How the Boeing 747-8 and Airbus A380 Used Different Fuselage Materials

The Boeing 747-8 used a conventional aluminum fuselage, while Airbus applied GLARE, a glass-fiber and aluminum laminate, to selected upper fuselage sections of the A380. The two aircraft programs took different approaches to combining established airframe materials with newer design choices.

Key details

• The 747-8 fuselage used aluminum, with composite materials also used in its wings.
• The A380 used about 500 square meters of GLARE on upper sections of its forward and aft fuselage.
• Airbus delivered 254 A380-800s; Boeing delivered 155 747-8I passenger aircraft.
• The A380 had 525 seats in a typical three-class layout and a maximum certified capacity of 853.
• The 747-8I had 410 seats in a typical three-class layout and a maximum certified capacity of 605.
• Singapore Airlines received the first A380 on October 15, 2007. Lufthansa received the first 747-8 passenger aircraft on May 5, 2012.
• Cargolux received the first 747-8 Freighter on October 12, 2011.
• Airbus delivered the final A380 to Emirates on December 16, 2021. Atlas Air received the final 747-8 Freighter on January 31, 2023.

Airbus delivered 254 A380-800s, while Boeing delivered 155 747-8I passenger aircraft.

Why it matters

The A380’s selective use of GLARE placed the material on specific fuselage sections rather than across the whole aircraft. Boeing’s aluminum fuselage and composite wings show how a single aircraft can combine different materials in separate structures.