Premium – Aging fleets

As we monitor the industry’s activities, it is apparent that while growth is important, so is the replacement.  Commercial aircraft are worked hard (some might say abused).  Despite the industry’s high safety record and remarkable ability to move literally millions of people with little fuss, the equipment does fail as it gets older.

Let’s start with widebodies.  Typically these aircraft do two flights, maybe three, per 24-hour cycle.  Their cycle rates are low, but the flights are long so they have high hours.  We see three key markets for replacement amounting to 858 aircraft from 16 years and older.