Passenger planes older than they have ever been, says Iata

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The increase in average age is despite many older planes being retired during the Covid pandemic – including the entire British Airways fleet of Boeing 747 “Jumbo jets”. “An older fleet translates into higher maintenance costs and higher fuel burn.” There are two giant aircraft manufacturers: Airbus in Europe and Boeing in the US. Boeing is also now years late in the delivery of its 777X wide-bodied aircraft – promised to be “the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet”. However, the waiting time is expected to shorten as delivery rates increase.” The Independent asked British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair for the average age of their fleets.