The total worldwide fleet size currently counts 28,848 aircraft, with 23,904 active and 4,944 grounded. We have seen a 5% rise in active aircraft compared to the same month last year and a 27% increase in active aircraft compared to September 2020.
| Continent | active | grounded | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 876 | 415 | 1291 |
| Asia | 7966 | 2071 | 10037 |
| Europe | 6061 | 840 | 6901 |
| North America | 7327 | 1239 | 8566 |
| Oceania | 729 | 128 | 857 |
| South America | 945 | 251 | 1196 |
| Grand Total | 23904 | 4944 | 28848 |
Europe and North America have the most active aircraft, with 88% and 86% of their fleets active. Oceania ranks third (85%), followed by Asia and South America (79%). With 68% of its fleet operating, Africa has the lowest percentage of active aircraft.
According to the ch-aviation database, narrowbody jets continue to be the most popular, accounting for 75% of tracked aircraft. With 67% and 61% respectively, widebody and regional jets are almost equally in demand. Turboprops are the least, with 42% of aircraft still parked.
Austria has the highest percentage of active aircraft (more than 100 in its portfolio). Currently, 220 of their 222 aircraft are in service. Following are Ireland, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, Hungary, Sweden, Japan, Spain, Turkey, and Switzerland, accounting for more than 92% of the active fleet.
Top 10 countries with the highest percentage of active aircraft (with/more than 100 aircraft in their portfolio)
| country | active | grounded | total | % active |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 220 | 2 | 222 | 99.10% |
| Ireland | 369 | 13 | 382 | 96.60% |
| Poland | 163 | 7 | 170 | 95.88% |
| Netherlands (the) | 213 | 10 | 223 | 95.52% |
| Hungary | 141 | 8 | 149 | 94.63% |
| Sweden | 135 | 9 | 144 | 93.75% |
| Japan | 574 | 41 | 615 | 93.33% |
| Spain | 404 | 31 | 435 | 92.87% |
| Türkiye | 536 | 44 | 580 | 92.41% |
| Switzerland | 154 | 13 | 167 | 92.22% |
Nigeria and Iran are at the top of the countries with the most aircraft grounded. Nigeria has 92 of its 127 aircraft grounded, while Iran has 159 of 260 aircraft grounded. Hong Kong, South Africa, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya and Argentina follow.
Top 10 countries with the highest percentage of grounded aircraft (with/more than 100 aircraft in their portfolio)
| country | active | grounded | total | % grounded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 35 | 92 | 127 | 72.44% |
| Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 101 | 159 | 260 | 61.15% |
| Hong Kong | 110 | 137 | 247 | 55.47% |
| South Africa | 113 | 58 | 171 | 33.92% |
| Malaysia | 173 | 83 | 256 | 32.42% |
| Thailand | 176 | 82 | 258 | 31.78% |
| Philippines (the) | 144 | 62 | 206 | 30.10% |
| Indonesia | 368 | 145 | 513 | 28.27% |
| Kenya | 115 | 36 | 151 | 23.84% |
| Argentina | 87 | 25 | 112 | 22.32% |
Malta Air leads the top25 airlines worldwide with the most active aircraft (100 or more aircraft in their fleet), with 100% of its fleet in service. Easyjet Europe and Ryanair follow, with 99% of their fleet active. The list continues with Spirit Airlines, Jazz Air, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Wizz Air, Spring Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines and JAL – Japan Airlines, all counting 95% or more active aircraft in their respective fleets. At least 91% of the top 25 carriers’ aircraft are active.
Truenoord leads the Top 25 Lessors list, with 93% of their portfolio active. ALM – Aircraft Leasing & Management, International Airfinance, ORIX Aviation and Carlyle Group round out the top five.
The previous update on the active and grounded fleet is available here.
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