Eight men planned to smuggle bombs disguised as soft drinks on to flights from Heathrow to the United States and Canada and detonate them on board, Woolwich crown court was told.
It would have caused a civilian death toll on an "almost unprecedented scale" and a "global impact".
The gang allegedly targeted seven flights operated by Air Canada, United Airlines and American Airlines.
They were arrested in August 2006 after a surveillance operation — as they were "almost ready" to strike.
Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, said they had planned, "all in the name of Islam", to carry out a "series of coordinated and deadly explosions" and were "indifferent to the carnage" that would have been caused.
The eight — seven from London — were flanked by security guards at the start of what has been described as the world's biggest terror trial. All deny conspiracy to murder and conspiring to commit an act of violence likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft.
They are: Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar, Tanvir Hussain, and Ibrahim Savant — all aged 27; Mohammed Gulzar and Arafat Waheed Khan, 26; Waheed Zaman, 23, and Umar Islam, also known as Brian Young, 29.
Mr Wright named the ringleaders as Ali, Sarwar and Gulzar and said Ali was one of those prepared to blow themselves up on a jet.
However, during conversations monitored by police the conspirators talked about as many as 18 suicide bombers at different airport terminals.
"At the very least" seven planes would have been targeted, Mr Wright said.
The jury heard that the gang planned to smuggle components of the homemade bombs on to the flights as "innocuous hand luggage".
The court heard the bombers intended to use hydrogen peroxide and mix it with a product called Tang, used in soft drinks, to turn it into an explosive.
They intended to carry it on board disguised as 500ml bottles of Oasis or Lucozade by using food dye to recreate the drinks' distinctive colour.
The detonator would have been disguised as AA 1.5 batteries. The contents of the batteries would have been removed and an electric element such as a lightbulb or wiring would have been inserted.
A disposable camera would have provided a power source.
"These items would have the capability of being detonated with devastating consequences," said Mr Wright.
An address book found in Ali's pocket had a "to-do list with items such as electrics for batteries, drink bottles including Lucozade and Oasis; an entry saying "check time to fill each bottle".
All the seven flights allegedly targeted could carry between 241 and 285 passengers.
They were to cities including Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington, JFK in New York and Montreal.
The gang compiled information on flights and a USB memory stick found in the pocket of one defendant included details of flights from Heathrow to the US, Mr Wright said.
But he said the gang only examined details of outward-bound flights — they were not interested in return trips.
The seven flights would all have been in the air at the same time, he added: "The flights were particularly vulnerable to a co-ordinated attack while in flight. If each was blown up the potential for loss of life was considerable and there was little of no chance of saving any of them from their impending disaster."
At the time of their arrests they were "almost ready" to put their plan into action and some were prepared to lose their lives with "the cold eyed certainty of a fanatic".
The arrests in the summer of 2006 led to a huge security crackdown at British airports, with bans on passengers taking liquids on planes.
Ahmed Ali, Waheed Khan, and Zaman are from Walthamstow; Sarwar is from High Wycombe; Hussain is from Leyton, Gulzar from Barking; Savant from Stoke Newington; and Islam from Plaistow.
'Plotters made martyrdom videos'
Several men accused of plotting to blow up passenger planes mid-air as they crossed the Atlantic made Islamic martyrdom videos, a court has heard.
Six of the eight men recorded videos in which one warns of "martyrdom operations" which would "rain down" on non-believers, jurors were told.
They also researched other targets, including power stations and London's Canary Wharf, prosecutors said.
All eight men deny conspiring to murder and endangering aircraft in 2006.
Their arrests in August that year led to a ban on passengers carrying most liquids on board aircraft.
The jury at Woolwich Crown Court was played or read extracts from a number of alleged suicide videos, in which men were seen speaking in front of a black flag featuring Arabic writing.
One man, said to be defendant Umar Islam, described his plans as "revenge" for the actions of the United States and its "accomplices such as the British and the Jews".
He warned: "Martyrdom operations upon martyrdom operations will keep on raining on these kuffars [non-believers] until they release us and leave our lands."
He went on to argue British citizens were legitimate targets because they had paid taxes that funded the Army.
"Most of you are too busy watching Home and Away and EastEnders, complaining about the World Cup and drinking alcohol, too busy to care. I know because I come from that," he said.
Another man, described as defendant Abdulla Ahmed Ali, was heard saying: "Sheikh Osama [Bin Laden] has warned you many times to leave our lands or you will be destroyed, and now the time has come for you to be destroyed."
The man, who described himself as the leader of the group, also warned of "floods of martyr operations" against non-Muslims which would scatter "the people and your body parts and your people's body parts" which would be "decorating the streets".
A man in another recording, which the prosecution claims is Waheed Zaman, a former student who studied biomedical sciences, denied being "brainwashed" and warned: "Remember as you kill us, you will be killed. As you bomb us, you will be bombed."
And in what the jury was told was Tanvir Hussain's suicide video, a man said he wished he could "come back and do this again, and just do it again and again until people come to their senses and realise, you know, don't mess with the Muslims".
'Liquid bombs'
Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, said the recordings "were significant" because they showed the men "contemplated losing their lives in some violent act", which would be a "perceived act of martyrdom in the name of Islam".
"We suggest the tenor of these remarks leaves little room for any degree of ambiguity," he added.
Martyrdom operations upon martyrdom operations will keep on raining on these kuffars [non-believers] until they release us and leave our lands Video recording of a man described as defendant Umar Islam
The eight men are accused of plotting to use home-made devices of liquid explosives, which would be smuggled on to aircraft and then used to blow up a number of transatlantic flights from London's Heathrow Airport.
At least seven aircraft flying to major cities across north America were the targets, the court has been told.
But the jury has also heard that computer memory sticks found at the High Wycombe home of Mr Sarwar revealed the alleged plotters also considered other UK targets.
Mr Wright said they included Canary Wharf, a gas pipeline running between Belgium and the UK, other UK airports, as well as companies that store and process hydrogen peroxide.
Another memory stick found in Mr Sarwar's garage contained information about power stations, internet service provider exchanges, oil refineries, the National Grid and UK airports, the jury was told.
The court later heard how the alleged plotters stockpiled materials needed for their home-made liquid devices - including 18 litres of hydrogen peroxide, wires and syringes - which the prosecution claims they intended to smuggle on to aircraft disguised as 500ml soft drinks.
Prosecutors also claim police bugging devices at a "bomb factory" in Forest Road, Walthamstow, during July and August 2006 revealed how they considered taking their wives and children on the alleged mission.
Mr Wright said: "Such a sacrifice is beyond contemplation for those who are the targets but not those who participate in activities such as this."
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