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How many people can an airplane carry? Depends on the aircraft. Some planes such as the 787 and 320 can carry up too 250 passengers, While an Embraer 145 can only hold about 25-45.
RJ's or regional jets such as the Canadair or Saab average 50-75 seats. These planes are becoming the most popular to cut costs of the airlines. The most common narrow bodies are the 737, A319, and A320 which average 150 to 200 seats. The most common Wide Bodies are the 747, 767, 777 and A340 which average 250 to 500 seats. The A380 will have the capacity to hold about 800, but the airlines are configuring them to hold about 550. For a good reference site, check out www.seatguru.com.