Nearly 900 passenger widebodies, narrowbodies and regional jets have been added to the global stored inventory during the past day, according to Cirium’s criteria (at least seven days of continuous inactivity observed). Cirium’s experts expect to add large numbers of additional aircraft to the current total of more than 7,500 aircraft withdrawn from service, as the industry approaches the milestone of one third of the global fleet in storage (equivalent to approximately 8,800 passenger jet airliners).
Since yesterday’s (25th March) update, more than 600 Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies have been re-classified as in-storage, together with approximately 180 widebodies.
The above figures are net of the small number of aircraft recently returned to service in China. Cirium has transferred just under 100 passenger jets operated by Chinese airlines from ‘in-storage’ status to ‘in-service’ over the past seven days. Chinese carriers are close to reaching the milestone of 3,000 aircraft in operation.
Cirium’s daily hours and cycles utilisation tracking shows Chinese airlines flew slightly fewer than 1,750 of their Airbus and Boeing aircraft on Tuesday 24th March 2020, collectively logging over 4,200 flight cycles and 9,300 flight hours. Compared with Tuesday 26th March 2019, this still represents a 40% reduction in the number of aircraft observed flying, and a 60% decline in daily hours and cycles logged.
