Air transport companies in the European Union had a fleet of 6,711 aircraft used for passenger or cargo transport in 2017; nearly one-fifth of this fleet (1,312 aircraft or 20%) was operated by companies based in the United Kingdom, while Romania’s air fleet consisted of 62 aircraft, representing 0.9% of the EU fleet, according to data published by Eurostat on International Civil Aviation Day.
The member states with the largest air fleets are, in order: the United Kingdom (1,312 aircraft or 20% of the total 6,711 aircraft), Germany (1,100 aircraft or 16%), France (571 aircraft or 9%), Ireland (569 aircraft or 8%), and Spain (509 aircraft or 8%).
At the opposite end are Cyprus (10 aircraft), Lithuania (27 aircraft), Croatia (30 aircraft), Slovenia (42 aircraft), Estonia (46 aircraft), Bulgaria (54 aircraft), Latvia (57 aircraft), and Romania (62 aircraft).
Furthermore, Eurostat data shows that of the total fleet of 6,711 aircraft in the EU, approximately one-fifth (21%) are aircraft less than 5 years old, nearly one-third (27%) are between 5 and 9 years old, 19% are between 10 and 14 years old, 17% are between 15 and 19 years old, and the remaining 17% are older than 20 years.
Among member states, more than half of the aircraft fleet was over 20 years old in Sweden (55%), Lithuania (52%), and Croatia (50%). Additionally, aircraft over 20 years old accounted for more than one-third of the air fleet in Bulgaria (44%), Cyprus (40%), and Romania (39%).
In contrast, operators in Croatia and Cyprus had no aircraft less than 5 years old in 2017, and in nine other EU member states, less than 10% of the aircraft fleet consisted of planes less than 5 years old: Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Slovakia (4% each), Slovenia (5%), Romania (6%), the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Italy (7% each), and Greece (just under 10%).
Eurostat emphasizes that these data do not include piston-engine aircraft, helicopters, and aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of less than 2,600 kg.
Source: Economica
Frequently Asked Questions
Which EU country had the largest aircraft fleet in 2017?
In 2017, the United Kingdom had the largest fleet in the European Union, operating 1,312 aircraft, which accounted for 20% of the total EU fleet.
How old was the majority of the EU aircraft fleet in 2017?
Approximately 21% of the fleet was less than 5 years old, while 27% was between 5 and 9 years old. About 17% of the aircraft were older than 20 years.
What was the size and age of Romania’s aircraft fleet?
Romania had 62 aircraft (0.9% of the EU total), with 39% of its fleet being older than 20 years and only 6% being less than 5 years old.