American Airlines has World’s Largest Fleet with 953 Aircraft
American Airlines, with a rich history dating back to its founding in 1926, stands as the airline with the world’s largest fleet. The airline operates from major hubs at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Miami International Airport, New York JFK Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
When it comes to measuring the size of an airline, fleet size is a commonly used metric, and in this article, we’ll focus on that aspect. The aviation industry underwent significant changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, including aircraft retirements and restructuring. The question on everyone’s mind is: which airline boasts the largest fleet globally?
American Airlines takes the crown for operating the world’s largest fleet. As of December 2023, American Airlines boasts a fleet of 953 aircraft, with an additional 165 on order or planned. It’s important to note that this count excludes aircraft operated by American’s regional airlines and subsidiaries.
With almost a century of aviation history, American Airlines has navigated through numerous milestones and challenges. From its early days flying Douglas DC-3s to embracing modern giants like the Boeing 777, this oneworld carrier has evolved significantly. Originating as a mail carrier, American Airlines has grown into one of the most renowned names in the global aviation industry.
American Airlines historically had a preference for Boeing aircraft during the 2000s. However, this strategy underwent a significant shift on July 20, 2011, when American Airlines made a historic announcement. They placed the largest combined aircraft order in history, which included a whopping 460 narrow-body jets. Out of these, 260 aircraft were from the Airbus A320 family.
This diversification of their fleet continued in 2013 when American Airlines merged with US Airways, which primarily operated an Airbus fleet. This merger led to the introduction of additional Airbus aircraft into the American Airlines fleet.
A Closer Look at the American Airlines Fleet
Narrowbody Aircraft: Narrowbodies comprise the majority of American Airlines’ fleet, totaling 827 aircraft. This category encompasses 455 Airbus aircraft and 358 Boeing aircraft. The workhorse of this expansive fleet is the Boeing 737-800, with a total of 345 aircraft. Out of these, 303 are the 737-800 variant, and the remaining 55 are the more efficient Boeing 737-8 Max. The average age of the 737-800 models is 12.6 years, while the MAX 8 models average at 3.3 years.
On the Airbus front, American Airlines operates 469 aircraft from the Airbus A320 family, including 133 A319-100s (also known as the Baby Bus), 48 Airbus A320-200s, 218 A321-200s, and 70 A321neo aircraft.
One unique aircraft within their fleet is the A321T. Introduced in 2014, this premium cabin-heavy Airbus configuration features ten first-class seats, 20 business-class seats, 36 main cabin extra seats, and 36 standard main cabin seats. While the Airbus A321-200 accommodates nearly 200 passengers in a two-cabin configuration, the A321T caters to 102 passengers.
Widebody Aircraft: American Airlines’ widebody fleet is exclusively composed of Boeing aircraft, featuring 67 Boeing 777s (comprising 47 777-200 variants and 20 777-300ER variants) and 59 Boeing 787s (comprising 37 787-8s and 22 787-9s). In total, American Airlines boasts a fleet of 126 widebody aircraft.
American Airlines’ remarkable fleet, spanning nearly a century of aviation history, solidifies its position as the airline with the world’s largest fleet, encompassing a diverse range of aircraft types and sizes. At present the airline is in the midst of executing the most extensive fleet renewal initiative in its history. They have placed orders for an additional 165 aircraft, encompassing both Airbus and Boeing models.
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, planespotters.net, en.wikipedia.org