# A cruising Boeing 747 burns through 0.9 gallons (four liters) of fuel each second.

*aerospace · news · 2026-04-26 · Simple Flying*

## Key points

- A Boeing 747 achieves just 0.18 miles per gallon, or 65.5 mpg per passenger.
- In June 2022, the FAA flagged improper cap seal application on 747-400F fuel tanks during production.
- Flying a 747 at cruising altitude causes much higher short-term radiative forcing than car travel.
- Sustainable aviation fuel may reduce aviation emissions by up to 80–94% compared to conventional fuel.
- Virgin Atlantic completed the first 100% SAF commercial flight in 2023 using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

**Companies:** Boeing, Airbus, Virgin Atlantic, Qantas, All Nippon Airways
**Countries:** United States, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom

[Read the full story on Simple Flying](https://simpleflying.com/miles-per-gallon-boeing-747-analysis/)

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