HOUSTON – Safety in the skies is on a lot of passengers’ minds given recent incidents involving airplanes.
Let’s be clear - flying is the safest form of mass travel.
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Since the early 2010s, yearly fatalities have been at or near zero every single year.
However, recent incidents including a door flying off of a Boeing jet, tires falling from planes taking off and even engine covers being torn off have travelers feeling a little unsteady in the sky.
Now, airlines like Southwest say they’re seeing delays on orders for new jets. This means they have to keep flying older planes in order to keep up the same flight schedule.
So, who has the oldest fleet of airplanes among the largest U.S. airlines?
| Airline (in order of 2024 passengers carried) | Total Airplane | Average Age |
|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | 945 | 12.8 years |
| Delta Air Lines | 932 | 15 years |
| Southwest Airlines | 814 | 11.7 years |
| United Airlines | 922 | 16.3 years |
| Air Canada | 190 | 10.5 years |
| Alaska Airlines | 231 | 9.9 years |
| Spirit Airlines | 199 | 6.8 years |
| JetBlue Airways | 286 | 12.7 years |
| Volaris | 114 | 5.8 years |
| Frontier Airlines | 131 | 4.2 |
Data from AirFleets.net shows that the oldest fleet of airplanes flying in the U.S. is United Airlines, which has a hub at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
United’s average aircraft age is 16.3 years old.
Southwest isn’t far behind with an average age of 11.7 years old. Southwest recently announced they’re pulling operations out of Bush Airport in Houston. They operate one of their hubs at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport.
While delays on new aircraft is inconvenient for both the airlines and passengers, aviation experts reassure passengers that the older planes are still just as safe to fly.