US Airline fleet review update – age and segment

As we approach the end of another month, here’s a short review of the current US airline fleet.

We monitor two key items: age and segment. We monitor age because this metric provides clues on maintenance costs and fuel burn. Like humans, aircraft don’t necessarily age well. Older airplanes consume more fuel as they get heavier and require more health care. The parallels are remarkable, right?   We monitor the segment because this guides how airlines see traffic and markets evolve. For example, are airlines upgauging or right-sizing? That choice filters fleet tradeoffs quickly.