Did you know that about $6 trillion worth of cargo is transported by air annually? Estimated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), that is 35% of the world's trade by value! This makes cargo planes extremely critical. Only the largest transport planes can transport this sheer quantity of goods across the world.
Transporting this gigantic quantity of goods requires a big cargo airplane. The largest transport planes can carry multiple helicopters, a space shuttle, or enough critical aid to supply a whole country. While one might suppose that these giants have been developed and built in recent times, that assumption is wrong. The largest cargo planes were actually made during the Cold War and some of them are still in operation.
This blog will dive deep into some of the largest cargo aircraft in the world. If you aspire to be a cargo pilot, you will surely like this list!
1. Antonov An-225 Mriya
Length: 84 m
Maximum capacity: over 250,000 kg
Designed and developed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union, the Antonov An-225 Mriya holds the record for the largest cargo aircraft in the world. As the biggest air cargo plane, the Antonov An-225 Mriya had a single-item payload capacity of 418,834 pounds (189,979 kg) while its total airlifted payload capacity stood at 559,577 pounds (253819 kg). This aircraft could handle any large load. In fact, when it was designed, the aircraft was meant to take the Soviet Buran space shuttle back from its landing site to the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan.
This big cargo airplane is also the only cargo plane to be powered by six turbofan engines. In addition, the Antonov An-225 Mriya has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service. Sadly, the aircraft was destroyed in 2022.
2. Antonov An-124 Condor
Length: 69,1 m
Maximum capacity: 150,000 kg
Did you know that the biggest cargo airplane in the world, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, was built in the 1970s? The AN-124 Condor is also not far behind. Built around the same time, the AN-124 Condor was designed for long-range delivery and air dropping of heavy and large size cargo, including machines, equipment and troops. It is capable of carrying not just regular but also oversized cargo.
The Condor wasn’t a one-off plane that was built like Mriya, the largest cargo airplane in the world. Around 60 were made and many of these are still in operation. 20 An-124-100 of Antonov Airlines, Volga-Dnepr, Poliot and other airlines transport different cargo worldwide.
Their loads are rarely conventional. They have transported 90-ton hydraulic turbines, large Liebherr autocranes, American Euclid dump trucks, the fuselage of Tu-204 passenger transporter, even a 109-ton railway locomotive, and a sea yacht which was more than 25m long.
3. Boeing 747-8 Freighter
Length: 76.3 m
Maximum capacity: 132,600 kg
Built by the Boeing Corporation, the Boeing 747-8 finds a sweet spot in the list of largest transport planes. This is the biggest air cargo plane in the model variant of the 747.
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The 747-8's maiden flight was made by the freighter version, the 747-8F, on February 8, 2010, followed by the passenger version, the 747-8I Intercontinental, on March 20, 2011. More than 100 customers, all over the world, have purchased 1,574 such aircraft, logging more than 118 million flight hours and nearly 23 million flight cycles.
Powered by the more efficient General Electric GEnx turbofan of the 787 Dreamliner, its maximum take-off weight (MTOW) grew to 975,000 lb (442 t), the heaviest Boeing airliner.
4. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
Length: 75 m
Maximum capacity: 127,459 kg
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is the largest cargo aircraft in the world when it comes to the military. It is the biggest air cargo plane for the US Air Force. The C-5 can carry up to five helicopters and six Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The first C-5A variant was rolled out in 1968 and since then, has been used in several military operations, including the Yom Kippur War and Desert Storm.
The C-5 is the world's longest-range airlifter, capable of flying up to 7,000 miles while its cargo compartment is empty. However, the Air Force has been gradually restoring these aircraft into service since 2017 after ceasing to use several of them in the 2010s owing to budget shortage.
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy can be considered the world's largest transport plane. It can carry oversized cargo such as the US Army's 74-ton mobile scissors bridge, 36 standard pallets, and 81 troops. The last two can be carried simultaneously. The aircraft can also take off and land on small airstrips.
5. Airbus BelugaXL
Length: 63.1 m
Maximum capacity: 50,500 kg
Built by Airbus, the Airbus BelugaXL was designed to replace Airbus BelugaST (Super Transporter) to transport very large aircraft components, such as aircraft wings. As the fifth biggest cargo airplane, this aircraft has a range of 4,000 km.
With 30% more capacity than the original BelugaST, the BelugaXL can carry two A350 XWB wings compared to its predecessor which could carry one. Since the aircraft is based on the A330-200 Freighter, existing components and equipment were utilized. This big cargo airplane is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. The aircraft's unique look is because of a lowered cockpit and cargo bay structure.
The aircraft received its type certification on 13 November 2019 and entered service with Airbus Transport on 9 January 2020. An interesting fact about the BelugaXL is that the aircraft is painted with a smiling Beluga whale face. Hence, the name.
6. Airbus A300-600ST Beluga
Length: 56.15 m
Transport: 47,000 kg
The initial Airbus Beluga was introduced in 1995 to replace the older Super Guppy. It is a modified A300-600 wide-body airliner designed to transport large cargo and aircraft parts.
