Aircraft leasing accounts for half of world's commercial aircraft fleet. Lessors shun widebodies
According to data from the CAPA Fleet Database, half of the commercial aircraft in service with the world's airlines are leased. The penetration of leased aircraft is higher in Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific and lower in North America and Africa. The leased aircraft share grew strongly in the 1980s and 1990s, but has broadly plateaued in the past decade.
Lessors' share of aircraft orders has consistently been much lower than leased aircraft's share of the fleet in service. A significant proportion of leased aircraft are subsequently added to lessor fleets through sale and leasebacks.
Analysis of the CAPA data on leased aircraft suggests that regional jets and narrowbodies are disproportionately popular among lessors, both by aircraft in service and by orders.
Turboprops, and in particular widebodies, appear to be proportionately less favoured by lessors.
Become a CAPA Member to access Analysis Reports
Our Analysis Reports are only available to CAPA Members. CAPA Membership provides exclusive access to in-depth insights on the latest developments in the aviation and travel industry, developed by our team of dedicated analysts located in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.
Each report offers a fresh perspective on the latest industry trends and is available online or via the CAPA mobile app, with customisable alerts to help you stay informed and identify new business opportunities.
CAPA Membership also provides access to our full suite of tools, including a tailored selection of more than 1,000 News Briefs every week and comprehensive data and analysis on thousands of companies around the world.