The Most Common Aircraft in Service

Measuring Fleet Size

Fleet size statistics in aviation appear in multiple forms that tell different stories, and choosing which to use depends on what question you're answering. The three most common measurements are: aircraft in service (physically flying commercially at a given moment), total orders delivered (cumulative production history), and unfilled backlog (orders placed but not yet delivered, indicating future fleet composition).

For understanding what aircraft you're most likely to encounter when flying today, "aircraft in service" is most relevant. For understanding manufacturing success and industry direction, orders delivered are informative. For predicting what will be most common in 2030, backlog matters most.

A further distinction: passenger aircraft versus cargo aircraft versus total fleet. Cargo aircraft (freighters) often use different or older types than the passenger fleet. Retired passenger aircraft are frequently converted to cargo use, so a model no longer manufactured for passenger service may have a substantial active cargo fleet. This guide focuses primarily on passenger aircraft in commercial service.

Data sources include Cirium (industry standard, used by airlines, manufacturers, and lessors), FlightGlobal, and IATA, all of which publish annual fleet reports. The figures below are approximate as of early 2025 and will shift continuously as deliveries occur and retirements happen.

Narrowbody Leaders

The narrowbody segment — single-aisle aircraft carrying roughly 100–220 passengers — is the largest in commercial aviation by number of aircraft. Three families dominate overwhelmingly.

Airbus A320 family is the world's most widely operated commercial aircraft program. The family encompasses the A318, A319, A320, and A321 in classic (ceo) versions and A319neo, A320neo, and A321neo in next-generation versions. Combined, the A320 family numbers approximately 8,500+ aircraft in commercial service globally — roughly 25% of all commercial aircraft worldwide. IndiGo operates the largest single fleet (350+), followed by American Airlines and United Airlines with 400+ each across family variants.

Boeing 737 family is a close competitor. The 737 family (737-700, -800, -900ER classics and 737 MAX 7, 8, 9, 10) numbers approximately 7,000–7,500 aircraft in commercial service. Southwest Airlines (over 800 737s) is the world's largest 737 operator. Ryanair (over 500) is the largest outside North America. The MAX grounding in 2019–2020 temporarily reduced the active fleet but the type has substantially recovered.

Airbus A220 (formerly Bombardier CSeries) is a smaller narrowbody (100–160 seats) operated primarily in North America and Europe. Delta Air Lines is the largest operator with 100+. The A220 competes in a segment where Boeing currently has no direct equivalent following the abandonment of the 737-700 MAX (few orders).

The Boeing 757 — once common on transcontinental US and transatlantic routes — is now in decline (out of production since 2004) with approximately 500 aircraft remaining in passenger service, primarily at United, Delta, and Icelandair. Its replacement gap is partly being filled by the A321neo and will be addressed more directly by the A321XLR.

Widebody Leaders

The widebody segment — twin-aisle aircraft carrying roughly 220–600+ passengers — is smaller in total count but disproportionately important by revenue and by seat-miles flown (widebodies fly longer routes at higher load factors).

Boeing 777 classic (777-200, 777-200ER, 777-300ER) numbers approximately 1,500+ aircraft in commercial passenger service, making it the most common widebody in the world. Emirates is the world's largest 777 operator with over 150. Other major operators include United, Qatar, Air France-KLM, and Singapore Airlines. The 777-300ER is the dominant variant — an enormous aircraft (3-4-3 economy, 350+ passengers) that became the workhorse of long-haul aviation from 2003 onwards.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner (787-8, 787-9, 787-10) has reached approximately 1,000+ aircraft in commercial service, with the 787-9 as the dominant variant. United, ANA, Ethiopian, and American are among the largest operators. The 787's fuel efficiency makes it the preferred replacement for 767s and the dominant choice for new long-haul routes to secondary cities.

Airbus A330 (A330-200, A330-300, and A330neo variants) numbers approximately 1,200+ aircraft in passenger service. The A330 has been remarkably durable — launched in 1993 and still in production (as the A330neo), it remains competitive on medium to long-haul routes. China's large carriers (Air China, China Eastern, China Southern) are major operators. Turkish Airlines' extensive intercontinental network uses large numbers of A330s.

Airbus A350 (A350-900 and A350-1000) has reached approximately 500+ aircraft in commercial service and is the fastest-growing widebody type. Qatar Airways (80+), Cathay Pacific (40+), Singapore Airlines (60+), and Lufthansa (40+) are among the largest operators. The A350 fleet will surpass the A330neo in service within this decade at current delivery rates.

Regional Leaders

The regional jet segment — aircraft carrying 50–100 passengers, typically in 2+2 seating — is dominated by a small number of families, most of which are no longer in production.

