Largest Commercial Airline Fleets in 2025: The Top 10 Ranked by Size

In the world of aviation, fleet size is a key metric that highlights an airline’s capacity and reach. In 2025, several commercial passenger airlines operate massive fleets numbering in the hundreds (even thousands) of aircraft. Below we rank the top 10 largest commercial airlines by fleet size (excluding cargo), using the latest available data. We’ll also break down each airline’s fleet by aircraft type – from narrow-body workhorses to wide-body flagships and regional jets – to give you a clear picture of what they fly.

1. United Airlines – ~1,000 Aircraft (Mainline Fleet)

United Airlines has surged to the top spot, boasting the largest fleet of any airline in 2025. United’s mainline fleet reached 1,008 active aircraft as of early 2025 – making it the first carrier ever to operate over a thousand mainline jets​. This milestone was achieved in January 2025 when United took delivery of a new Boeing 737 MAX 9, officially surpassing its U.S. rivals in fleet size​.

• Fleet Breakdown: United’s fleet is a mix of Boeing and Airbus narrow-body jets (like the 737 NG/MAX and Airbus A320 family) and a large number of Boeing wide-body aircraft (777 and 787 Dreamliner series). In fact, United operates more wide-bodies than any other North American airline​, serving its extensive international network.
• Regional Aircraft: In addition to its mainline jets, United contracts a significant United Express regional fleet of over 430 smaller aircraft (e.g. Embraer ERJs and Mitsubishi CRJs) operated by partner carriers. When counting these regional jets, United’s total aircraft serving its passengers is around 1,400+ in 2025.
• Notable Fact: United already ranked as the world’s largest airline by capacity (Available Seat Miles) and now claims the crown in fleet size as well. With hundreds of new jets on order, United’s fleet is still growing, a title it’s keen to retain​.

2. American Airlines – ~1,500 Aircraft (Including Regional Fleets)

American Airlines has long been known for its colossal fleet, and in 2025 it remains right at the top. The carrier operates 982 mainline aircraft as of early 2025, making it the second-largest airline fleet in the world by that measure. American’s mainline fleet consists of Airbus A320-family and Boeing 737 narrow-bodies, along with all-Boeing wide-bodies (777-200ER, 777-300ER, 787-8 and 787-9)​ serving long-haul routes.

• Fleet Breakdown: American’s mainline fleet is roughly 800+ narrow-body jets and about 100+ wide-body jets (primarily 777s and 787s). Notably, American retired its older Airbus A330s and Boeing 767s, now relying on an all-Boeing wide-body fleet​ for international flights. On the narrow-body side, it flies large numbers of 737-800s and 737 MAX 8s, as well as Airbus A319/A321 variants.
• Regional Aircraft: What truly boosts American’s total fleet count is its American Eagle operation – a network of regional affiliate airlines. American Eagle collectively operates over 560 regional jets (Embraer 145/175 and CRJ700/900 models) feeding American’s hubs​. In fact, no airline carries more total aircraft than American when regionals are included – about 1,500+ aircraft in all​.
• Notable Fact: American’s fleet size grew through major mergers (with TWA in 2001 and US Airways in 2013) and aggressive aircraft orders. It was the world’s largest airline for years. Even though United overtook its mainline count, American still operates the most total aircraft in 2025 when you count its huge regional fleet​.

3. Delta Air Lines – ~1,300 Aircraft (Including Regional Fleets)

Delta Air Lines comes in third with another mammoth fleet. As of 2025, Delta operates 978 mainline aircraft in service​, just slightly behind its two main U.S. competitors. Delta’s fleet strategy has balanced acquiring newer jets with refurbishing older ones, resulting in a diverse lineup of both Airbus and Boeing models.

• Fleet Breakdown: Delta’s 966 mainline jets (narrow-body and wide-body combined) include large narrow-body fleets (Airbus A220, A320 family, Boeing 737-800/900ER, plus unique types like the Boeing 757 and aging Boeing 717) and an array of wide-bodies (Airbus A330-300/900neo, A350-900, and Boeing 767-300/400ER)​. This mix gives Delta the flexibility to serve everything from short hops to long-haul international routes. (Delta notably does not operate the 777 or 787 after retiring the 777s in 2020.)
• Regional Aircraft: Delta’s Connection carriers (like Endeavor Air and SkyWest) operate about 317 regional aircraft under the Delta brand​, including CRJ-series and Embraer 170/175 jets. Adding these, Delta’s total fleet serving customers is roughly 1,280–1,300 aircraft.
• Notable Fact: Thanks to its mega-fleet, Delta holds the title of the world’s third-largest airline by fleet size​. It also operates the largest fleets of certain aircraft types – for example, Delta is known for having the most Airbus A220s, Boeing 757s, and Boeing 767s of any airline​.

