

The post Boeing 767 vs. 737: How Do They Compare? appeared first on KN Aviation.

In this article, I’ll compare these two Boeing widebody aircraft from a number of different perspectives. So, let’s see how they compare in terms of key attributes such as size, seating capacity, range, and orders.

History

The 767 was the first Boeing wide-body aircraft to be designed for two flight crew members.

The first orders for this jet were placed in 1978 and the passenger versions are no longer in production, with the last passenger 767 rolling out in 2014. After 2012, all 767 orders have been for the freighter and tanker versions of this aircraft, with FedEx being the major freighter customer.

This aircraft was was designed to replace the market at the time occupied by aircraft such as the aging 707, Douglas DC-8, Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10.

The 767 family includes five passenger models, the 767 freighter which is based on the 767-300ER fuselage, and the 767 military tanker which is based on the 767-200ER (the KC-46 designated as the 767-2C in Boeing’s order book data). In 1985, the 767 was ETOPS certified allowing it to fly regular routes across the Atlantic Ocean.

The main 767 variants and their first in commercial service dates are as follows:

The 747 was conceived as air travel began to become more popular in the 1960s, and at this time Pan Am’s President had asked Boeing to design a new passenger jet 2.5 times the size of current aircraft such as Boeing’s 707, with 30% lower per passenger costs.

Boeing began its 747 studies in 1965, and asked Pan Am and other airlines to contribute so that airline requirements and objectives could be better understood. By April 1966, Pan Am had ordered 25 of the first 747 variant, the 747-100.

As Boeing did not have a manufacturing plant large enough to assemble this new giant airliner, they chose to build a brand new plant in Everett, around 50km north of Seattle on a 320-ha site adjoining Paine Airfield military base. Boeing bought the site in June 1966.

Boeing agreed to deliver the first 747 to Pan Am by the end of 1969. On September 30, 1968, the first 747 was rolled out of the Everett assembly building before the world’s press and representatives of the twenty-six airlines that had already placed orders. The first flight took place on February 9, 1969, and was followed by an exhaustive flight test program.

The company took a test aircraft to the 1969 Paris Air Show where it was displayed to the public for the first time. The 747 received its FAA airworthiness certificate in December 1969, and the first 747 was delivered to Pan Am on time in December 1969. It entered service on January 22, 1970, on Pan Am’s flagship New York – London route.

Growing demand for longer-range aircraft with increased capacity, lead to the development of the 747-200. The 747-200 was produced in passenger, freighter, convertible, and combi versions. The 747-200 was launched in 1968 and took its first commercial flight in 1971. Boeing then released the 747-100SR in 1973 which was a shorter-range, high-capacity 747, with around 500 seats, developed mainly to serve domestic routes between major Japanese cities.

One of the most distinctive 747 variants is the 747-SP which was almost 15m shorter than the 747-100 and was developed in response to airline requests for a longer-range, high-capacity aircraft. This variant first flew commercially in 1976.

The 747-300 was the first 747 variant to have an extended upper deck and offered increased seating capacity. The 747-300 took its first commercial flight in 1983. Besides the passenger version of the 747-300, Boeing also produced a 747-300 combi and short-range (SR). The 747-300SR had a high seating capacity approaching 600 passengers and, similar to the 747-100SR, was produced for the Japanese domestic market.

In 1985, the development of the 747-400 began. This variant had a longer range, a new ‘glass cockpit’ for an aircrew of two, new engines, lighter construction materials, winglets, and a redesigned interior. The 747-400 entered service in 1989. The 747-400 was offered in passenger, freighter, combi, domestic, extended-range passenger, and extended-range freighter versions.

The 747-400D was built for short-range operations with maximum seating for more than 600 passengers. The longer-range 747-400ERs were launched in late 2000. The 747-400ERs are the same size as the 747-400s but have a slightly longer range with an auxiliary fuel tank in the forward cargo hold, and an option for a second tank.

