Premium 249 – Airline Fleet Trends and Implications

Periodically, we take a detailed look at airline fleets and the fleet database.  In doing so, we’ve noted some interesting indicators that may be important in forecasting growth. Let’s begin with a review of the active passenger aircraft fleet (excluding parked aircraft) by region, shown in the chart below.

Just like the salesmen say, the market never stops growing.  Demand for new aircraft seems insatiable.  The red line, with an axis on the right side, is solidly pointed upward and shows the overall fleet continues to grow.  The columns illustrate the breakdown of aircraft by region as a percent of the overall fleet.  Examining the data shows that the US and Europe, the most mature markets, are losing market share while the Asia and Pacific regions, fueled by China, show the strongest growth.