4. Southwest Airlines – ~800 Aircraft (All Narrow-Bodies)

Southwest Airlines has the fourth-largest fleet in 2025, with a very clear focus: every plane it flies is a Boeing 737. Southwest’s fleet numbered around 800 aircraft by early 2025​, and all of them are variants of the 737 (mostly 737-700s, 737-800s, and 737 MAX 8/7 jets). This single-model strategy has been a Southwest signature for decades, simplifying maintenance and operations.

• Fleet Breakdown: 100% narrow-body Boeing 737s. Southwest operates the world’s largest all-narrow-body fleet – about 800 Boeing 737s in service​. There are no wide-bodies or regional jets in Southwest’s lineup. The airline’s high-frequency domestic network relies on the 737’s efficiency, seating roughly 143–175 passengers per flight.
• Notable Fact: Southwest is the world’s biggest operator of the 737. As of 2025, it has the largest single-type fleet globally with its “800-strong” 737 fleet. This uniquely positions Southwest as a low-cost giant, and it plans to keep growing with hundreds of 737 MAX on order (targeting roughly “⁓”1,000 737s by decade’s end).

5. China Southern Airlines – 700+ Aircraft

China Southern Airlines (CZ) is the largest airline in Asia and rounds out the top five globally by fleet size. Headquartered in Guangzhou, China Southern operates an enormous fleet of over 850 aircraft in total (including passenger and cargo planes)​​. In terms of passenger service fleet, as of 2023 China Southern had about 652 aircraft active​ and has continued to add more jets since. This makes it the biggest airline in China by fleet count.

• Fleet Breakdown: China Southern’s passenger fleet spans both narrow-body and wide-body types. It operates around 539 narrow-bodies and 113 wide-bodies as of 2023​. Narrow-body workhorses include the Airbus A320 family (A319/A320/A321) – over 300 in total – plus 212 Boeing 737s and even 15 COMAC ARJ21 regional jets for domestic routes. On the wide-body side, CZ flies Airbus A330s and A350s and Boeing 777s and 787-9 Dreamliners​. (It was also one of the few operators of the Airbus A380 until 2022.)
• Notable Fact: China Southern’s fleet is massive – ranked #1 in Asia by fleet size according to IATA​. The airline’s official profile notes it “operates more than 850 passenger and cargo transport aircraft”​. This figure likely includes a number of freighters (China Southern Cargo’s 747Fs and 777Fs) as well as aircraft in subsidiary airlines. Even on passenger jets alone, China Southern is a true “mega-carrier” by any standard.

6. China Eastern Airlines – ~800 Aircraft

Close on China Southern’s heels is China Eastern Airlines (MU), based in Shanghai. China Eastern operates a fleet of over 800 aircraft as of 2025​, making it China’s second-largest airline by fleet size. (It briefly fell just behind Southern, but has been expanding its fleet rapidly.) In early 2023, China Eastern had about 617 aircraft in service (524 narrow-bodies and 93 wide-bodies)​, and that number has since grown with new deliveries – including China’s home-grown COMAC jets.

• Fleet Breakdown: China Eastern’s roughly 500+ narrow-body planes are dominated by the Airbus A320 family (A319/A320/A321) and Boeing 737 series​. Notably, China Eastern is the global launch customer of the COMAC C919, a new Chinese-built narrow-body – it has at least one C919 in service as of 2025​. On the wide-body side, MU operates around 90+ wide-bodies such as Airbus A330-300s, A350-900s, and Boeing 777-300ERs and 787-9s​. This gives it ample capacity for international long-haul routes from its Shanghai and Beijing hubs.
• Notable Fact: China Eastern boasts one of the youngest fleets in the world​, thanks to recent refleeting with modern Airbus and Boeing models. It also claims the largest wide-body fleet in China​, reflecting its focus on international expansion. By fleet size, China Eastern ranks among the global top ten and is a key part of China’s “Big Three” carriers.

7. Ryanair – 609 Aircraft (All Narrow-Body)

Ryanair is the only European airline to make this top 10 list, coming in with 609 aircraft in its fleet (as of end of 2024)​. The Irish ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) operates a highly standardized fleet similar to Southwest’s approach – except Ryanair’s are all Boeing 737 and a handful of Airbus A320s from acquired subsidiaries. The fleet figure includes Ryanair’s growing subsidiaries like Buzz, Lauda Europe, and Malta Air, which together make up the Ryanair Group.

