How much metal is in a Boeing 747?

The Boeing 747, the first wide-body commercial airliner ever produced and still selling strong, is composed of 147,000 pounds of aluminum?up to 75% of the plane's flyweight?and 110,000 pounds of titanium, as well as a small percentage of other aluminum and steel alloys.



A Boeing 747-8, the final iteration of the "Queen of the Skies," is a massive industrial feat containing approximately 150,000 to 160,000 pounds (70-80 tons) of high-grade metal. Aluminum makes up about 80% of the airframe, chosen for its incredible strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to corrosion at high altitudes. The remaining metal content is a high-tech mix: steel is used for the landing gear and high-stress fasteners where pure strength is required; titanium is utilized in the engine pylons and exhaust areas because it can withstand extreme heat without deforming; and various nickel alloys are found deep within the turbofan engines. While modern jets like the 787 use more carbon fiber composites, the 747 remains a "heavy metal" icon. If you were to melt down the aluminum from a single 747, you could produce roughly 6 million soda cans, illustrating the sheer scale of the raw materials required to keep these giants in the air in 2026.

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Scrap value of a time expired Boeing 747–100/200 is about US$5m.

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The Boeing 747, the first wide-body commercial airliner ever produced and still selling strong, is composed of 147,000 pounds of aluminum—up to 75% of the plane's flyweight—and 110,000 pounds of titanium, as well as a small percentage of other aluminum and steel alloys.

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The Boeing 787 aircraft is 80% composite by volume. By weight, the material contents is 50% composite, 20% aluminum, 15% titanium, 10% steel, and 5% other [11]. Aluminum is used for the wing and tail leading edges; titanium is used mainly on engines and fasteners, with steel used in various areas.

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Like the even bigger Airbus A380 (in the foreground), the 747 no longer meets the economic requirements of airlines that prefer long-haul, dual-engine aircraft such as the A350 or the Boeing 777 and 787. In the past year, there were only 20 or so outstanding orders for the 747, all of them for freight carriers.

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Sure, the 747 is a Type Certified and airworthy aircraft, the FAA does not really care who owns it so long as they play by the rules. Boeing even sells them directly to the private market via their BBJ line.

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Copper. Copper is one of the most valuable scrap items. Most scrap dealers will buy copper at a high price because it consistently generates high value. Its versatility and high demand also make it a top consideration if you want to make a lot of money from scrapping.

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Alcoa and The Boeing Company renewed their long-standing supply arrangement with a new deal that makes Alcoa the sole supplier of aluminum sheet for wing skins on Boaing aircraft, and places Alcoa plate products on every product platform across Boeing's commercial aircraft and defense, space and security systems.

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There were 440 Boeing 747 aircraft in active airline service as of August 2023, comprising 0 747-100s, 2 747SPs, 19 747-200s, 4 747-300s, 261 747-400s, and 154 747-8s. These aircraft are listed by airline operators and variant in the following table.

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The 747 is a four-engined jet aircraft, initially powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D turbofan engines, then General Electric CF6 and Rolls-Royce RB211 engines for the original variants. With a ten-abreast economy seating, it typically accommodates 366 passengers in three travel classes.

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