Maximum distance an aircraft can fly without refuelling with a given load, while keeping the fuel reserves required by regulations.
What it is
Range figures published by manufacturers usually assume a typical passenger payload in a reference cabin layout, standard conditions and regulatory fuel reserves. They are useful for comparing types but are not fixed: range falls with a heavier load and can rise with a lighter one, up to the limit set by tank capacity.
On a real route the wind also matters, especially the jet streams, along with temperature, the cruising levels available, the alternate airports required and how far the routing strays from a straight line. An aircraft with ample theoretical range may therefore need payload restrictions on a westbound winter flight into strong headwinds.
Range is given in kilometres or, in the industry, in nautical miles. For reference, the Airbus A320neo is rated at about 6,300 km and the A350-900ULR, a version prepared for ultra-long-haul flights, at about 18,000 km.
On Vuelopedia
The technical data on a Vuelopedia model page includes its range.
Related terms
Cite
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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Range. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/range
MLA
“Range.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/range. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Range.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/range.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Range. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/range (Accessed: 17 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_range,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Range}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-09},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/range},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/range}},
urldate = {2026-10-17},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/range |title=Range |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}