Last updated on September 15th, 2023
42. As per Airports Council International’s year-to-date figures, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the U.S. is the world’s busiest airport.
43. A Boeing 747 aircraft held the passenger capacity record for 37 years. It was introduced to service in 1970 and held its passenger capacity record until the introduction of the Airbus A380 in 2007. Because of its distinctive upper hump, it is one of the most recognizable aircraft in the world. Its original nickname is “Jumbo Jet”. You can power 480,000 32-inch flatscreen TVs with the total electrical capacity of a 747-8 aircraft.
44. If the distance covered by the entire fleet of Boeing 747s is added up, you could make 75,000 trips to the moon and back.
45. The world’s longest non-stop flight is 18 hours and 50 minutes from Singapore (SIN) to New York City (JFK) serviced by Singapore Airlines.
46. Almost 30,000 flights take place in the U.S. every day. And more than two million passengers travel via aircraft every 24 hours.
47. Established in 1919, KLM is the world’s oldest airline, while Quantas is the world’s second oldest.
48. Out of the total number of airports in the world, one-third are located in the U.S.
49. In 1999, Alaska Airlines introduced the online check-in option for the first time.
50. Are you interested in learning how airplanes fly? As the airplane flies, the air pressure below and above the wings is different. The difference in the pressure keeps the airplane airborne. Technically, this difference of pressure is termed as “lift.”
51. Airplanes are an American invention. The duo of Orville (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912) Wright invented and built the world’s first successful airplanes in 1903.
52. In 1920s and 1930s, pilots were given “Blunder Trophies” for making silly mistakes while operating airplanes.
53. Commercial airport runways can be 2-4 feet thick, and are filled with asphalt.
54. The Antonov AN-225 cargo jet was the largest plane in the world.
55. American Airlines is the world’s largest airline in terms of aircraft fleet.
56. If you were looking for a lucrative business opportunity, you would be thrilled to know that in-flight catering is an $18-billion industry, and it employs more than 200,000 qualified and well-trained individuals to deliver the best services.
57. The fate of a Boeing 727 that took off in 2003 is still unknown.
58. The North Maeric X-15 is the fastest supersonic airplane. It can fly at a speed of 6.7 Mach (7,200 km/h). In other words, it can fly at 6.7 times the speed of sound.
59. New Bangkok International Airport of Thailand, has the world’s tallest air traffic control (ATC), tower standing 132.2m (434ft).
60. Some airports can be bigger than the size of an entire country. King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia sits on 192,000 acres of land—that’s bigger than the entire country of Bahrain.
61. The GE90 is the world’s most powerful turbofan engine. It was developed primarily for the Boeing 777 aircraft. The GE90-115B produces a whopping 127,900 pounds of thrust.
62. Did you know that Airbus A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner? It has a range of 14800 km, a maximum takeoff weight of 575 tonnes, and a maximum landing weight of 394 tonnes. The aircraft can carry a whopping 320000 liters of fuel on board. Emirates is its largest operator by far. The plane entered commercial service on 25 October 2007. The plane costs around $445.6 million apiece (2018).
63. And you could only land this massive airplane on just 20 runways in the world. The Airbus A380 is the world’s biggest passenger jet. It can accommodate 525 passengers in a typical three-class configuration, and up to 853 passengers in an all-economy class.
64. Did you know that a narrow body aircraft has one aisle while a wide-body aircraft has two aisles? A Boeing 747 is a widebody aircraft while a Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft.