How we calculate our numbers
Every derived metric on this site is computed from the sourced core specification. Here is exactly how — so the numbers are checkable, and citable.
Every derived metric, formula by formula
Seats per metre
Formula: typical seats ÷ fuselage length
A density proxy you can compare across sizes. It is how the A380's double deck shows up in a single number — more seats per metre of fuselage than anything else flying.
Range per tonne
Formula: maximum range ÷ MTOW in tonnes
How far each tonne of maximum weight takes you. Smaller aircraft score dramatically higher — it is an honest way to see why the industry moved from quads to light twins.
Span-to-length ratio
Formula: wingspan ÷ fuselage length
A shape signature. Above 1.0 the wing is wider than the aircraft is long — rare, and the A380 is the only one here that does it.
Weight per metre
Formula: MTOW ÷ fuselage length
Range in hours
Formula: maximum range ÷ cruise speed
Weight per seat
Formula: MTOW ÷ typical seats
What the ✓ tick actually means
Operator fleet counts move constantly, and most aviation sites quietly present a stale number as fact. We do not. Every operator row on this site is one of two things, and we say which.
A row marked ✓ has been individually checked against a named, dated source — an airline filing, a manufacturer statement, or a maintained fleet record — and that source is listed at the bottom of the page. A row marked ≈ is an approximate snapshot: broadly right, good enough to reason about, and not something you should quote in a contract. Currently 7 of 264 operator rows carry a tick, and the flagship fleets — Emirates, Southwest, United — are among them. That number will only go up.
We would rather show you an honest ≈ than a confident lie.
Where the core data comes from
Core specifications are taken from manufacturer documents — Boeing and Airbus airport-planning manuals and technical pages — and type certificate data sheets, cited per row on every spec table. Operator fleet counts are approximate snapshots, marked with ≈ and a last-verified date, and re-checked against airline press material.
Where sources conflict, we say so on the page and cite both. If you spot an error, tell us — corrections are made visibly, not silently.