Bombardier CRJ series (CRJ 200, 700, 900, 1000) numbers approximately 1,500+ aircraft in commercial service, predominantly in North America. The CRJ 900 is the most common variant. Mitsubishi acquired the CRJ program from Bombardier in 2020 and maintains existing aircraft but has ended new production. The CRJ fleet is aging — most aircraft are 15–25 years old — and will require replacement within the next decade.

Embraer E-Jet family (E170, E175, E190, E195 classics, and E175-E2, E190-E2, E195-E2 second generation) numbers approximately 1,600+ aircraft, making it slightly larger than the CRJ fleet. The E175 is the most common variant in North America (scope clause economics drive this), while the E190/E195 are more common in Europe, Latin America, and Asia where scope restrictions don't apply.

ATR 42 and ATR 72 turboprops are the most common aircraft in the world by number of operators — used by small regional airlines in remote areas where jet performance is less important than economics and short-runway capability. Not technically "regional jets" but often filling the same role in smaller markets.

Cargo Fleet

The cargo fleet — freighters and combi aircraft — deserves brief mention because it includes several types that have largely or entirely exited passenger service but remain common in freight operations. The Boeing 747-400 freighter remains one of the world's most common large freight aircraft, operated by FedEx, UPS, Atlas Air, Cargolux, and dozens of cargo carriers. The Boeing 767 freighter is expanding, with Amazon Air and FedEx ordering new production 767Fs. The Airbus A330 freighter is gaining market share for medium-haul cargo.

The line between passenger and cargo aircraft blurs with "preighters" — passenger widebodies converted temporarily or permanently to cargo use. During COVID-19, many widebody operators flew passenger aircraft without passengers but with freight in the cabin. Some of these conversions became semi-permanent, and several A320/321 and 737 passenger-to-freighter conversions are now in regular use.

Aircraft Age Distribution

The global commercial fleet is not uniformly young. The average age of commercial aircraft in service is approximately 12–14 years, but with substantial variance by region and carrier type.

US major carriers have progressively aged their fleets, with many 737-800s and A320 aircraft now 15–20 years old. Low-cost carriers globally tend to operate younger fleets (newer aircraft are more fuel-efficient, critical to low-cost business models). Legacy carriers in developing markets sometimes operate aircraft over 25 years old. African regional carriers often fly older aircraft than global averages due to capital constraints.

Aircraft age matters for passengers primarily through indirect effects: older aircraft may be less fuel-efficient (not directly your concern but relevant to airline costs and thus fares), may have older in-flight entertainment systems, may have older cabin interiors, and are more likely to be narrowbodies of older types (767s, A330ceos, older 777s). New aircraft are almost universally 787s, A350s, 737 MAXs, or A320neo-family members — the latest generation of efficiency and comfort.

Retirement Trends

Aircraft are retired when the cost of maintaining an aging airframe and its systems exceeds the revenue it generates — or when environmental regulation makes older engines uneconomical to operate. Several aircraft types are in active retirement programs:

The Airbus A380 fleet is contracting as airlines permanently retire pandemic-stored aircraft. The A380's retirement will continue gradually through the 2030s, with Emirates eventually the last operator.

The Boeing 747-8i (passenger variant) has effectively exited service, with Lufthansa and Korean Air the last operators now retiring remaining aircraft. The 747 freighter (-8F) and older -400F variants continue in cargo service.

The Airbus A340 — a four-engine widebody once competing with the 777 — has nearly completely exited passenger service. Iberia and a handful of others retain small fleets; Lufthansa retired its last A340s in 2024. The type was rendered uneconomical by more fuel-efficient twins.

The Boeing 757 fleet will decline through the late 2020s as United, Delta, and Icelandair (the primary remaining operators) transition to A321neo/XLR and 737 MAX replacements.

Fleet Forecast

Cirium, IATA, and the manufacturers' own market outlooks consistently project that the global commercial fleet will nearly double from approximately 25,000 aircraft today to 45,000–50,000 by 2040, driven by growth in Asia-Pacific (particularly India and Southeast Asia) and the Middle East, and by fleet renewal replacing aging narrowbodies.

The narrowbody segment will dominate this growth: the A320neo family and 737 MAX (and their successors) will account for the majority of deliveries. Widebody deliveries will be driven by 787 and A350 production plus whatever widebody successor programs are launched. Regional jets will see modest growth, primarily through E-Jet E2 deliveries as the CRJ fleet retires without direct Bombardier replacement.

The COMAC C919 is projected to take a meaningful share of China's domestic narrowbody demand within this decade, reducing Boeing and Airbus's combined market share in China from near-100% today to potentially 60–70% by 2030, with COMAC taking the remainder through regulatory preference and competitive pricing. Outside China, COMAC's market penetration will remain limited by certification challenges and engine supply dependencies.