Airbus A380-800 vs Boeing 747-100/200/300
Side-by-side spec comparison with neutral percentage deltas.
Spec table
| Spec | Airbus A380-800 | Boeing 747-100/200/300 |
|---|---|---|
| Max speed (mph) (mph) | 560 | 614 |
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | 0.89 | 0.92 |
| Combat radius / range (mi) | 9,400 | 6,100 |
| Service ceiling (ft) | 43,000 | 45,000 |
| MTOW (lb) | 1,268,000 | 833,000 |
| Empty weight (lb) | 610,000 | 358,000 |
| Payload (lb) | 198,000 | 150,000 |
| Endurance (hr) | 17 | 13 |
| Length (ft) | 238.5 | 231.8 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 261.5 | 195.7 |
| Thrust-to-weight ratio (MTOW) | 0.06 | 0.06 |
Green = leader on that dimension. Higher is treated as better for all rows shown.
On-paper verdict
- Max speed (mph): Boeing 747-100/200/300 (+10%)
- Max speed (Mach): Boeing 747-100/200/300 (+3%)
- Combat radius / range: Airbus A380-800 (+54%)
- Service ceiling: Boeing 747-100/200/300 (+5%)
- MTOW: Airbus A380-800 (+52%)
- Empty weight: Airbus A380-800 (+70%)
- Payload: Airbus A380-800 (+32%)
- Endurance: Airbus A380-800 (+31%)
- Length: Airbus A380-800 (+3%)
- Wingspan: Airbus A380-800 (+34%)
- Thrust-to-weight ratio (MTOW): Airbus A380-800 (+3%)
Performance
Airbus A380-800 tops out at 560 mph and a service ceiling of 43000 ft. Boeing 747-100/200/300 is rated at 614 mph with a service ceiling of 45000 ft.
Range & payload
Airbus A380-800 carries up to 198000 lb over 9400 mi. Boeing 747-100/200/300 carries 150000 lb over 6100 mi. Numbers above are the headline manufacturer figures — real-world performance trades payload against range against fuel reserves.
Engines
Airbus A380-800: 4x Rolls-Royce Trent 970/B turbofans (76,500 lbf each).
Boeing 747-100/200/300: 4x Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A turbofans (48,570 lbf each).
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster, Airbus A380-800 or Boeing 747-100/200/300?
560 mph (Airbus A380-800) vs 614 mph (Boeing 747-100/200/300).
Which has the longer range?
9400 mi (Airbus A380-800) vs 6100 mi (Boeing 747-100/200/300).
What's the payload difference?
Airbus A380-800: 198000 lb · Boeing 747-100/200/300: 150000 lb.
Are these specs current?
Specs come from each aircraft's manufacturer-published or Wikipedia-aggregated figures, current as of the page's last regeneration. Variants and block upgrades may carry different numbers — check the linked reference pages for the latest.
Which one was built first?
Airbus A380-800: service entry 2007. Boeing 747-100/200/300: service entry 1970.
Sources
Spec values pulled from each aircraft's reference page in the gallery, which aggregates manufacturer-published figures with Wikipedia-cited sources:
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