In November 2005, Boeing announced it was launching the 747-8 – the stretched fuselage and longer wingspan 747-8 Intercontinental (747-8I) passenger aircraft and the 747-8 freighter (747-8F). The 747-8 incorporates innovative technologies from the 787 Dreamliner, including GEnx-2B engines, raked wingtips, a reduced noise footprint, reduced carbon emissions, lower weight, less fuel consumption, fewer parts, and less maintenance.

The 747-8F made its maiden flight in February 2010 and the first delivery went to Cargolux in 2011. The first 747-8I took its maiden flight in March 2011 and the first few customer deliveries were in February 2012 to business jet/VIP customers. Lufthansa was the first airline to receive the 747-8 in April 2012.

The main 747 variants and their first in-commercial service dates are as follows:

Dimensions

Let’s take a look at some key physical characteristics and see how the passenger versions of these two aircraft measure up against each other. Let’s start with the 747:

The FAA classifies aircraft by size based on wingspan into one of six categories (I to VI).

Until the development of the 747-8, the 747 was FAA V for aircraft with wingspans ranging from 52m up to 65m. The 747-8, with its 68.4m wingspan, has been moved into the larger FAA VI category (the same category as the A380) for aircraft with wingspans between 65m and up to 80m.

The 767 variants fall into FAA Airplane Design (ADG) Group IV with wingspans between 36m and 52m:

Range

The ranges of the 767 variants are shown in the table below:

Whilst the 767 was originally targeted at hub and point-to-point carriers operating short- to mid-range transcontinental routes, its later 180-minute ETOPS certifications allowed it to operate intercontinental routes, including transatlantic routes, boosting sales.

The evolution of the 747 has generally seen increases in range as each variant has been rolled out. Ranges approaching 8,000nm, as seen in the more recent variants of these aircraft, allow an increasing number of new ultra-long-haul city pairs to be connected.

The B747-8I range is 7,730nmi (14,320km), similar to the 787-9. The 747-8I range theoretically allows this aircraft to fly non-stop long-distance routes such as London – Santiago, London – Jakarta, New York – Cape Town, Beijing – New York, Singapore – Seattle, and Dubai – Sydney.

Seat Capacity

The 767’s official seat numbers from Boeing vary by variant and number of cabin classes. The 767-200 variants range from 174 (3-class) to 245 seats (1-class), the 767-300 variants range from 210 to 290 seats, and the 767-400 variants range from 243 to 409 seats.

In practice, actual seat numbers vary significantly by airline and depend on their seating standards, number of classes, and whether premium classes are fitted-out with lie-flat seats. Based on my research I conclude that 767-200 and -300 variants with two-class cabins typically have around 230 seats.

The twin-aisle 767 typically has seven seats abreast in economy class (2-3-2), six or seven seats abreast in premium economy class (2-2-2, 2-3-2), and four to six seats abreast in business class (1–⁠2–⁠1, 2-1-2, 2-2-2).

The larger 747 has a much higher seating capacity than the 767. For this comparison, I have looked into the 747-8I. Boeing indicates that the 747-8I’s three-class seating capacity is 410 passengers. I investigated three current 747-8I operators and found the following:

• Air China: 4 classes with a total of 365 seats (12 first, 54 business, 66 premium economy, 233 economy)
• Korean Air: 3 classes with a total of 368 seats (6, 48, 0, 314)
• Lufthansa: 4 classes with a total of 364 seats (8, 80, 32, 244)

All current 747-8I operators with a first-class cabin have located that cabin on the main deck. The upper deck is always used for business-class seating and the seating configuration is single aisle 2-2. Where business class is also located on the full-width part of the main deck the seating configuration is twin-aisle 2-2-2. Air China’s main deck business class cabin extends into the aircraft nose where the seating configuration becomes 2-2.

Air China’s premium economy cabin on the main deck adopts a ten-abreast seating configuration 3-4-3, the same as its economy cabin, although the seat pitch is more generous in the premium economy cabin. Lufthansa’s premium economy cabin features eight-abreast seating (2-4-2) whilst the economy cabin has ten-abreast seating (3-4-3).

