The overall global fleet size currently counts 28,576 aircraft, of which 22,810 are active and 5,766 are grounded. Since January, the figures have stagnated, with only modest ups and downs. Compared with the previous month, we see a 2% increase in active aircraft and a 6% drop in grounded aircraft. Nonetheless, the active aircraft fleet increased by 14% compared to May 2021 and 109% compared to May 2020.
| Continent | active | grounded | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 893 | 408 | 1301 |
| Asia | 7334 | 2664 | 9998 |
| Europe | 5688 | 1114 | 6802 |
| North America | 7229 | 1207 | 8436 |
| Oceania | 731 | 125 | 856 |
| South America | 935 | 248 | 1183 |
| Grand Total | 22810 | 5766 | 28576 |
North America and Oceania remain the continents with the most active aircraft, having 86% and 85% of their fleets active, respectively. Europe comes in third with 84%, followed by South America (79%) and Asia (73%). The lowest percentage of active aircraft in May 2022 was Africa with 69%.
According to the ch-aviation database, narrowbody jets are the most used now, with 71% of tracked aircraft active. Widebody and regional jets are equally in demand, with 62% and 61%, respectively. Turboprops are the least, with 41% of aircraft still parked.
Ireland continues to be the country with the highest percentage of active aircraft (more than 100 aircraft in its portfolio). 360 of their 371 aircraft are currently active. The Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Chile, Japan, the UK, Turkey, Poland and Malta are next, accounting for more than 88% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 360 | 11 | 371 | 97.04% |
| Netherlands (the) | 213 | 8 | 221 | 96.38% |
| Austria | 214 | 10 | 224 | 95.53% |
| Hungary | 132 | 7 | 139 | 94.96% |
| Chile | 121 | 11 | 132 | 91.67% |
| Japan | 565 | 54 | 619 | 91.28% |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the) | 688 | 68 | 756 | 91.01% |
| Turkey | 493 | 51 | 544 | 90.63% |
| Poland | 154 | 16 | 170 | 90.59% |
| Malta | 264 | 34 | 298 | 88.59% |
Ukraine and Hong Kong are at the top of the list of countries with the most aircraft grounded for another month. Ukraine has 91 of 101 aircraft grounded, while Hong Kong has 156 of 243 aircraft grounded. Nigeria, Iran, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Kenya, China and South Africa follow.
Top 10 countries with the highest percentage of grounded aircraft (with/more than 100 aircraft in their portfolio)
| country | active | grounded | total | % grounded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | 10 | 91 | 101 | 90.10% |
| Hong Kong | 87 | 156 | 243 | 64.20% |
| Nigeria | 52 | 71 | 123 | 90.10% |
| Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 126 | 130 | 256 | 50.78% |
| Malaysia | 157 | 88 | 245 | 35.92% |
| Thailand | 172 | 91 | 263 | 34.60% |
| Indonesia | 364 | 183 | 547 | 33.46% |
| Grand Total | 22830 | 11208 | 34038 | 32.93% |
| Kenya | 116 | 50 | 166 | 30.12% |
| China | 2751 | 1174 | 3925 | 29.91% |
Malta Air and Ryanair are the top 25 airlines worldwide with the most active aircraft (100 or more aircraft in their fleet), with 100% of their fleets active. Spirit Airlines follows, with only two aircraft grounded. The list continues with EasyJet Europe, easyjet UK, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Wizz Air, Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras, PSA Airlines, Republic Airways, JetBlue Airways, and Southwest Airlines all counting 95% or more active aircraft in their respective fleets. At least 89% of the top 25 carriers’ aircraft are active.
FPG Amentum leads the Top 25 Lessors list, with 96% of their fleet active. International Airfinance, Chorus Aviation Capital, ALM – Aircraft Leasing & Management, and TrueNoord round out the top five.
The previous update on the active and grounded fleet is available here.
For more interesting analyses, follow our LinkedIn page.
