Airliner Atlas

3D model: ATR 72-600.

First flight

27 Oct 1988

In service since

Oct 1989 · Finnair

Built

about 1,230

Seats

66–78

Range

1,404 km

Length × span

27.17 × 27.05 m

Cruise

about 510 km/h

Engines

2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127 turboprops, six-blade propellers

How to spot it

1. Two propellers on a wing mounted on top of the body.
2. T-tail: the horizontal tail sits on top of the fin.
3. The main wheels fold into pods on the lower sides of the body, not into the wing.
4. Passengers usually board through a door at the back, an unusual layout.

Safety record

Boeing's statistics cover jets heavier than 27 tonnes, so turboprops are not in them. Recent fatal accidents: TransAsia 235 at Taipei (2015, 43 died), Yeti Airlines 691 at Pokhara (2023, all 72 on board) and Voepass 2283 at Vinhedo, Brazil (2024, all 62 on board).

TransAsia 235 · Yeti 691 · Voepass 2283

Against its rival, the Dash 8-400

• Strength: Burns far less fuel than a regional jet on short routes.
• Strength: Uses short runways and small airports.
• Weakness: Slow: about 510 km/h, against about 830 km/h for a regional jet.
• Weakness: Propeller noise and vibration, and it flies lower, where the air is bumpier.

Sources: Wikipedia: ATR 72

Formerly the Bombardier Q400.

First flight

31 Jan 1998

In service since

2000 · SAS

Built

1,258 Dash 8s of all versions (2019)

Seats

78–90

Range

2,040 km

Length × span

32.8 × 28.4 m

Cruise

about 667 km/h

Engines

2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A turboprops, six-blade propellers

How to spot it

1. Long engine nacelles that also hold the main wheels.
2. Long, pointed nose.
3. Tall T-tail.
4. Sits high on long legs; passengers board at the front.
5. Longer and sleeker than the ATR 72: 32.8 m against 27.2 m.

Safety record

Turboprops are not in Boeing's jet statistics. Fatal accidents include Colgan Air 3407 near Buffalo (2009, 50 died) and US-Bangla 211 at Kathmandu (2018, 51 died). In 2007 three landing-gear failures led SAS to retire its whole fleet.

Colgan 3407 · US-Bangla 211

Against its rival, the ATR 72

• Strength: The fastest turboprop airliner: about 667 km/h, close to jet times on short routes.
• Strength: Up to 90 seats, more than the ATR 72.
• Weakness: Burns more fuel than the ATR 72.
• Weakness: Landing-gear failures in 2007 made SAS ground and retire all its Dash 8-400s.

Sources: Wikipedia: De Havilland Canada Dash 8

E-Jet family: E170, E175, E190, E195.

First flight

19 Feb 2002

In service since

Mar 2004 · LOT

Built

1,771 E-Jets (first generation, Q3 2026)

Seats

76–88 (E175)

Range

4,074 km

Length × span

31.67 × 26.01 m

Cruise

about 829 km/h

Engines

2 × General Electric CF34-8E

How to spot it

1. Engines under the wings (the CRJ's are at the back).
2. Inside: four seats per row, two and two, so no middle seats.
3. Small upturned winglets.

Safety record

0.03 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: about one in every 33 million flights (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 6 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 1 with deaths. Boeing's row: EMB-170/-175/-190.

The one fatal accident: Henan Airlines 8387, an E190, crashed approaching Yichun, China, in fog (2010).

Henan Airlines 8387

Flights so far

About 35 million flights. Worked out from Boeing's figures: hull losses divided by the rate per million flights, so it is approximate.

Against its rival, the CRJ900

• Strength: No middle seats: two and two.
• Strength: Wider cabin and bigger overhead bins than the CRJ.
• Weakness: Short range and few seats compared with mainline jets.
• Weakness: Burns more fuel per seat than the newer E2 and A220.

Sources: Wikipedia: Embraer E-Jet family

CRJ700 series: CRJ700, CRJ900, CRJ1000.

First flight

27 May 1999

In service since

2001 · Brit Air

Built

about 920 (CRJ700, 900 and 1000)

Seats

up to 90

Range

2,871 km

Length × span

36.2 × 24.9 m

Cruise

about 829 km/h

Engines

2 × General Electric CF34-8C5, mounted on the tail

How to spot it

1. Two engines on the rear of the body.
2. T-tail: the horizontal tail on top of the fin.
3. A long, narrow tube: four seats per row and a low ceiling.
4. Small winglets.

Safety record

0.04 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: about one in every 25 million flights (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 2 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 1 with deaths. Boeing's row: CRJ-700/-900/-1000.