Customers and Orders

767 deliveries to the end of June 2023 totaled 1,280 aircraft and, of these, the split between the various 767 variants is as follows:

• 767-2C: 73
• 767-200: 128
• 767-200ER: 121
• 767-300: 104
• 767-300ER: 583
• 767-300F: 233
• 767-400ER: 38

The 767-300ER accounts for 46% of all 767 deliveries. At the end of June 2023, Boeing had 112 unfulfilled orders for the 767, 47 of which were for the 767-300F and 65 for the 767-2C.

The last order for a 767 passenger jet variant was placed in 2012, and in 2014 Boeing dropped the 767-400ER and the 767-200ER from its pricing list. Since 2012 the only 767 orders received by Boeing have been for the 767-2C and the 767-300F, and orders keep coming in for these variants, albeit in relatively modest numbers.

The 747 is no longer in production but during its long production run over more than five decades, Boeing delivered 1,573 747s. The most popular 747 series has been the 747-400s, of which there were 694 deliveries, including, passenger, combi, and freight versions, or 44% of the total 747 deliveries.

Approximately two-thirds of 747 orders have been for passenger versions and one-third for freighter and combi versions.

The top 747 customer was Japan Airlines which received a total of 108 aircraft, followed by British Airways which received 94 aircraft, and Singapore Airlines with 93 747s. United Airlines was the top US 747 customer with 68 deliveries.

767 vs. 747: Summary

So, are the 767 and 747 similar? Not really. Whilst they are both widebody aircraft the quad-engine 747 is a larger and heavier aircraft compared to the twin-engine 767. In general, the 747 variants also have longer ranges than the 767 variants. For example, the 767-400ER’s range of around 10,400km compares to around 14,200km for the 747-400ER.

With the 747 no longer in production, and with 767 production now restricted only to freighters and tankers, delivery numbers make for a relatively simple comparison. The 767 and 747 numbers are quite similar – almost 1,600 747s were delivered, compared to almost 1,400 deliveries (plus some remaining unfulfilled orders for freighters and tankers) for the 767.

Whilst 747s and 767s remain in service today with some airlines, it’s fair to say that both have had their heydays and have become superseded by more technologically advanced or more fuel-efficient aircraft such as the 787 and A350.

The post Boeing 767 vs. 747: How Do They Compare? appeared first on KN Aviation.

Modern flight is truly an amazing feat and today’s aircraft have reached some almost unbelievable flying achievements. When you see a modern jet aircraft high above it’s sometimes hard to believe that the history of modern powered flight only goes back just 100 years.

In this article, I’m going to provide some details on how high airplanes fly and show you the differences between a variety of different aircraft types. First of all, I’ll explain the basics of aeronautics and how aircraft fly in a simple and easy-to-understand way. After that, I’ll look into the reasons why aircraft fly at high altitudes and then delve into some details of the flying altitudes of different categories of aircraft such as commercial airliners, private jets, light aircraft, and military jets.

The Science of Flight – A Basic Overview

Not surprisingly the keys to flight are an aircraft’s wings. But wings are only part of the story. The science of flight is rooted in Newton’s Third Law of Motion and how there is a reaction to each action. There are four forces that act on an airplane in flight:

• Lift supports an airplane in flight. Lift is the opposite force to gravity and is generated when air flows smoothly over a wing. Most wings have a curved upper surface and a flat lower surface creating a cross-section shape that is called an airfoil. As the wing cuts through the air, the air flows over, as well as under, the wing, and an area of low pressure is created above the wing, acting to pull the airplane upwards.
• Weight is caused by gravity and acts to pull the airplane toward the ground. When the lift created by the wings exceeds gravity, the airplane will leave the ground and climb and continue to fly.
• Thrust is the force that moves an airplane forward. Generally, it is created with a propeller or by jet engines. Air is pulled into the engines and then pushed out in the opposite direction.
• Drag is the force that acts opposite to the direction of motion. It tends to slow an object and is caused by friction and differences in air pressure. If you put your hand out of a moving car window you will feel it being pulled back – this is drag.

The way the four forces act on the airplane make it behave differently. Each force has an opposite force that works against it. Lift works opposite weight (gravity). Thrust is the opposite of drag. When the forces are balanced, an airplane will fly in a level direction.

An airplane will go up if the forces of lift and thrust are more than gravity and drag. If gravity and drag are larger than lift and thrust, the airplane will go down.

Why Do Aircraft Fly So High?

When flying with an airline you’ve probably heard one of the flight crew announce that you’ll be “flying at 35,000 feet.” That’s pretty high; more than 6 miles high in fact! The key reasons are as follows:

• Fuel efficiency: Aircraft are designed to operate more efficiently at high altitudes where the air is thinner so there is less drag on the aircraft, resulting in less fuel burn. However, there is a limit to this. Aircraft engines need oxygen, and the amount of oxygen in the air decreases with altitude. If the altitude is too much, then the jet engines will produce less thrust, and the lift produced by the wings will also decrease. Stress forces on the fuselage produced by pressure imbalances between the artificial pressure inside the aircraft and the low-pressure air outside are also a key consideration. So, the optimal flying altitude is a balance between air density and oxygen levels, and each aircraft engine will be designed with an optimal altitude in mind.
• Hazard avoidance: Flying at high altitudes means that aircraft can avoid other airborne traffic such as light aircraft, helicopters, drones, and birds.
• Avoiding bad weather and turbulence: Commercial aircraft usually fly above the troposphere in order to avoid storms, strong winds, and other weather events. The troposphere extends up to around 36,000 feet. Turbulence is less common, but not completely absent at high altitudes too.
• Safety and separation: Aircraft are separated both vertically and horizontally by air traffic control (ATC) to avoid collisions. There’s a well-established ATC rule that commercial aircraft will cruise eastbound at so-called ‘odd’ altitudes in increments of 2,000 feet e.g. 35,000 feet and 37,000 feet, whereas a westbound flight will cruise at even-numbered altitudes e.g. 34,000 feet and 36,000 feet. This means that an aircraft moving towards another aircraft will be separated vertically.
• Emergency response: Flying at high altitudes gives the flight crew more time to react and decide on corrective action in the unlikely event of an emergency.

When it comes to altitude there is one key aircraft design feature that makes all the difference – cabin pressurization which provides a comfortable, and frankly survivable, environment for passengers and crew at high altitudes. As a general rule, any aircraft flying above 10,000 feet needs to be pressurized. This is one of the key reasons that light aircraft (which are not pressurized) fly at much lower altitudes than commercial airliners.

How High Do Aircraft Fly? A Look at Maximum Altitudes…

Now that we’ve grasped some basic concepts, let’s take a look at the maximum design altitude that an aircraft is designed to fly at, known as the service ceiling, as a way to compare different types of aircraft. Just keep in mind that aircraft rarely fly at their service ceilings.

The EAA’s definition of service ceiling is the height above sea level at which an aircraft with a normal-rated load “is unable to climb faster than 100 feet per minute under standard air conditions.” In other words, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude an airliner can reach according to its design. Service ceilings tend to be around 40,000 feet for commercial airliners. However, commercial aircraft are more likely to cruise at an altitude of around 35,000 feet.

Commercial Airliners

Modern commercial airliners tend to have service ceilings generally up to around 43,000 feet. That said, as mentioned above, more often than not, airliners will cruise at around 35,000 feet, give or take a couple thousand feet.

The table below shows these parameters for the most common Boeing, Airbus, and other commercial aircraft:

Boeing

The 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners have a service ceiling of 43,100 feet, whereas the stretched 787-10 has a ceiling that is a little lower at 41,100 feet. The older 747 variants have very high service ceilings exceeding 45,000 feet. The more modern 747-8, has a service ceiling of 43,100 feet. The variants in the 767 and 777 families share the same service ceiling of 43,100 feet.

For the Boeing narrowbodies, the 737NG and 737MAX have certified service ceilings of up to 41,000 feet, while the older 737 versions (Original and Classic) are certified only to 37,000 feet. The 757 family has a service ceiling of 42,000 feet.

