The biggest aircraft ever built is the Antonov An-225 Mriya. It stretched 275 feet 7 inches (84 m) long, weighed up to 1.4 million pounds (640 tonnes) fully loaded, and remains the heaviest and longest airplane ever flown, even after it was destroyed in 2022.
But “biggest” has more than one answer. Measure by wingspan and the winner is the Stratolaunch Roc, which is still flying. Measure by passenger capacity and it is the Airbus A380. Length, wingspan, and weight each crown a different aircraft.
This is the ranking of the genuine giants across every category, as of 2026, with the record each one holds. Where a class has its own full list, we link down to it.
| Rank | Aircraft | Length | Wingspan | Max takeoff weight | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antonov An-225 Mriya | 275 ft (84 m) | 290 ft (88 m) | 1.4M lb (640 t) | Destroyed 2022 |
| 2 | Stratolaunch Roc | 238 ft (73 m) | 385 ft (117 m) | 1.3M lb (590 t) | In service |
| 3 | Hughes H-4 Hercules | 219 ft (67 m) | 321 ft (98 m) | 400K lb (181 t) | Retired 1947 |
| 4 | Airbus A380-800 | 239 ft (73 m) | 262 ft (80 m) | 1.27M lb (575 t) | In service |
| 5 | Boeing 747-8 | 250 ft (76 m) | 224 ft (68 m) | 987K lb (448 t) | In service |
| 6 | Antonov An-124 Ruslan | 226 ft (69 m) | 240 ft (73 m) | 893K lb (405 t) | In service |
| 7 | Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy | 247 ft (75 m) | 223 ft (68 m) | 840K lb (381 t) | In service |
| 8 | Antonov An-22 Antei | 190 ft (58 m) | 211 ft (64 m) | 551K lb (250 t) | Retired |
Biggest by which measure?
There is no single “biggest” number. By length and by weight, the Antonov An-225 wins. By wingspan, the Stratolaunch Roc wins at 385 feet. By passenger capacity, the Airbus A380 wins. We rank by overall size, but each entry lists the record it actually holds so you can judge by the measure you care about.
1. Antonov An-225 “Mriya”
The An-225 is the biggest aircraft ever built by almost every measure. It was 275 feet 7 inches (84 m) long, rode on 32 wheels, and had a maximum takeoff weight of 1.4 million pounds (640 tonnes).
Six turbofan engines pushed it into the air, and only one was ever completed. Ukraine built it in 1988 to carry the Soviet space shuttle, then spent decades flying the world’s heaviest single cargo loads.
Russian forces destroyed the only An-225 at Hostomel airport near Kyiv in February 2022. Even gone, it still holds the records for the heaviest and longest airplane ever flown.
It could carry another airliner as cargo
The An-225 once flew a 190-tonne generator in a single piece, the heaviest air cargo item ever moved. Its cargo hold was longer than the Wright brothers’ entire first flight.
2. Stratolaunch Roc
The Stratolaunch Roc has the largest wingspan of any aircraft that has ever flown: 385 feet (117 m), wider than a football field including both end zones. It is a twin-fuselage carrier plane with six Boeing 747 engines.
First flown in 2019, the Roc is still the biggest airworthy aircraft in the world in 2026. It lifts hypersonic test vehicles to launch altitude and releases them in mid-air.
With the An-225 gone, the Roc is now the largest aircraft flying anywhere, though the An-225 was heavier and longer. It is the reigning wingspan champion by a wide margin.
Two cockpits, one pilot
The Roc has a fuselage on each side, but the crew flies from only the right-hand one. The left fuselage is unpressurized and carries no one.
3. Hughes H-4 Hercules “Spruce Goose”
Howard Hughes’ wooden flying boat held the wingspan record for 72 years. Its 321-foot (98 m) span was the widest of any aircraft until the Stratolaunch Roc finally beat it in 2019.
Built almost entirely of birch, not spruce, the “Spruce Goose” flew exactly once, on November 2, 1947. It lifted about 70 feet off the water for less than a mile, then never flew again.
