How much does it cost to refuel a Boeing 747?

Answer 1

The initial 747-100/200 models hold 48,000 gallons of fuel and can fly 6,000 miles, so if the plane were to fly 85% of its range on a 5,000 mile flight, it would take about 41,000 gallons of fuel to top the tanks off afterwards at a cost of about $195,000. The plane can seat a maximum of 540 passengers in a 1 class economy layout so just the price of fuel comes to about $360 per person with every seat full.

On the 747-400 model, it holds 57,000 gallons of fuel and can fly 8,000 miles, so if it were to fly 85% of its range on a 6,800 mile flight, it would take about 48,000 gallons to top the tanks off afterwards at a cost of about $230,000. This version can seat a maximum of 660 passengers in a 1 class economy layout so just the price of fuel comes to about $350 per person with every seat full.

The final and newest variant is the 747-8i. It holds 64,000 gallons of fuel and can fly 9,000 miles, so if it were to fly 85% of its range on a 7,500 mile flight, it would take about 54,000 gallons to top the tanks off afterwards at a cost of about $255,000. This version can seat a maximum of 605 passengers in a 1 class layout so just the price of fuel comes to about $420 per person with every seat full.