Wide-Body Aircraft

A wide-body aircraft (or twin-aisle aircraft) is a large airplane with a fuselage wide enough to accommodate two passenger aisles, typically with 7-10 seats per row in economy class. Wide-bodies are primarily used for long-haul international routes, high-density domestic routes, and cargo operations.

Current-production wide-body aircraft include:

• Boeing 767: 3-3-3 economy (being phased out of passenger service)
• Boeing 777: 3-3-3 or 3-4-3 economy, one of the most successful wide-bodies ever
• Boeing 787 Dreamliner: 3-3-3 economy, composite construction
• Airbus A330: 2-4-2 economy, versatile medium/long-haul
• Airbus A350: 3-3-3 economy, latest-generation composite wide-body

Wide-body aircraft offer advantages beyond passenger capacity: their larger cargo holds generate significant revenue from belly freight, they can operate longer routes without refueling, and they offer greater passenger comfort with wider seats and higher ceilings. The trade-off is higher operating costs per flight, which must be offset by filling more seats or charging higher fares.