It remains the largest flying boat ever built and one of the largest aircraft of any kind. Today it is preserved in a museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
4. Airbus A380-800
The A380 is the biggest passenger airplane ever built and the biggest aircraft most travelers will ever board. Its full-length double deck can seat up to 853 people, and it weighs up to 1.27 million pounds (575 tonnes) at takeoff.
At 262 feet (80 m), its wingspan is the widest of any airliner in service. It stays comfortably inside the 80-meter box that airports set for their largest gates.
Airbus ended production in 2021, but airlines including Emirates plan to fly the A380 into the 2030s. For the full ranking of the giants still carrying passengers, see our guide to the largest commercial airplanes.
A cabin with room for a staircase and a bar
Because the A380’s decks run the full length of the fuselage, some airlines fit onboard lounges, showers, and bars. No other airliner has the floor space to spare.
5. Boeing 747-8
The 747-8 is the longest airliner ever built, at 250 feet 2 inches (76 m). That makes it longer than the A380, even though the A380 is heavier and carries more people.
It is the final, stretched version of the original 747, the aircraft that created the “jumbo jet.” Passenger versions have mostly retired, but the freighter keeps the type flying in 2026.
The 747-8 is also the aircraft chosen as the next Air Force One. It is proof that length and overall size are not the same measure.
6. Antonov An-124 “Ruslan”
The An-124 is the biggest military transport in regular service and the largest aircraft you can actually charter for outsize cargo. It is 226 feet (69 m) long with a maximum takeoff weight of 893,000 pounds (405 tonnes).
It was the An-225’s smaller sibling, and Antonov built the An-225 by stretching this design. Both nose and tail open so freight can drive straight through.
Roughly 55 were built, and a handful still move power-plant parts, satellites, and locomotives worldwide. For more heavy haulers, see our ranking of the largest cargo planes.
7. Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy
The C-5 Galaxy is the largest aircraft the US military operates, at 247 feet (75 m) long with a 223-foot (68 m) wingspan. It has carried everything from tanks to other aircraft.
The upgraded C-5M Super Galaxy version flies in 2026 and is expected to serve into the 2040s. Like the An-124, it loads through doors at both the nose and the tail.
It can lift about 281,000 pounds (127 tonnes) of cargo across intercontinental distances. For the wider field, see our guide to the biggest military airplanes.
8. Antonov An-22 “Antei”
The An-22 is the largest turboprop aircraft ever built, and it still holds that title. Four huge contra-rotating propellers give it a 211-foot (64 m) wingspan and a maximum weight of 551,000 pounds (250 tonnes).
First flown in 1965, it was the Soviet Union’s original heavy-lift giant, years before the An-124 and An-225. A few examples flew into the 2020s.
No propeller-driven aircraft has ever been larger. It is a reminder that the biggest aircraft were not always jets.
The Biggest Aircraft in Every Category
This hub ranks the record-holding giants across all types. When you want the full list for one category, these guides go deeper.
- Largest commercial airplanes — the biggest jets still carrying passengers today.
- Largest cargo planes — the freighters and airlifters that move outsize loads.
- Biggest military airplanes — the largest transports, bombers, and tankers in uniform.
- Biggest fighter jets — the heaviest and largest combat aircraft flying.
- Biggest private jets — the largest business and VIP aircraft money can buy.
- Biggest military helicopters — the largest rotorcraft ever put into service.
The longest aircraft flying today is not an airplane
The longest aircraft in the sky right now is the Airlander 10, a hybrid airship about 302 feet (92 m) long. It is longer than any airplane, but it is a lighter-than-air craft, so it does not count in a ranking of airplanes. That is why the An-225, not the Airlander, is called the biggest aircraft ever.
FAQ
Sources and references used for research and fact-checking.
Get the Newsletter
The latest aviation news and stories sent to your inbox.
About the Author
Tim is the owner and lead editor of AeroCorner since 2019, overseeing aviation content covering aircraft, airlines, airports, and the broader aviation industry. Through years of researching, writing, editing, and publishing aviation-focused content, he has developed extensive practical knowledge of commercial aviation and air travel. Based in Asia and a frequent traveler himself, Tim also brings firsthand passenger experience to AeroCorner’s coverage. Outside of publishing, he has also explored aviation firsthand through hands-on flight training in New Zealand.