Airbus

The A320neo aircraft family (A319neo, A320, and A321neo) are certified to fly up to a range between 39,100 and 39,800 feet. However, the aircraft in the A320ceo family have service ceilings of between 39,100 and 41,000 feet. The A220 also offers a service ceiling of 41,000 feet. The A318 has a maximum ceiling of 39,800 feet.

Airbus widebodies such as the A380 and the A350 have service ceilings of up to around 43,000 feet. Although the A350-1000 has a ceiling that is a little lower at 41,450 feet. The A330 and A340 have maximum service ceilings of 41,450 feet, whilst the A300 and A310 have service ceilings of 40,000 feet and 41,000 feet respectively.

Embraer and Bombardier

The Embraer E-Jet and E2 series aircraft and the Bombardier jets in the CRJ series have service ceilings of 41,000 feet.

Concorde

We need to talk about Concorde even though it is no longer operational. Concorde was rated to fly up to 60,000 feet.

With its very powerful engines, Concorde was able to ascend much more rapidly compared to subsonic airliners, and therefore it could reach its high cruising altitude relatively quickly. Also, Concorde’s engines were specifically designed to cope with high-altitude air with low oxygen concentrations.

The sleek design of Concorde resulted in minimal levels of drag and the delta wing configuration meant that this aircraft was less reliant on wing lift to stay in the air compared to subsonic airliners with their more traditional wing design.

One very interesting fact is that Concorde’s windows were very small. If a window blew out, Concorde’s air compression system could actively compensate by pumping air into the cabin faster than it could escape, giving the flight crew sufficient time to complete an emergency descent.

Private Jets

Many private jets have higher service ceilings than commercial airliners, typically between 45,000 and 51,000 feet, but usually fly at an altitude of around 41,000 feet. Why is this? There are four main reasons:

• To avoid commercial air traffic, typically flying 35,000 and 40,000 feet
• To avoid bad weather and turbulence
• Superior climb ability due to lighter weight and relatively more powerful engines compared to commercial airliners allowing private jets to climb faster
• Improved performance and efficiency by flying through less dense air

The private jets with the highest service ceiling of 51,000 feet include the following:

• Bombardier Global 6000
• Dassault Falcon 5X
• Gulfstream G650

Light Aircraft

Most private light aircraft typically fly at altitudes between 2,000 and 6,000 feet, although they are capable of flying at higher altitudes. For example, the Cessna 172 has a service ceiling of 13,500 feet.

Light aircraft fly at much lower altitudes than commercial airlines for the following reasons:

• They are not pressurized
• Their engines are not that powerful and so they operate at relatively low speeds. If you combine this with the fact that they tend to make relatively short flights it does not make sense for these aircraft to spend a lot of time ascending and descending to higher altitudes
• Air traffic control and licensing requirements mean that these aircraft are restricted to lower levels as their pilots are often trained only to fly under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) where good visibility of the ground is needed

Military Aircraft

Military aircraft typically fly higher than 50,000 feet.

American aircraft company Lockheed seems to be the master at developing very high-altitude military aircraft. Examples (excluding proposals, prototypes, demonstrators, and drones) of military aircraft with service ceilings above 65,000 feet include the following:

When looking at military aircraft service ceilings there is a number that crops up time and time again in non-US aircraft – 65,617 feet; this is equivalent to 20,000m.

Summary

So, in descending order the aircraft categories ranked by service ceiling are as follows:

1. Military aircraft
2. Private jets
3. Commercial airliners
4. Light aircraft

There are some exceptions to this. Notably, Concorde was able to fly at altitudes of up to 60,000 feet, that’s typically where you might find some military aircraft.

It seems that there is a well-defined system and order, as you would expect, and this relates not just to the function of each aircraft but also to the speed and ability of each aircraft type to ascend and descend quickly to make flying at high altitude worth the effort.

The post How High Do Airplanes Fly? (737, 747, A380 & Other Types) appeared first on KN Aviation.

