The aircraft industry is expecting a seven-fold increase in air traffic by 2050, and a four-fold increase in greenhouse gas emissions unless fundamental changes are made. But just how “fundamental” will those changes need to be and what will be their effect on the aircraft we use?

The crucial next step towards ensuring the aircraft industry becomes greener is the full electrification of commercial aircraft. That’s zero CO2 and NOx emissions, with energy sourced from power stations that are themselves sustainably fuelled. The main technological barrier that must be overcome is the energy density of batteries, a measure of how much power can be generated from a battery of a certain weight.

It is normal and acceptable to be one of those passengers who know nothing about the airplanes that they travel in, except the seat where they will spend their entire journey. For an aircraft enthusiast, the plane trip is not just meant to go from one place to another. It is a whole fulfilling experience that only an aficionado can savor.

We do question the quality of service offered by the airline, but we often don’t realize that our comfort and flight experience is closely associated with the kind of airplane we are flying in.

Here are some of the most common airliners that most airlines buy.

The largest commercial passenger plane in the world, the A380, is a double-decker behemoth with four engines, a wingspan of 262 feet, and a cabin that can hold more than 500 people. It has enough space inside of it, Airbus says, to fit 35 million ping-pong balls, if you count its cargo hold along with its two main decks. It first left the ground in 2005, and on Valentine’s Day 2019, Airbus announced it would stop producing the aircraft. The last vessels will be delivered in 2021.

The official cause of death is a smaller-than-expected number of orders from Emirates Airlines, which is the largest operator of the craft—although it will still receive 14 new A380s between now and 2021.

“It’s a marvel of aviation to see an airplane that large, and that humans can make things that big fly,” reflected Richard Anderson, director of the Eagle Flight Research Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. By the standards of modern jets, the A380’s production lifespan—it first flew commercially in 2007—is short. The 747, in comparison, first flew in 1969 and Boeing still has orders to fill. 

Here are the 10 worlds largest passenger jet aircraft that can transport hundreds of passengers from another side of the world within an hour. The largest one, Airbus A380 celebrates the anniversary of its first flight. Take a look at the list of the largest passenger aircraft in the world!

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