When standing next to the engineering marvels that are modern-day aircraft, their size becomes much more impressive than when one sees them pass overhead in the sky. If you have come up close and personal with a 747 or an A380 from the outside, it is an experience you will not soon forget.

It is, of course, hard to beat the jumbo and superjumbo jets when it comes to height. But what about the longest commercial aircraft?

Defining characteristics

When awarding the particular title of the world's longest commercial aircraft, what we intend by 'commercial' is important. If we mean an aircraft currently in regular use with airlines and that you could book a ticket and travel on today, well, then there is one winner. If we allow the term to include a plane developed by an OEM and has taken flight but not yet entered service, that is another matter.

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The Boeing 747-8

If we start with the aircraft currently in operational service, then the longest plane carrying passengers on regularly scheduled routes is the Boeing 747-8. The planemaker's latest and final version of the iconic Queen of the Skies is 250 feet and 2 inches (76.25 m) long. However, it is an increasingly rare breed with passenger airlines, with just 30 of the type currently listed as active.

According to data from ch-aviation.com, 19 of these belong to Lufthansa, four to Air China, and seven to Korean Air. That being said, the cargo-carrying Boeing 747-8F is much more popular, with 89 active aircraft at 10 airlines worldwide.

The Airbus A340-600 and A380-800

When the Boeing 747-8 entered service in October 2011, it snagged the crown from rival planemaker Airbus and the A340-600. The European single-decker quadjet clocked in at 247 feet (75.30 meters) long, making it slightly lengthier than the 239 feet and 6 inches (73 meters) of the double-decker Airbus A380-800.

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Before the introduction of the Airbus A340-600 and A380-800 in the mid-2000s, the Boeing 747 family held an unbroken suit when it came to the longest commercial aircraft. This dated all the way back to the original 747-100, with no substantial changes to the length of the fuselage. The most popular variant of the 'jumbo jet' was the 747-400, which was 231 feet 10 inches (70.66 meters) long.

The upcoming contender to the throne

But what if we were to skip a few years into the future? Even though it is difficult to predict when Boeing's new flagship will enter service, the time will come for airlines such as Lufthansa, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific to welcome customers onboard the 777-9. Once in service, this gigantic twinjet will hold the title of being the longest commercial passenger aircraft in operation.

The 777-9 took its first flight in January 2020. Meanwhile, the third aircraft entered the flight testing program in August 2021. It is - just barely - longer than the 747-8, and measures 251 feet and 9 inches (76.73 meters) in length.

Unfortunately, the development of the Boeing 777X family, which includes the 777-8 and 777-9 variants, has been fraught with delays. In April this year, Boeing confirmed that the type's first delivery now wouldn't be expected to take place until 2025. However, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, whose airline is set to be the 777X's first recipient, thinks Boeing may improve on this projection.

Boeing has proposed a stretched variant, the 777-10X. A lengthened 777X fuselage would reach a staggering 263 feet (80 meters). The manufacturer has declared it is technically feasible should there be enough interest from airlines.

Have you flown on the world's longest aircraft? Which is your favorite of the models listed? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Source: ch-aviation.com