The Beluga ST is on the list of the largest transport planes. Its maiden flight was in September 1994, and certification was awarded to the aircraft in the succeeding year.
There are now five operational Belugas, which are Airbus A300-600 aircraft that have been adapted to transport heavy loads. Its cockpit was lowered so that the cargo hold could be loaded and unloaded from the front of the aircraft. The result was a spacious 1,400 cubic meter freight area that could hold seven elephants, 36 cars, or 671 passengers. Additionally, the aircraft has a cruising speed of 750km/h with a range of 4,632km.
7. Antonov An-22 Antei
Length: approx 57.92 m
Maximum capacity: 80,000 kg
It was in 1965 when the Antonov AAn-22 Antei was displayed at the Le Bourget air show. The presentation caused a world sensation and the AN-22 became the largest cargo aircraft in the world at the time.
It was the first widebody transport aircraft in the world and performed its maiden flight on February 27, 1965. Designed by the Antonov State Company, the AN-22 has four contra-rotating propellers and is the largest turboprop-powered aircraft in the world.
Centrally built at the Tashkent Aviation Plant in Uzbekistan, a total of 66 such aircraft were designed and manufactured from 1965 to 1976. Since then, the AN-22 has been used to transport oversized components for the construction of the AN-124 Ruslan and AN-225 Mriya. Judging by the sheer popularity of the aircraft, the makers had also designed a nuclear-powered version which was presented but was never flight tested.
8. Boeing 747 Dreamlifter
Length: 76.3 m
Maximum capacity: 113,400 kg
As one of the largest cargo planes in the world, the Boeing 747 has different variations. The 747-8 Freighter, a cargo version of the passenger 747-8 Intercontinental, has a stellar maximum takeoff weight of 900,000 pounds. But it is the aircraft's fuselage design that allows the plane to carry particularly large items, or more interestingly, items that have an awkward shape.
As the eight biggest cargo airplane, this Boeing aircraft is a wide-body cargo aircraft modified extensively from the Boeing 747-400 airliner. In addition to carrying medical supplies throughout the world during the COVID-19 epidemic, the oversized aircraft was built to transport Boeing 787 Dreamliner parts between Italy, Japan, and the United States.
The 747 is viewed as more youthful in comparison to its contemporary. This is because the 747 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF) was rolled out of the hangar at the Taipei International Airport in August 2006 and completed its first test flight in September 2006.
9. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
Length: 53 m
Maximum Capacity: 77,519 kg
Coming in the top 10 list of the biggest cargo airplanes in the world, the C-17 Globemaster was designed and deployed to help the US Air Force to send its troops and equipment to different regions. Being one of the largest transport planes, the C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo in the main deployment area.
The aircraft's first flight took place in September 1991. Between 1991 and 2015, 279 of such aircrafts have been built to fulfil some of the duties of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. The C-17 can fly at an altitude of 35,000ft and the design of the aircraft allows it to make high-angle steep approaches at low speeds.
The C-17 Globemaster's remarkable versatility is one of the fascinating features that makes it genuinely global. This versatility allows the plane to carry out a number of tasks, such as aeromedical evacuations, airdrops, and airlifts. Numerous military missions, such as Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the distribution of supplies following natural catastrophes, have used the aircraft.
10. Airbus A400M Atlas
Length: 45.1 m
Maximum capacity: 37,000 kg
The Airbus A400M is unique for its strategic capabilities to deliver cargo at the point of need. As one of the largest cargo planes, the A400M's cargo is big enough to transport heavy and oversized military and humanitarian air equipment at even unpaved airstrips.
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This aircraft is a European four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. Interestingly, this aircraft is an international project and is jointly operated by Germany, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Turkey among other European countries.
The aircraft took its first flight in 2009 and can carry cargo such as a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, a heavy logistic truck, a rescue boat, excavators, and mobile cranes.
Life of a Cargo Pilot
Whether it be the world's largest transport plane for commercial usage or the biggest cargo airplane for military use, cargo planes have a critical role to play--not just in the transport of goods for purchase but also in the transportation of critical aid in war-torn areas.
Did the list above excite you about the life of a cargo pilot? How about we tell you that even when the world comes to a stop for a critical illness, freight keeps expanding? When it comes to aviation, many jump to just commercial airflight. However, cargo pilot jobs are expanding at an unprecedented rate and so are the ground crew jobs that keep the planes flying without disruption. The benefits are similar to those of a commercial pilot with the stability that the freight industry provides. So, why not apply?
Conclusion
The competition to construct the biggest transport plane in the world is still going on in 2025. Some of the largest airlines in the world are pushing the limits of aviation technology in an effort to realize this ambition. The skies are dominated by these enormous freight planes that can transport almost anything. These aircraft are a true engineering marvel, regardless of whether they are the largest freight planes in the world.