Both in 2025: American Eagle 5342, a CRJ700, collided with an Army helicopter over the Potomac at Washington (67 died); a Delta Connection CRJ900 flipped over landing at Toronto and everyone survived.

Potomac collision · Delta Connection 4819

Flights so far

About 22 million flights. Worked out from Boeing's figures: hull losses divided by the rate per million flights, so it is approximate.

Against its rival, the Embraer E175

• Strength: Engines at the back keep the front of the cabin quiet.
• Strength: Flies many short routes the big jets do not.
• Weakness: Narrow cabin, low ceiling and small overhead bins.
• Weakness: The last rows sit right next to the engines.

Sources: Wikipedia: Bombardier CRJ700 series

3D model: A220-300 · also the shorter A220-100.

First flight

16 Sep 2013

In service since

Jul 2016 · Swiss

Built

559 (Oct 2026)

Seats

120–150

Range

6,300 km

Length × span

38.71 × 35.1 m

Cruise

about 830 km/h

Engines

2 × Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofans

How to spot it

1. Engines that look oversized for the slim body.
2. Slim: 3.5 m across against 3.95 m for an A320, though the A220-300 is a little longer. Inside, rows of five: two seats on one side of the aisle, three on the other.

Safety record

0.00 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: none recorded there (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 0 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 0 with deaths. Boeing's row: C-Series/A220.

No hull loss in Boeing's records.

Flights so far

More than 240 million passengers. Source: Interesting Engineering: A220 marks 10 years with 240 million passengers

Against its rival, the Embraer E175

• Strength: Rows of five (2+3): most passengers get a window or an aisle.
• Strength: Quiet and economical geared engines.
• Weakness: Its Pratt & Whitney geared engines have needed extra shop visits, keeping some A220s on the ground.
• Weakness: Fewer seats than an A320 or 737.

Sources: Wikipedia: Airbus A220 · Wikipedia: Pratt & Whitney PW1000G

Original A320 family (A318, A319, A320, A321) · 3D model: A320.

First flight

22 Feb 1987

In service since

Apr 1988 · Air France

Built

about 8,100 (12,955 A320-family jets minus 4,855 neos, Oct 2026)

Seats

150–180

Range

6,100 km

Length × span

37.57 × 34.1 m

Cruise

about 830 km/h

Engines

2 × CFM56-5 or IAE V2500

How to spot it

1. A rounded, blunt nose; the 737's is sharper.
2. Round engine intakes; the 737 NG's are flattened at the bottom.
3. Small wingtip fences pointing up and down on older ones, tall curved sharklets on newer ones. At night Airbus wing strobes flash twice; Boeing's flash once.
4. A long, fat tail cone, and the fin meets the body without the curved fillet of a 737.

Safety record

0.07 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: about one in every 14 million flights (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 32 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 14 with deaths. Boeing's row: A320/321/319/318.

One of the lowest fatal rates of any airliner in Boeing's table.

Flights so far

About 190 million flights. Worked out from Boeing's figures: hull losses divided by the rate per million flights, so it is approximate.

Against its rival, the Boeing 737 NG

• Strength: A wider cabin than the 737 (3.70 m against 3.53 m inside), so seats can be wider.
• Strength: Bags travel in containers in the hold; on a 737 they are loaded by hand.
• Weakness: Its engines burn about 15–20% more fuel than the A320neo's.
• Weakness: Older cabins and louder engines than the neo.

Sources: Wikipedia: Airbus A320 family · SlashGear: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320, how to tell them apart · The Points Guy: how to tell commercial aircraft apart

A319neo, A320neo, A321neo, A321XLR · 3D model: A320neo.

First flight

25 Sep 2014

In service since

Jan 2016 · Lufthansa

Built

4,855 (Oct 2026)

Seats

150–194 (A321neo up to 244)

Range

6,300 km

Length × span

37.57 × 35.8 m

Cruise

about 830 km/h

Engines

2 × CFM LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1100G

How to spot it

1. Much bigger engines than the original A320's, hung lower and further forward.
2. Sharklets: tall curved wingtips, standard on every neo.
3. The same rounded Airbus nose; the 737 MAX's is pointier.
4. The A321neo is the stretched version, about 7 m longer, and the most ordered of the family.

Safety record

0.04 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: about one in every 25 million flights (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 1 hull loss (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 1 with deaths. Boeing's row: A320/321/319 NEO.

The one hull loss: LATAM 2213 hit a fire truck crossing the runway at Lima during takeoff (2022). Two firefighters died; everyone on board survived.

LATAM 2213

Flights so far

About 25 million flights. Worked out from Boeing's figures: hull losses divided by the rate per million flights, so it is approximate.

