How Much Fuel Does a Boeing 747 Use During Take Off?

A typical Boeing 747-400 passenger jet burns between 5,633 and 5,772 pounds of jet fuel on takeoff. For Boeing 747-400 freighters, the amount increases to between 6,389 and 6,589 pounds.

The 747-8 passenger plane can carry up to 422,000 pounds of jet fuel, or 63,034 gallons. This allows the 747-8 to fly nonstop from Los Angeles, Calif. to Melbourne, Australia, and have a maximum range of 7,790 nautical miles per flight. Its maximum take-off weight is nearly one million pounds.

Fuel consumption has become a critical issue for airlines. Airlines spend around 40 percent of their operating costs on jet fuel, which has increased in price more than five times between 1990 and 2008.

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