Highest-flying transport aircraft
15 of the 20 transport aircraft in the WeaponSpecs database publish a service ceiling figure. Ranked on the published number alone, highest first, with no weighting and no composite score. The 5 transport aircraft with no published figure are not ranked, absent data is never treated as a low value.
| # | System | Service ceiling | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C-17 Globemaster III | 13,716 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 2 | Kawasaki P-1 | 13,520 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 3 | A330 MRTT | 13,000 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-26 |
| 4 | Y-20 † | 13,000 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 5 | AC-130J Ghostrider | 12,500 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 6 | Kawasaki C-2 | 12,200 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 7 | Il-76MD-90A † | 12,000 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 8 | KC-46 Pegasus | 12,000 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 9 | Il-78M † | 12,000 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 10 | A400M Atlas | 11,278 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 11 | Embraer C-390 Millennium | 11,000 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-05 |
| 12 | C-5M Super Galaxy | 10,600 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 13 | Y-9 † | 10,400 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 14 | C-295 | 9,144 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
| 15 | C-130J Super Hercules | 8,615 m | reference ↗ checked 2026-07-02 |
Compiled from public manufacturer, defense-ministry and reference sources. Published defense figures are approximations and are often stated under different conditions, so treat this ordering as directional rather than a tested result. A board is only generated where at least 5 systems in the class publish the figure. How we compile specs →
Other transport aircraft rankings
Service ceiling in other classes