Summary

  • American Airlines’ aircraft with the most flight cycles is an Airbus A319ceo, while the aircraft with the most flight hours is a Boeing 777-200ER.
  • Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines’ aircraft with the most flight cycles and flight hours are the Boeing 757-200 and Boeing 767-300ER, respectively.
  • Similarly, United Airlines has a Boeing 767-300ER with the most flight hours, yet its aircraft with the highest number of flight cycles is an Airbus A320ceo.

The United States ‘big three airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and United Airlines, have a combined fleet of 2,926 aircraft, with 1,194 still to be delivered in future years. They have more planes combined than entire countries have. But which of these jets is the oldest and has the most cycles and hours in the air? One thing is for sure: these major companies have some seriously well-used aircraft in their fleets.

Since the pandemic restrictions have ended and resulted in the travel boom, travel demand has been strong in the past few years. However, with airlines retiring undesired aircraft types or individual airframes and manufacturers adjusting to a new reality, which was a lower demand for newer aircraft, supply chains have struggled to keep up with the demand for new aircraft. As a result, airlines have been forced to keep their older aircraft; otherwise, they would have retired long ago.

What is a flight cycle?

Let us begin by defining a flight cycle (FC). The term means the complete running of an engine from the start to the power plant’s shutdown. For instance, a ‘touch-and-go landing’ used during pilot training is considered an FC.

One cycle could also last from a few seconds (take, for instance, the 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) trip between Westray and Papa Westray in the Scottish Orkney Islands) to over 18 hours, which has been the world’s longest flight operated by Singapore Airlines between New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).

American Airlines

Starting alphabetically with American Airlines, data from ch-aviation shows that the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)-based carrier has 1,005 aircraft, of which 932 are currently active. The average age of American Airlines’ fleet is 13 years. Of these, the single active aircraft that has accrued the most hours is a twin-aisle jet, registered as N779AN.

American Airlines Boeing 777-200ER

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

This registration corresponds to a 24.53-year-old Boeing 777-200ER, first delivered to the company on June 27, 1999. It can carry 273 passengers in a four-class configuration, with 146 seats in economy, 66 in economy plus, 24 in premium economy, and 37 in business.

During the almost quarter of a century flying with American Airlines, it has racked up an impressive 95,212 flight hours (FH) and 11,696 FCs as of December 2023. This works out at 3,881.4 FHs a year with 477 FCs (averaging around 1.30 daily). Ch-aviation estimates that during the first six months of 2024, the 777-200ER put on an additional 1,864.63 FHs and 260 FCs.

Oldest American Airlines active cockpit types

Average age

Boeing 777-200ER

23.6 years

Airbus A320ceo

23.3 years

Airbus A319ceo

20.3 years

Meanwhile, the active American Airlines aircraft with the most FCs at the time of the last measure was an Airbus A319, registered as N750UW. This aircraft, which Airbus delivered to US Airways on September 15, 2000, had a total of 39,331 FC and 59,263 FH as of April 2024.

Related

These Are The Oldest Aircraft In American Airlines’ Fleet

The oneworld carrier’s fleet has an average age of 12.4 years old – which are the oldest aircraft, and where have they been flying?

Delta Air Lines

The Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)-based carrier currently operates a fleet of 997 aircraft, of which 926 are active and 71 inactive, as of July 2024. Delta’s average aircraft age is 15.8 years. The aircraft with the most FH was a Boeing 767-300ER, registered as N171DN. Boeing delivered the aircraft to Delta Air Lines in June 1990, and since then, it has accumulated 144,413 FH and 21,438 FC as of March 31.

This aircraft, which has a capacity for 211 passengers in a three-class configuration (143 in economy, 32 in economy plus, and 36 in business), has been flying for 34.32 years since its first flight on April 22, 1990.

Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-300ER

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

However, Delta Air Lines’ aircraft with the most FC is a Boeing 757-200, registration N667DN. This plane, registered as N667DN, is 33.34 years old, and its first flight happened on March 13, 1991. Boeing delivered the aircraft 14 days later, and since then, the airline has been utilizing the aircraft actively, accumulating 99,639 FC and 45,894 FH as of April 30.

Oldest Delta Air Lines active cockpit types

Average age

Airbus A320ceo

28.7 years

Boeing 767-300ER

28.4 years

Boeing 757-200

27.6 years

Related

What Are The Oldest Planes In Delta Air Lines’ Fleet?

The US legacy carrier has many aircraft at its disposal that have exceeded the 30-year mark.

United Airlines

Last up is United Airlines, with a fleet of 897 active and 64 inactive aircraft, totaling 961 jets. On average, the airline operates aircraft that are 15.8 years old, which includes older airframes, such as the Boeing 767-300ER or Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

A United Airlines Boeing 767-322(ER) landing on a runway.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The United Airlines aircraft with the most hours flown is a Boeing 767-300ER, registered as N643UA. Boeing delivered the aircraft to United Airlines in May 1991. The aircraft seats 203 passengers in a four-class configuration (117 in economy, 32 in economy plus, 24 in premium economy, and 30 in business). Throughout its history as a US carrier, it has totaled 129,828 FH and 20,177 FC as of March 31.

Oldest United Airlines active cockpit types

Average age

Boeing 767-300ER

28.4 years

Boeing 757-200

27.5 years

Boeing 777-200

27.4 years

The airline’s aircraft with the most FCs is an Airbus A320ceo, registered as N414UA. Airbus delivered the aircraft to United Airlines in July 1994, several months after its first flight on March 18, 1994. Nevertheless, since its delivery to the carrier, the single-aisle jet had accumulated 90,464 FH and 36,992 FC as of January 31, making it United Airlines’ aircraft with the most FCs.

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The Oldest Active Aircraft Flying With United Airlines

With over 850 aircraft operating with United Airline’s mainline fleet, which particular aircraft are the oldest?

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