In today’s globalised world, planes are important; aviation is the quickest and most efficient means to travel from one nation to another, and about 100,000 passenger flights take off every day, moving people all over the world in a couple of hours. Without them, we’d be stuck with boats and ships, which would mean far longer journey times and much more miserable rides – a reality that many of us would never experience.
| Fastest Commercial Planes | Speed (Mach) |
|---|---|
| Airbus A380 | Mach 0.89 | 683 mph |
| Airbus A350-XWB-1000 | Mach 0.89 | 682.86 mph |
| Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner | Mach 0.90 | 690.54 mph |
| Boeing 747-8i Intercontinental | Mach 0.92 | 705.88 mph |
Since the Wright Flyer performed the first flight in history in 1903, aircraft have been constantly evolving, and certain passenger jets, like as the Bombardier Global 8000 private jet, which broke the sound barrier during a SAF test flight, are now capable of flirting with supersonic speeds.
When it comes to larger commercial airplanes that are far more accessible to us than a $78 million dollar private jet, there are still some aircraft that can cruise at insanely fast speeds and carry hoards of people across the world as if it were nothing. Let’s take a look at some of the fastest commercial planes in the world.
Fastest Commercial Planes
4. Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is one of the world’s largest and fastest commercial jets, with a seating capacity of 555 people and an empty weight of 610,700 pounds (277,000 kg). It can cruise at Mach 0.85 and achieve a maximum operational speed of Mach 0.89, or 683 miles per hour, thanks to four 70,000-pound thrust engines.
It costs over $375 million and can fly up to 15,000 kilometres fully laden in a single trip.
3. Airbus A350-XWB-1000
With an empty weight of 491,630 pounds or 223,000 kg, the Airbus A350-1000 Extra Wide Body can seat up to 410 passengers. The A350-1000 is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 turbofan engines that give it a cruising speed of Mach 0.85 and a maximum operational speed of Mach 0.89. It has a range of around 15,600 kilometres and costs around $352 million on average.
2. Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
The Dreamliner 787-10 is slightly smaller than the preceding models, with 330 seats in a two-class configuration and an empty weight of 425,000 pounds (193,000 kg). The 787-10 can cruise at Mach 0.85 and reach Mach 0.90 when equipped with a pair of General Electric GEnx-1B or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines each capable of delivering 76,000 pounds of thrust. It has a range of 11,910 kilometres and a price tag of $306 million.
1. Boeing 747-8i Intercontinental
In terms of size and performance, this huge jumbo aircraft is a monster. With an empty weight of 651,000 pounds or 295,000 kg, it can accommodate 467 passengers in a three-class configuration. (http://rxreviewz.com/) The 747-8 is equipped with four GEnx-2B67 engines that each provide 66,500 pounds of thrust, allowing it to cruise at Mach 0.855 and achieve a maximum operational speed of Mach 0.92. The 747-8 has a range of 14,430 kilometres and costs around $378.5 million on average.
