European narrowbody aircraft fleet: independent LCCs’ unrelenting market share growth
Ranked by narrowbody fleet numbers, Ryanair Group is out on its own as Europe's only top tier low cost airline (and as the biggest narrowbody fleet in Europe).
Wizz Air Group can be bracketed with easyJet Group in the second tier of independent European LCC fleets, with Jet2.com, Pegasus Airlines and Norwegian forming tier three.
The narrowbody low cost fleets of Europe's three leading legacy airline groups (Lufthansa Group, IAG and Air France-KLM) are similar in size to the third tier independent LCCs.
Aggregate narrowbody fleet numbers from the CAPA Fleet Database at 11-May-2026 highlight the superior strength of Europe's six biggest independent LCCs versus the three leading legacy groups.
The legacy big three have a total of 1,207 narrowbodies, of which 430 are with low cost brands and 208 narrowbody orders outstanding. The six LCCs have 1,625 narrowbodies and 999 on order.
The six leading independent LCCs grew their share of Europe's total narrowbody fleet from 9% in 2005 to 29% in 2025. The current fuel price spike notwithstanding, the independent LCCs' superiority is here to stay.
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