The Boeing 767-300 is a mid-size widebody twin-jet used for long-haul passenger flights and, increasingly, overnight cargo. Delta and United fly the passenger version, while FedEx, UPS and Amazon Air partners fly freighters, making it one of the most common widebodies over US cities.
767-300 at a glance
- First flight
- 1986
- Length
- 180 ft 3 in (54.9 m)
- Wingspan
- 156 ft 1 in (47.6 m); ~170 ft (51.9 m) with winglets
- Engines
- 2 × GE CF6-80C2, Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce RB211-524 turbofans
- Seats
- ~211–269 (passenger)
- Cruise speed
- ~459 kt (528 mph) / Mach 0.80
- Service ceiling
- 43,100 ft
- Range
- ~5,980 nmi (300ER)
How to recognize the 767-300
The 767 is the slimmest widebody you are likely to see. It has two aisles inside but a fuselage that looks narrow and tall compared with a 777 or A330.
- Fuselage: slender for a widebody, with a long nose and a smooth, gently tapered tail.
- Engines: two big turbofans under the wings, much larger than any narrowbody's.
- Wing: long and fairly straight; many passenger 767-300ERs carry tall blended winglets, while others have plain tips.
- Landing gear: two four-wheel main bogies.
- Freighters: 767-300Fs have no cabin windows except near the front, and a large cargo door on the left side ahead of the wing. Amazon, FedEx and UPS freighters are easy to spot by their liveries.
- Tail: tall fin, conventional low stabilizer.
- Sound and contrail: a deep twin roar, with two thick contrails at altitude.
The 757 looks similar from a distance because both were designed together, but the 767 is much wider. An A330-300 is longer, with a bigger wing and small winglets on every aircraft.
At the airport, the 767 has a tall, narrow look with a pointed nose and long legs. Cargo versions often fly with a main-deck door open during loading, which is easy to spot from the terminal.
Where and when you'll see it
Delta (callsign DAL) and United (UAL) fly passenger 767-300ERs on transatlantic, South American and Hawaii routes. FedEx (FDX) and UPS (UPS) operate large fleets of 767-300F freighters, and Amazon Air's converted 767s are flown by contract airlines such as Atlas Air (GTI) and Air Transport International (ATN). Freighters fly mostly overnight to and from hubs including Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati and Indianapolis.
Cruise is typically FL330 to FL410. On ADS-B the type code is B763 and the emitter category is usually heavy, so pilots say "heavy" after the callsign on frequency.
Delta also flies the longer 767-400ER (B764). Atlas, ABX and other cargo airlines also operate 767s for DHL and other customers. If you see a widebody arriving at a mid-size airport late at night, it is often a 767 freighter.
Easily confused with
- Boeing 757-200: The 757 is a narrowbody with a slimmer fuselage and taller gear.
- Airbus A330-300: The A330-300 is longer, with a bigger wing and small winglets.
- Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner: The 787-8 has raked wingtips with no winglets, chevron engines and a four-window cockpit.
Quick facts
- The 767 helped pioneer twin-engine long-range overwater flying (ETOPS) across the Atlantic in the 1980s.
- The US Air Force's KC-46 Pegasus tanker is based on a 767 airframe.
- Freighter versions of the 767-300 are still being built for cargo carriers decades after the type first flew.
767-300 questions
Is the 767 a widebody?
Yes. It has two aisles, though its fuselage is narrower than most widebodies, typically seating seven abreast in economy.
Why do I see 767s at night?
Many are freighters flown by FedEx, UPS and Amazon partners, and cargo flights operate overnight to deliver packages by morning.
Cities where it's a regular
Atlanta · Philadelphia · Miami · Riverside · Cincinnati · Indianapolis · Louisville · Memphis · Anchorage
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for B763 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.