In this article, I’ll compare these two aircraft from a number of different perspectives, so, let’s see how the 767 and A350 compare in terms of key attributes such as size, seating capacity, range, and orders.

History

The 767 was the first Boeing widebody aircraft to be designed for two flight crew members. The first 767 orders were placed in 1978 and the first aircraft went into service in 1982. The commercial jet versions of the 767 are no longer in production, with the last 767 rolling out in 2014. After 2012, all 767 orders have been for the freighter and tanker versions of this aircraft, with FedEx being the major freighter customer.

Boeing 767 was designed to replace the market at the time occupied by aircraft such as the aging 707, Douglas DC-8, Lockheed L1011 Tristar, and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10.

The 767 family includes five passenger models, the 767 freighter which is based on the 767-300ER fuselage, and the 767 military tanker which is based on the 767-200ER (the KC-46 designated as the 767-2C in Boeing’s order book data). In 1985, the 767 was ETOPS certified allowing it to fly regular routes across the Atlantic Ocean.

The main 767 variants and their first in-commercial service dates are as follows:

The A350 family has two main passenger versions: the A350-900 and the longer fuselage A350-1000, and a freighter version, the A350F. The A350-900 is also available as an Ultra Long Range model (A350-900ULR) with a range of up to 9,700nmi, achieved through a modified fuel system that increases the aircraft’s fuel carrying capacity without the need for additional fuel tanks. The A350-900ULR is capable of flying an amazing 20 hours non-stop.

When Airbus originally launched the A350 program, there were three variants – the A350-800, A350-900, and the A350-1000. However, only the A350-900 and A350-1000 moved into production, despite the A350-800 receiving a fair number of orders. A350-800 orders began to disappear as buyers converted to the larger A350-900 and subsequently became attracted to the A330neo that was launched at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow.

Shortly after this airshow, Airbus canceled the A350-800 and tried to persuade its A350-800 customers to switch to the A350-900 or the A330neo. Most did switch but not all.

The available A350 variants are listed below:

The first A350 prototype flew in June 2013, and type certifications from both EASA and the FAA were achieved in 2014. The A350 is the first Airbus aircraft largely made of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers. The A350F freighter version is available for order, but as of May 2023, no A350F aircraft have been delivered yet.

In January 2015, the first A350-900 entered service with Qatar Airways, followed by the A350-1000 in February 2018, also with Qatar Airways.

Dimensions

Let’s take a look at some key physical characteristics and see how the passenger versions of these two aircraft measure up against each other.

The 767 variants fall into FAA Airplane Design (ADG) Group IV with wingspans between 36m and 52m. The A350 variants have longer fuselages and wingspans compared to the 767 variants and are classified as FAA Group V aircraft with wingspans between 52m and 65m.

Generally speaking, the A350 is a larger and heavier aircraft compared to the 767.

Range

The A350 is flexible enough to fly efficiently all sectors from short-haul to ultra-long-haul routes, with a maximum range of up to 9,700nm for the A350-900ULR allowing more than 20 hours of flying time. The ranges of the A350 variants are shown in the table below.

The ranges of the 767 variants are shown in the table below:

Whilst the 767 was originally targeted at hub and point-to-point carriers operating short- to mid-range transcontinental routes, its later 180-minute ETOPS certifications allowed it to operate intercontinental routes, including transatlantic routes, boosting sales.

The 767 ER variants have ranges of around 10,000 – 12,000km which fall short of the ranges achieved by all of the A350 variants, and well below the impressive 18,000km range of the A350-900ULR.

Seat Capacity

The 767’s official seat numbers from Boeing vary by variant and number of cabin classes. The 767-200 variants range from 174 (3-class) to 245 seats (1-class), the 767-300 variants range from 210 to 290 seats, and the 767-400 variants range from 243 to 409 seats.

In practice, actual seat numbers vary significantly by airline and depend on their seating standards, number of classes, and whether premium classes are fitted-out with lie-flat seats. Based on my research I conclude that 767-200 and 300 variants with two-class cabins typically have around 230 seats.

