Short answer. For a full single-aisle jet such as an Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, getting every passenger from the door to their seat takes around 15 to 20 minutes in this simulator with conventional boarding groups. A regional jet with about 70 passengers takes under 10 minutes. Changing the order in which passengers are called can more than halve that time.
Boarding time is not the same as "boarding opens"
The time printed on your boarding pass generally indicates when the gate expects to start calling passengers. Airlines allow time for checking documents, late arrivals and closing the door. This page focuses on the period from the first passenger stepping aboard to the last one sitting down. Boarding order can affect that part of the process, and shortening it can reduce the time an aircraft spends at the gate.
Typical times by aircraft
Simulator result: The table below uses conventional airline boarding groups (assistance first, then premium rows, then the cabin from the rear forward), typical cabin luggage and the median of eight seeded runs (seeds 20260801 to 20260808). Passengers use the rear door on the ATR 72-600 and the forward door on the other aircraft. Each aircraft is filled to its usual load factor in the simulator.
| Aircraft | Passengers | Airline groups | Random queue |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 72-600 (rear door) | 63 | 8:09 | 6:07 |
| Embraer E175 | 68 | 8:57 | 8:40 |
| Airbus A220-300 | 121 | 14:52 | 13:59 |
| Airbus A320 (easyJet) | 175 | 19:26 | 14:50 |
| Boeing 737-800 (Ryanair) | 180 | 19:54 | 14:45 |
| Airbus A321neo | 184 | 20:40 | 19:21 |
| Boeing 787-9 | 231 | 13:33 | 12:31 |
| Airbus A350-900 | 275 | 15:31 | 14:18 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 308 | 15:58 | 14:47 |
| Airbus A380-800 | 440 | 19:29 | 18:26 |
Two things stand out. First, a wide-body aircraft with 300 passengers does not take twice as long as a single-aisle jet with 150. Simulator result: Two aisles provide more places for people to stand and stow bags: the rate in this model is about 9 passengers a minute on an A320, compared with about 17 to 19 on the 787-9 and 777-300ER. Second, the random queue is quicker than airline groups on every aircraft in the table. This is explored in Why does boarding take so long?.
What makes the same aircraft take longer
How full it is. Simulator result: On the A320 with a random queue, a half-full cabin (93 passengers) boards in 7:57 and a completely full one (186) in 15:40. Twice as many passengers took almost twice as long. With back-to-front groups, the full flight took more than twice as long (9:28 against 21:34). Crowding makes each stop more costly because more people may be waiting behind it.
How much luggage is carried on. Carry-on luggage has a substantial effect. Simulator result: The same random A320 boarding takes 10:10 when nobody has a bag for the overhead bin and 19:08 when most people have a large one. How carry-on bags slow down boarding has the full comparison.
How many doors are used. Simulator result: A 787-9 boarded with airline groups through the forward door alone takes 13:33; with a second door at the rear, it takes 9:38.
The boarding order. Simulator result: On the reference A320 flight (175 passengers, typical luggage, forward door), the Steffen method finishes in 8:21 and back-to-front zones in 19:15. That is a substantial gap between two orders applied to identical passengers. See What is the fastest way to board a plane?.
How accurate are these times?
Model assumption: The simulator allows one passenger per aisle row, gives each person a walking speed, a bag and a stowing time, and makes them stop when the person in front has stopped. It does not model passengers arriving at the gate late, crew requests, seat swaps or a jet bridge queue that backs up into the terminal. The times are therefore better read as estimates of how long boarding the cabin takes. Comparisons between orders on the same flight are more meaningful than any single number.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to board a Boeing 737?
Simulator result: A full Ryanair 737-800 (189 passengers, typical luggage, forward door) takes about 15 to 16 minutes with a random queue in this simulator, about 21 minutes with back-to-front zones and just under 9 minutes with the Steffen method.
Why do wide-body planes board faster per passenger?
Two aisles allow more people to walk and stow bags at the same time. Some wide-body flights also use two doors. The number of passengers per aisle matters, alongside factors such as luggage, boarding order and door use.
Does boarding take longer with more passengers?
Yes. Simulator result: Doubling the passengers on an A320 roughly doubles the time with a random queue and more than doubles it with back-to-front zones in this simulator.
Updated 2026-09-25. Figures labelled simulator result are outputs of this site's model at the settings stated, not airline measurements. What the model leaves out.