Boeing 747-8

Quad Jet· 41 globally registered

The Boeing 747-8 is the largest and final variant of the iconic 747 family, stretching the fuselage to 250 feet and becoming the longest passenger airliner ever built. Launched in 2005 and entering service in 2011, the 747-8 was designed to compete with the Airbus A380 while retaining the operational flexibility and airport compatibility that made the 747 legendary. Powered by four General Electric GEnx-2B67 engines (the same core technology as the 787 Dreamliner), the 747-8 delivers significantly better fuel efficiency and lower noise than earlier 747s, though it arrived too late to reverse the industry's shift toward twin-engine widebodies. The freighter variant, the 747-8F, has proven far more successful than the passenger 747-8I, with cargo operators like UPS, Cargolux, and Atlas Air valuing its 308,000-pound payload capacity and ability to carry oversized freight that won't fit in smaller aircraft. With a maximum takeoff weight of 987,000 pounds, the 747-8 is one of only two aircraft types assigned ICAO wake turbulence category J (super-heavy), alongside the A380. It cruises at Mach 0.855 with a range exceeding 8,000 nautical miles fully loaded, making it ideal for transpacific cargo routes. The type holds the distinction of being the heaviest production aircraft variant Boeing has ever built, and with production ending in 2023 after just 155 deliveries, it marks the conclusion of the 747 program that defined the jet age for over half a century. SkyMeter has tracked 1,347 flights across 120 airframes and 9 operators, with UNITED PARCEL SERVICE CO the largest observed operator.