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Wide-Body Aircraft Guide
All wide-body jets in Tailwinds compared: seats, range, lease cost, fuel burn, and per-seat economics. Pick the right twin-aisle for long-haul expansion.
Widebodies are how a Tailwinds airline goes intercontinental — and how plenty of them go bankrupt. A twin-aisle jet carries two to three times the passengers of a narrow-body, costs several times as much to lease, and burns fuel accordingly. On a dense long-haul trunk route it prints money; on a thin route it is the fastest way to destroy a healthy balance sheet.
Fill rate is everything at this scale. A 300-seat jet at 85% load is a triumph; the same jet at 45% is a weekly six-figure loss. Before leasing any aircraft on this page, be confident the city pair can actually fill it — big populations at both ends, ideally with hub feed behind one of them.
How to choose
Modern twins (787, A350, 777) dominate the efficiency table and should be your default for new long-haul flying. Older types — A340s, early 777s, the 767 family — lease for dramatically less and remain sensible on routes you have already proven, or as a bridge while you build cash. Watch range carefully: ultra-long-range variants carry a lease premium you only earn back on routes that actually need it.
All 30 aircraft at a glance
Figures are the game's actual values. Fuel cost assumes the base fuel price of $1.20/litre — the live market price in your save drifts between roughly half and nearly double that, which is why fuel hedging matters.
| Aircraft | Seats | Range | Lease/wk | Price | Fuel/100km | Fuel/seat-km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A310-300 | 280 | 9,600 km | $24K | $11M | 746 L | 3.20¢ |
| Airbus A310-200 | 280 | 6,800 km | $17K | $8M | 798 L | 3.42¢ |
| Boeing 767-200ER | 290 | 12,200 km | $34K | $16M | 627 L | 2.60¢ |
| Ilyushin Il-96-300 | 300 | 11,500 km | $95K | $50M | 1150 L | 4.60¢ |
| Airbus A300B4 | 345 | 5,400 km | $17K | $8M | 947 L | 3.29¢ |
| Ilyushin Il-86 | 350 | 5,000 km | $35K | $20M | 1395 L | 4.78¢ |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 351 | 11,090 km | $59K | $28M | 703 L | 2.40¢ |
| Airbus A300-600R | 361 | 7,700 km | $26K | $12M | 865 L | 2.88¢ |
| Boeing 767-400ER | 375 | 10,415 km | $76K | $36M | 710 L | 2.27¢ |
| Douglas DC-10-30 | 380 | 9,700 km | $38K | $22M | 1319 L | 4.16¢ |
| Boeing 787-8 | 381 | 13,620 km | $258K | $135M | 674 L | 2.12¢ |
| Lockheed L-1011 TriStar | 400 | 6,670 km | $31K | $18M | 1117 L | 3.35¢ |
| Airbus A330-200 | 406 | 13,400 km | $117K | $55M | 746 L | 2.20¢ |
| Airbus A330-800neo | 406 | 15,100 km | $201K | $95M | 798 L | 2.36¢ |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | 410 | 12,455 km | $61K | $35M | 1282 L | 3.75¢ |
| Boeing 787-9 | 420 | 14,140 km | $292K | $150M | 718 L | 2.05¢ |
| Airbus A340-300 | 440 | 13,500 km | $69K | $40M | 1322 L | 3.61¢ |
| Airbus A330-300 | 440 | 11,750 km | $148K | $70M | 794 L | 2.17¢ |
| Airbus A350-900 | 440 | 15,000 km | $350K | $185M | 780 L | 2.13¢ |
| Airbus A350-900ULR | 440 | 18,000 km | $368K | $195M | 813 L | 2.22¢ |
| Boeing 777-200ER | 440 | 13,080 km | $102K | $48M | 854 L | 2.33¢ |
| Boeing 777-200LR | 440 | 15,843 km | $180K | $85M | 872 L | 2.38¢ |
| Boeing 787-10 | 440 | 11,730 km | $318K | $165M | 756 L | 2.06¢ |
| Boeing 777X-8 | 440 | 16,090 km | $410K | $195M | 861 L | 2.35¢ |
| COMAC C929 | 440 | 12,000 km | $254K | $120M | 820 L | 2.24¢ |
| Airbus A330-900neo | 460 | 13,334 km | $233K | $110M | 723 L | 1.89¢ |
| Airbus A340-600 | 475 | 14,600 km | $83K | $48M | 1437 L | 3.63¢ |
| Airbus A350-1000 | 480 | 16,100 km | $402K | $210M | 848 L | 2.12¢ |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 550 | 13,650 km | $350K | $170M | 951 L | 2.08¢ |
| Boeing 777X-9 | 550 | 13,500 km | $452K | $215M | 938 L | 2.05¢ |
Type-by-type notes
Airbus A310-300
Shorter A300 with transcontinental range. A bargain on thinner long-haul routes.
Fuel efficiency: #21 of 30 in its class (3.20¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $84 per seat.
Airbus A310-200
Shortened, advanced-wing A300 derivative — an efficient medium widebody for its day.
Fuel efficiency: #24 of 30 in its class (3.42¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $61 per seat.
