The Most Popular Aircraft in Commercial Airline Fleets

Which planes comprise the most popular airline fleet? Which should you learn to fly to be hired by the airlines? Whether you prefer Boeing or Airbus, there is a lot to learn about aircraft types.
There are hundreds of types of aircraft flying around the world today. Here we’ve listed the most popular aircraft models used by commercial airlines detailing general information and interesting facts. Most are manufactured by Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, McDonnell Douglas, and Embraer. Therefore, you’ll likely find yourself flying one of these when you become an airline pilot. Here at Epic, we train commercial airline pilots who go on to fly these aircraft.
Whether you are flying American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, or Southwest Airlines, next time you board one of these beautiful aircraft, ask what type of aircraft it is. And don’t forget to ask if your pilot trained at Epic! We can train you to fly for airlines around the world. A pilot’s life is like no other. You’ll make friends and see the world while earning a good living. Wishing you blue skies in whatever type of aircraft you choose to fly, whether the largest or smallest! Which airline do you want to fly?
Which airline has the biggest fleet?
- The airline with the most aircraft is American Airlines with 980 aircraft. They use a combination of Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
- Next, the airline with the second largest fleet is Delta Air Lines with 960 aircraft. However, Delta comes in at #1 for revenue. Like American, Delta flies both Airbus and Boeing.
- In the third position, the United Airlines fleet includes 930 aircraft. Based in Chicago, they fly to approximately 350 destinations.
- Next, in fourth position, Southwest Airlines is the world’s largest low-cost airline with a fleet of 878 aircraft. Southwest is known for its Boeing 737 family.
- Lastly, in fifth place and still quite a lot of aircraft, is FedEx Express, the cargo-carrying airline. With a fleet size of 733 aircraft, FedEx is known as the largest operator of the Airbus A300-600 aircraft.
Continue reading to learn about the most popular aircraft used in airline fleets worldwide.