Against its rival, the Boeing 737 MAX

• Strength: About 15–20% less fuel than the original A320.
• Strength: The A321XLR flies up to about 8,700 km: across the Atlantic in a single-aisle jet.
• Weakness: Defects in Pratt & Whitney engines have grounded hundreds of neos for inspections since 2023.

Sources: Wikipedia: Airbus A320neo family · Wikipedia: Pratt & Whitney PW1000G

737-600, -700, -800, -900 · 3D model: 737-800.

First flight

9 Feb 1997

In service since

Dec 1997 · Southwest

Built

7,124 (airline versions ended 2020)

Seats

162–189 (737-800)

Range

5,400 km

Length × span

39.5 × 35.8 m

Cruise

about 840 km/h

Engines

2 × CFM56-7B

How to spot it

1. A sharp, pointed nose.
2. Engines with flat-bottomed intakes, squeezed under a low wing.
3. A curved fillet where the fin meets the body.
4. A short, stubby tail cone.
5. No doors over the main wheels: retracted, they show as black discs in the belly.

Safety record

0.08 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: about one in every 13 million flights (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 23 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 11 with deaths. Boeing's row: 737-600/-700/-800/-900.

The most recent fatal one: Jeju Air 2216 at Muan, South Korea (December 2024), 179 died.

Jeju Air 2216

Flights so far

About 145 million flights. Worked out from Boeing's figures: hull losses divided by the rate per million flights, so it is approximate.

Against its rival, the Airbus A320

• Strength: A huge fleet that flies almost everywhere.
• Strength: Sits low, so bags and catering need little special equipment.
• Weakness: A narrower cabin than the A320 (3.53 m against 3.70 m inside).
• Weakness: No containers in the hold: bags are loaded by hand.

Sources: Wikipedia: Boeing 737 Next Generation · SlashGear: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320, how to tell them apart · The Points Guy: how to tell commercial aircraft apart

737 MAX 7, 8, 9, 10 · 3D model: MAX 8.

First flight

29 Jan 2016

In service since

May 2017 · Malindo Air

Built

2,483 (Sep 2026)

Seats

162–210 (MAX 8)

Range

6,570 km

Length × span

39.52 × 35.9 m

Cruise

about 840 km/h

Engines

2 × CFM LEAP-1B

How to spot it

1. Saw-tooth edges (chevrons) at the back of larger, rounder engines.
2. Split winglets: one blade up, a smaller one down. Some 737 NGs have them too, so check the engines.
3. A longer, more pointed tail cone than the NG's.
4. A taller nose gear, raised to fit the bigger engines.

Safety record

0.27 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: about one in every 3.7 million flights (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 2 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 2 with deaths. Boeing's row: 737 MAX.

Lion Air 610 (October 2018, 189 died) and Ethiopian 302 (March 2019, 157 died), both caused by the MCAS flight-control software reacting to a faulty sensor. The MAX was grounded worldwide from March 2019 until late 2020. In January 2024 a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines 737-9; no one died.

Lion Air 610 · Ethiopian 302 · The groundings · Alaska 1282

Flights so far

About 7.4 million flights. Worked out from Boeing's figures: hull losses divided by the rate per million flights, so it is approximate.

Against its rival, the Airbus A320neo

• Strength: About 14% less fuel than the 737 NG.
• Strength: Flies further than the NG: up to about 6,500 km.
• Weakness: Two fatal crashes and a 20-month worldwide grounding.
• Weakness: Quality checks on its production after the 2024 door-plug blowout.
• Weakness: The narrower 737 cabin.

Sources: Wikipedia: Boeing 737 MAX · Wikipedia: Boeing 737 MAX groundings

767-200, -300, -400 · 3D model: 767-300ER with winglets.

First flight

26 Sep 1981

In service since

Sep 1982 · United

Built

1,377 (still built as a freighter and tanker)

Seats

210–270 (767-300ER)

Range

11,070 km

Length × span

54.94 × 50.88 m

Cruise

about 850 km/h

Engines

2 × GE CF6-80C2, Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce RB211

How to spot it

1. A slim twin-aisle jet, 5 m wide: two-three-two seats in economy.
2. A pointed nose, in the style of the 757.
3. Many 767-300ERs carry tall blended winglets.
4. Four wheels on each main leg.

Safety record

0.13 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: about one in every 7.7 million flights (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 13 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 3 with deaths. Boeing's row: 767.

Flights so far

About 24 million flights. Worked out from Boeing's figures: hull losses divided by the rate per million flights, so it is approximate.

Against its rival, the Airbus A330

• Strength: Two-three-two economy: only one middle seat per row.
• Weakness: An old design: most passenger 767s are being replaced by 787s, and many now fly as freighters.
• Weakness: Older cabins and fewer seats than an A330.

Sources: Wikipedia: Boeing 767

A330-200, -300 and the A330neo (-800, -900) · 3D model: A330-300.

First flight

2 Nov 1992

In service since

Jan 1994 · Air Inter

Built

1,678 (Oct 2026)

Seats

250–300 (A330-300)

Range

11,750 km

Length × span

63.66 × 60.3 m

Cruise

about 871 km/h

Engines

2 × GE CF6-80E, Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce Trent 700 (A330neo: Trent 7000)

How to spot it

1. Four wheels on each main leg and no centre gear (the four-engined A340 has one).
2. Upright winglets on the original; big curved sharklets on the A330neo.
3. A rounded nose with six cockpit windows.

Safety record

0.12 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: about one in every 8.3 million flights (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 6 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 2 with deaths. Boeing's row: A330.

The two fatal accidents: Air France 447 over the Atlantic (2009, 228 died) and Afriqiyah 771 at Tripoli (2010). The A330neo has had none.

Air France 447 · Afriqiyah 771

Flights so far

About 17 million flights. Worked out from Boeing's figures: hull losses divided by the rate per million flights, so it is approximate.

Against its rival, the Boeing 787

• Strength: Two-four-two economy on most: couples get a pair of seats to themselves.
• Strength: A long, steady record since 1994.
• Weakness: An older design that burns more fuel than the 787 or A350; the A330neo narrows the gap.

Sources: Wikipedia: Airbus A330

Dreamliner: 787-8, -9, -10 · 3D model: 787-9.

First flight

15 Dec 2009

In service since

Oct 2011 · All Nippon Airways

Built

1,311 (Sep 2026)

Seats

about 290 (787-9)

Range

14,010 km

Length × span

62.81 × 60.12 m

Cruise

about 903 km/h

Engines

2 × GE GEnx-1B or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000

How to spot it

1. Four cockpit windows (most airliners have six) on a smooth, sloping nose.
2. Saw-tooth chevrons at the back of the engines.
3. Raked wingtips with no winglets; in flight the wings bend visibly upward.
4. Bigger cabin windows than other airliners, dimmed by a button instead of a blind.

Safety record

0.00 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: none recorded there (see the note) (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 0 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 0 with deaths. Boeing's row: 787.

Not in these figures: Air India 171, a 787-8, crashed seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025; 241 of the 242 on board and 19 people on the ground died. When Boeing published its report the investigation still listed the cause as undetermined, so Boeing left it out.

Air India 171

Flights so far

Nearly 5 million flights and 1 billion passengers (April 2025). Source: Boeing: 787 fleet eclipses 1 billion passengers

Against its rival, the Airbus A350

• Strength: The carbon-fibre body keeps the cabin at the pressure of 6,000 ft instead of 8,000 ft, with more humid air.
• Strength: The largest windows of any airliner, with electronic dimming.
• Weakness: Most airlines fit nine seats per row in economy: about 17 inches wide.
• Weakness: Production quality problems stopped deliveries for much of 2021 and 2022.

Sources: Wikipedia: Boeing 787 Dreamliner

A350-900 and the longer A350-1000 · 3D model: A350-900.

First flight

14 Jun 2013

In service since

Jan 2015 · Qatar Airways

Built

743 (Oct 2026)

Seats

300–350 (A350-900)

Range

15,000 km

Length × span

66.8 × 64.75 m

Cruise

about 903 km/h

Engines

2 × Rolls-Royce Trent XWB

How to spot it

1. A black mask around the six cockpit windows on most liveries.
2. Wingtips that curve smoothly upward over their last 4.4 m.
3. Four wheels on each main leg of the A350-900; six on the longer A350-1000.
4. Large Rolls-Royce engines with smooth exhausts; the 787's have saw-tooth edges.

Safety record

0.46 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: about one in every 2.2 million flights (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 1 hull loss (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 1 with deaths. Boeing's row: A350.

One accident in about 2 million flights, so the rate looks high: JAL 516 hit a coast guard plane on the runway at Tokyo Haneda (January 2024). All 379 people on the A350 escaped before it burned; 5 of the 6 on the other plane died.

Haneda runway collision

Flights so far

About 2.2 million flights. Worked out from Boeing's figures: hull losses divided by the rate per million flights, so it is approximate.

Against its rival, the Boeing 787

• Strength: A wider cabin than the 787: nine-across economy seats are a little wider.
• Strength: Carbon-fibre body: lower cabin altitude, more humid air and a quiet cabin.
• Weakness: Fewer of them flying than 787s (743 built against 1,311), so fewer routes.
• Weakness: A few airlines squeeze ten seats per row into the A350-1000.

