HomeAircraft › Boeing 757

Boeing 757

Boeing · Narrowbody · Out of production (2004) — in service

The unreplaceable middle-of-the-market jet.

Length54.47 m
Wingspan38.05 m
Range6,295 km
MTOW124 t
Typical seats243
Built1,050
Our numbers

Derived metrics

Computed by aircraft.fyi from the core specification — see how we calculate these.

Seats per metre#17 of 35
4.46 seats/m typical seats ÷ fuselage length
Range per tonne#37 of 65
50.8 km/t maximum range ÷ MTOW in tonnes
Span-to-length ratio#54 of 68
0.70 wingspan ÷ fuselage length
Weight per metre#38 of 68
2.27 t/m MTOW ÷ fuselage length
Range in hours#32 of 65
6.9 h maximum range ÷ cruise speed
Weight per seat#25 of 35
510 kg MTOW ÷ typical seats
Sense of scale

How big is it, really?

The Boeing 757's wingspan, against things you already know the size of.

Boeing 75738.05 m
Football pitch (width)68 m
Blue whale25 m
New Routemaster bus11.2 m
You (probably)1.75 m
Specification

The numbers

Length (757-300)54.47 m
Wingspan38.05 m
Height13.56 m
MTOW (-300)123,830 kg
Range (-300)6,295 km
Typical seats (-300)243 (2-class)
Engines2 × RB211 or PW2000
First flight19 February 1982
Built1,050

Compare it

Put the Boeing 757 next to something

Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Spot an error? business@luck.fyi

The story

What makes it different

The 757 is the aircraft the industry has spent twenty years failing to replace. Overpowered engines and a big wing gave it a party trick no successor matches: full loads out of hot, high, short runways, and transatlantic range from a narrowbody — it's why thin routes like Newark to Edinburgh exist at all.

Production ended in 2004 at 1,050 aircraft, and the 'middle of the market' gap it left is an industry saga — the A321XLR is the first credible heir. Meanwhile Delta and United keep flying theirs hard, and huge freighter fleets at FedEx, UPS and DHL will carry parcels for years yet.

The 757-300 stretch, at 54.47 metres, is the longest single-aisle airliner ever built — a 243-seat pencil that only a few airlines dared order.

Common questions

Boeing 757 — the short answers

How fast is the Boeing 757?
The Boeing 757 cruises at about 918 km/h — roughly 496 knots, or 571 mph.
How far can the Boeing 757 fly?
The Boeing 757 has a maximum range of about 6,295 km (3,399 nautical miles, 3,912 miles). At its cruise speed that is roughly 6.9 hours in the air.
How many people does the Boeing 757 carry?
A typical Boeing 757 carries 243 passengers. Exact figures vary with the operator's chosen configuration.
Is the Boeing 757 still in production?
Status: Out of production (2004) — in service. The Boeing 757 first flew in 1982, and about 1,050 have been built.
How big is the Boeing 757?
The Boeing 757 is 54.47 m long with a wingspan of 38.05 m and a height of 13.56 m. Its maximum takeoff weight is 123,830 kg.
Variants

The Boeing 757 line

757-200
The 47.3 m standard — the transatlantic narrowbody.
757-300
The 54.47 m stretch — longest single-aisle ever. Spec shown above.
757-200F / PCF
The freighters — the parcel networks' backbone.
Operators

Who flies the Boeing 757

The top 6 operators by fleet size, of ≈40 worldwide — the rest are aggregated below. Counts marked ≈ are approximate, verified 2026-07-14.

DLDelta Air LinesThe largest passenger fleet, -200s and -300s.≈100 FXFedEx ExpressThe biggest freighter fleet.≈100 5XUPS Airlines75 UAUnited Airlines≈40
DEDHL network≈40
ISIcelandairBuilt its whole transatlantic hub model on the 757.≈15
Other operatorsDozens of further charter, freight and government operators. Counts are fleet-report approximations.≈150