US Airline Fleet Aging |

Last year, Southwest Airlines received the fastest deliveries, with about one MAX arriving every four days. This year it's United, taking both MAXs and A321neos at a blistering pace. US airlines have been acquiring new aircraft to reduce fuel consumption. But this acquisition spree varies between the carriers. The model below focuses on the big four, as they account for a significant portion of the renewal. The tables list the models in the fleet that are aging rapidly, with unattractive fuel burn profiles. Since the OEM deliveries are running behind schedule, many of these aircraft cannot be retired as planned. So back they go for an expensive check and then back into operation. The tables also indicate where the airlines need to focus their fleet renewal efforts. Each airline has its fleet Achilles' Heel. This is not limited to the aging issue; one can see where an airline has too many models in a segment. This is an outcome of consolidation. Each airline's fleet has its own story. Whereas American Airlines appears to have a more efficient fleet, as it operates a smaller range of models. The table does not reflect that this airline lacks the long-range lift it could have used had it not retired its A330 and 767 fleets during the Covid pandemic. Was this the wisest choice? Delta and United kept their 767s and offer more seats to Europe. Then there's Southwest, in desperate need of the MAX 7 with no relief in sight. Will the airplane get certified this year or next? The perennial issue of refreshing the regional jet fleet is obvious, too. The Scope Clause blocked the solutions offered a few years ago. Those solutions are now moot; more communities are losing air service, and pilots stymie creativity using the available equipment. The A321neo and XLR are now moving quickly into the big three fleets with great promise. How will that work out, though? This question is especially relevant to the XLR - is this an adequate replacement for the 767? The tradeoff decisions fleet managers face and how they make fleet choices are fascinating.

US Flight Planner - US DoT On-Time Data	Airbus vs Boeing - Official OEM Data
US Airline Schedule Performance - US DoT Data	Daily OEM Production & Deliveries -

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