Sources: Wikipedia: Airbus A350

777-200, -200ER, -200LR, -300, -300ER · 3D model: 777-300ER.

First flight

12 Jun 1994

In service since

Jun 1995 · United

Built

1,796 (Sep 2026, deliveries)

Seats

350–400 (777-300ER)

Range

13,650 km

Length × span

73.86 × 64.8 m

Cruise

about 892 km/h

Engines

2 × General Electric GE90-115B on the 777-300ER

How to spot it

1. Six wheels on each main leg; the only other twin with that is the A350-1000.
2. A blade-shaped tail cone, flat like a knife seen from behind.
3. Very large, round engines.
4. Raked wingtips on the -300ER and -200LR, with no winglets.

Safety record

0.12 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: about one in every 8.3 million flights (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 4 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 2 with deaths. Boeing's row: 777.

The fatal ones: Asiana 214 at San Francisco (2013) and Emirates 521 at Dubai (2016). Not counted: MH370 (2014), which disappeared, and MH17 (2014), shot down over Ukraine; Boeing leaves out unexplained losses and hostile acts.

Asiana 214 · Emirates 521 · MH370 · MH17

Flights so far

About 11 million flights. Worked out from Boeing's figures: hull losses divided by the rate per million flights, so it is approximate.

Against its rival, the Airbus A350

• Strength: Big and long-range: up to about 400 seats on the 777-300ER.
• Strength: A large cargo hold.
• Weakness: Most airlines fit ten seats per row in economy: about 17 inches wide.
• Weakness: An older cabin than the 787 or A350, with drier air at a higher cabin altitude.

Sources: Wikipedia: Boeing 777

Jumbo Jet: 747-100 to 747-8 · 3D model: 747-400.

First flight

9 Feb 1969

In service since

Jan 1970 · Pan Am

Built

1,574 (production ended 2023)

Seats

400–470 (747-400 and 747-8)

Range

13,450 km

Length × span

70.6 × 64.4 m

Cruise

about 913 km/h

Engines

4 × Pratt & Whitney PW4000, GE CF6 or Rolls-Royce RB211 (747-8: GEnx-2B)

How to spot it

1. The hump: an upper deck at the front, with the cockpit on top.
2. Four engines.
3. Winglets on the 747-400; raked wingtips and a longer hump on the 747-8.
4. Four main legs with four wheels each, plus the nose gear: 18 wheels.

Safety record

0.64 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: about one in every 1.6 million flights (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 11 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 6 with deaths. Boeing's row: 747-400.

These figures are for the 747-400. The 747-8 has had no hull loss, in fewer than 1 million flights; the older 747s are counted with retired types.

Flights so far

About 9.4 million flights (747-400). Worked out from Boeing's figures: hull losses divided by the rate per million flights, so it is approximate.

Against its rival, the Airbus A380

• Strength: The upper deck: a small, quiet cabin behind the cockpit.
• Strength: The best-known airliner shape of all.
• Weakness: Four engines make it costly to fly: most passenger 747s are retired.
• Weakness: Production ended in 2023.

Sources: Wikipedia: Boeing 747

A380-800.

First flight

27 Apr 2005

In service since

Oct 2007 · Singapore Airlines

Built

254 (production ended 2021)

Seats

525 typical, up to 853

Range

14,800 km

Length × span

72.72 × 79.75 m

Cruise

about 903 km/h

Engines

4 × Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or Engine Alliance GP7200

How to spot it

1. Two full decks: two rows of windows from nose to tail.
2. Four engines.
3. Small wingtip fences on a huge 79.75 m wing.
4. Twenty-two wheels: four main legs (two with four wheels, two with six) plus the nose gear.

Safety record

0.00 fatal hull losses per million flights in Boeing's figures, 1959–2025: none recorded there (all jets since 1959: 0.52). 0 hull losses (aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair), 0 with deaths. Boeing's row: A380.

No hull loss. The worst scare: on Qantas 32 (2010) an engine burst over Indonesia, and the crew landed safely.

Qantas 32

Flights so far

More than 800,000 flights and 300 million passengers (2025). Source: Avionews: A380, 20 years since its first flight

Against its rival, the Boeing 747

• Strength: The most room per passenger and a very quiet cabin.
• Strength: Two full decks: some airlines fit bars, lounges and even showers.
• Weakness: Four engines burn more fuel per seat than today's big twins; many airlines retired it early.
• Weakness: Production ended in 2021, and it needs special airport gates.

Sources: Wikipedia: Airbus A380