Boeing 767-200ER
Original transatlantic twin. Long range in a smaller widebody package.
Fuel efficiency: #19 of 30 in its class (2.60¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $117 per seat.
Ilyushin Il-96-300
Soviet-era four-engine wide-body. Long range with unique niche in CIS markets.
Fuel efficiency: #29 of 30 in its class (4.60¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $317 per seat.
Airbus A300B4
The world's first twin-engine widebody — the aircraft that launched Airbus.
Fuel efficiency: #22 of 30 in its class (3.29¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $49 per seat.
Ilyushin Il-86
The Soviet Union's first widebody — thirsty engines limited it to medium-haul.
Fuel efficiency: #30 of 30 in its class (4.78¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $99 per seat.
Boeing 767-300ER
Classic wide-body. Cost-effective for medium long-haul routes.
Fuel efficiency: #18 of 30 in its class (2.40¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $168 per seat.
Airbus A300-600R
The original widebody twin. Old tech but extremely cheap on the used market.
Fuel efficiency: #20 of 30 in its class (2.88¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $71 per seat.
Boeing 767-400ER
Stretched 767 with modern winglets. Good capacity for medium long-haul routes.
Fuel efficiency: #13 of 30 in its class (2.27¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $203 per seat.
Douglas DC-10-30
Classic tri-jet from the 1970s. Very low acquisition cost but thirsty.
Fuel efficiency: #28 of 30 in its class (4.16¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $100 per seat.
Boeing 787-8
Dreamliner in compact form. Excellent fuel efficiency for long-haul.
Fuel efficiency: #7 of 30 in its class (2.12¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $677 per seat.
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
The DC-10's technically superior rival. Rolls-Royce RB.211 engines delivered better fuel economy. Lost the market battle but earned a loyal following for its smooth ride and reliability.
Fuel efficiency: #23 of 30 in its class (3.35¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $78 per seat.
Airbus A330-200
Shorter A330 with excellent long-haul range. Ideal for thinner intercontinental routes.
Fuel efficiency: #10 of 30 in its class (2.20¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $287 per seat.
Airbus A330-800neo
The smaller, ultra-long-range neo — efficient new engines on the proven A330 airframe.
Fuel efficiency: #16 of 30 in its class (2.36¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $495 per seat.
McDonnell Douglas MD-11
Tri-jet DC-10 successor. Cheap to buy used but higher fuel and maintenance costs.
Fuel efficiency: #27 of 30 in its class (3.75¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $148 per seat.
Boeing 787-9
Sweet-spot Dreamliner. Most popular long-haul aircraft for a reason.
Fuel efficiency: #3 of 30 in its class (2.05¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $695 per seat.
Airbus A340-300
Four-engine long-hauler. ETOPS-free twin-aisle with global reach.
Fuel efficiency: #25 of 30 in its class (3.61¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $157 per seat.
Airbus A330-300
Dependable long-haul twin. Popular on high-demand medium to long routes.
Fuel efficiency: #9 of 30 in its class (2.17¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $336 per seat.
Airbus A350-900
Flagship wide-body. Best fuel economics per seat for ultra-long-haul.
Fuel efficiency: #8 of 30 in its class (2.13¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $795 per seat.
Airbus A350-900ULR
Ultra-long-range A350. The only aircraft capable of operating the world's longest routes.
Fuel efficiency: #11 of 30 in its class (2.22¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $836 per seat.
Boeing 777-200ER
The original 777. Dominant on international trunk routes for three decades.
Fuel efficiency: #14 of 30 in its class (2.33¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $231 per seat.
Boeing 777-200LR
Worldliner. Can fly virtually anywhere nonstop — ideal for ultra-long-haul.
Fuel efficiency: #17 of 30 in its class (2.38¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $409 per seat.
Boeing 787-10
Stretched 787, great capacity but shorter range. Best for busy medium-haul.
Fuel efficiency: #4 of 30 in its class (2.06¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $723 per seat.
Boeing 777X-8
Ultra-long-range 777X. Connects the world's most distant city pairs.
Fuel efficiency: #15 of 30 in its class (2.35¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $932 per seat.
COMAC C929
China's widebody ambition — a 280-seat twin aimed at the 787/A330neo class.
Fuel efficiency: #12 of 30 in its class (2.24¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $577 per seat.
Airbus A330-900neo
Re-engined A330 with better fuel burn and intercontinental range.
Fuel efficiency: #1 of 30 in its class (1.89¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $505 per seat.
Airbus A340-600
Stretched quad with massive capacity. High fuel burn but very long range.
Fuel efficiency: #26 of 30 in its class (3.63¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $175 per seat.
Airbus A350-1000
Stretched A350. Highest capacity twin-engine aircraft available.
Fuel efficiency: #6 of 30 in its class (2.12¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $838 per seat.
Boeing 777-300ER
The freight train of long-haul. Massive capacity, proven on trunk routes.
Fuel efficiency: #5 of 30 in its class (2.08¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $636 per seat.
Boeing 777X-9
Next-gen 777 with folding wingtips. Massive capacity for ultra-high-demand routes.
Fuel efficiency: #2 of 30 in its class (2.05¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $822 per seat.