The twin-aisle 767 typically has seven seats abreast in economy class (2-3-2), six seats abreast in premium economy class (2-2-2), and four to six seats abreast in business class (1–⁠2–⁠1, 2-1-2, 2-2-2).

The A350 typically carries anywhere between around 250 and 400 passengers in two- or three-class cabin configurations. I have looked at the seating configurations of this aircraft’s biggest customers (Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Air China, Virgin Atlantic, and Cathay Pacific). Typically, the A350 is configured with three-class or two-class seating configurations, and the ranges of seat numbers are set out in the table below:

You can see that seating numbers vary significantly even for the same aircraft with the same number of cabins. The two-class configuration with 161 seats is a bit of an outlier and belongs to Singapore Airlines’ A350-ULRs used on its long-haul routes to the USA which are fitted out with only business and premium economy class seats.

Airbus suggests that the A350 can carry 300-350 (A350-900) or 350-410 (A350-1000) passengers in typical three-class configurations; and up to 440 passengers in a single-class layout for the A350-900, and 480 passengers for the A350-1000.

The A350 interior typically allows cabin configurations of nine seats per row in economy class, eight seats per row in premium economy, and four seats per row in business class, with a twin-aisle arrangement.

Customers and Orders

Boeing 767 deliveries to the end of June 2023 totaled 1,280 aircraft and, of these, the split between the various 767 variants is as follows:

• 767-2C: 73
• 767-200: 128
• 767-200ER: 121
• 767-300: 104
• 767-300ER: 583
• 767-300F: 233
• 767-400ER: 38

At the end of June 2023, Boeing had 112 unfulfilled orders for the 767, 47 of which were for the 767-300F and 65 for the 767-2C.

Adding deliveries and unfulfilled orders together, the 767-300ER is the most popular 767 variant with a total of 583 aircraft, representing 42% of all 767 deliveries and unfulfilled orders combined at the end of June 2023. Interestingly, the second most popular 767 variant is the 767-300F with a total of 280 deliveries and unfulfilled orders at the end of June 2023 (20% of all 767 deliveries and unfulfilled orders).

In total, the 767 deliveries and unfulfilled orders at the end of June 2023 were 1,392 aircraft (1,280 deliveries and 112 unfulfilled orders).

The last order for a 767 passenger jet variant was placed in 2012, and in 2014 Boeing dropped the 767-400ER and the 767-200ER from its pricing list. Since 2012 the only 767 orders received by Boeing have been for the 767-2C and the 767-300F, and orders keep coming in for these variants, albeit in relatively modest numbers.

The 767’s biggest passenger airline customer is United Airlines. However, the 767 has also been very popular with cargo airlines, and FedEx is actually the 767’s largest customer overall. UPS is also a very significant 767 customer. Current passenger version operators of the 767 include Air Astana, ANA, Austrian Airlines, Delta Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Icelandair, JAL, LATAM Airlines, and United Airlines.

As of the end of June 2023, Airbus has received a total of 1,026 orders for the A350, and has delivered 542 (53%). So far, the A350-900 is the most popular of the A350 variants accounting for 74% of orders and 86% of deliveries. So far, no A350F aircraft have been delivered.

Top A350 customers include Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, and United Airlines.

767 vs. A350: Summary

The 767 arrived a long time before the A350, entering commercial service in 1982, compared to 2015 for the A350. The 767 passenger variants are no longer in production with the last 767-passenger variant order placed in 2012. In contrast, the A350 is in full production with a significant order backlog of almost 500 aircraft. So far, the number of 767 orders exceeds that of the A350, although this may change in the future given the ongoing popularity of the A350.

The A350 is a larger aircraft than the 767 in all respects – length, wingspan, fuselage width, and MTOW. But similarities lie in the fact that both aircraft are twinjet, twin-aisle widebodies. Both aircraft have also benefited commercially from ETOPS certification allowing airlines to deploy these twinjets on long-haul intercontinental routes.

The post Boeing 767 vs. Airbus A350: How Do They Compare? appeared first on KN Aviation.