• Fleet Breakdown: Essentially all narrow-bodies. Ryanair’s fleet at the close of 2024 comprised 410 Boeing 737-800s, 172 Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 “Gamechanger” jets, 26 Airbus A320s, and 1 Boeing 737-700 used for training/VIP charters​. The Airbus A320s are legacy of Ryanair’s acquisition of Lauda; going forward, Ryanair is focused on the high-capacity 197-seat 737-8-200 variant for growth.
• Notable Fact: Ryanair is the biggest airline in Europe by fleet size and passengers carried. With ~600 aircraft, it far outpaces any full-service European carrier. Despite delivery delays, it continues to expand – the group expects to have around 638 aircraft by Summer 2025 after taking more 737 MAX deliveries​. This massive narrow-body fleet enables Ryanair’s ultra low-cost business model across more than 40 countries.

8. Air China – ~500 Aircraft

Air China (CA), the flag carrier of China based in Beijing, ranks eighth with a fleet of roughly 480–500 aircraft in passenger service. At the start of 2023, Air China operated 485 aircraft (357 narrow-body and 128 wide-body)​, and by 2025 that number is slightly above 500 as the airline recovers growth. Air China’s fleet is slightly smaller than its domestic rivals due in part to fleet restructurings and its focus on quality over quantity, but it’s still among the world’s largest.

• Fleet Breakdown: Air China’s fleet is split between narrow-bodies (Airbus A319/A320/A321 and Boeing 737 series) for domestic and regional routes, and wide-bodies for long-haul routes. As of 2023, it had around 357 single-aisle jets and 128 twin-aisle jets​. Key wide-body types include the Boeing 777-300ER (Air China operates ~20) and 787-9, along with Airbus A330-300 and A350-900. On the narrow-body side Air China also operates the COMAC ARJ21 regionally, similar to its peers.
• Notable Fact: Unlike China Southern and Eastern, Air China is a member of Star Alliance and has a slightly more premium positioning. It still maintains a huge domestic network – with over 190 destinations – and its fleet size reflects that. Air China Group (including subsidiaries like Shenzhen Airlines) actually manages a combined fleet of around 700+ aircraft, but Air China’s mainline fleet alone keeps it in the global top ten.

9. IndiGo – 438 Aircraft

IndiGo, based in India, has rapidly grown into one of the largest airlines in the world by fleet size. As of February 2025, IndiGo operates 438 aircraft, a staggering number for an airline that began operations in 2006. This makes IndiGo not only the largest carrier in India by far, but also the biggest in Asia outside of the Chinese “Big Three.” IndiGo’s meteoric fleet expansion comes from its huge orders for Airbus A320neo family jets and recent foray into wide-bodies.

• Fleet Breakdown: IndiGo is a primarily narrow-body operator. The vast majority of its 438 planes are Airbus A320-family jets, including A320neos and the larger A321neos (IndiGo is one of the world’s largest A320neo customers). It also operates a fleet of ATR 72-600 turboprop regional aircraft for smaller domestic airports​. In 2023, IndiGo wet-leased a Boeing 777-300ER for long-haul service, and it has A350-900 wide-bodies on order for delivery starting 2027​ – marking its first step into true long-haul flying.
• Notable Fact: IndiGo’s fleet growth is unprecedented – it crossed 250 aircraft in 2019, 300 in 2023​, and is closing in on 500 by 2025. The airline placed a record order of 500 Airbus A320neo-family jets in 2023, the largest single aircraft order in aviation history. With these orders, IndiGo expects to exceed 400+ aircraft by 2025 and continue climbing the ranks of the world’s largest fleets​.

10. Turkish Airlines – 373 Aircraft

Turkish Airlines (TK), the flag carrier of Turkey, rounds out the top 10 with a fleet of 373 active aircraft as of January 2025​. The Turkish has built up a large and modern fleet to support its extensive route network spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. In fact, Turkish flies to more countries than any other airline, and it needs a big fleet to do so.

• Fleet Breakdown: Turkish Airlines operates a mix of Airbus and Boeing aircraft across both narrow-body and wide-body categories. Its single-aisle fleet includes the Airbus A321 (including A321neo) and Boeing 737 family (NG and MAX) for short-to-medium haul routes. For long-haul, Turkish deploys a substantial wide-body fleet including Airbus A330-300s, A350-900s, and Boeing 777-300ERs and 787-9 Dreamliners. The 373 total figure includes passenger aircraft; Turkish also has a dedicated cargo sub-fleet of Boeing 777Fs and A330Fs, which are not counted in the passenger fleet number.
• Notable Fact: Turkish Airlines has aggressively expanded its fleet over the last two decades, more than tripling in size. It is now by far the largest airline in the Middle East/Europe region by fleet count. Plans are in place to keep growing: Turkish’s fleet is expected to exceed 400 aircraft soon (some sources report 456 including recent orders/options), aiming to turn Istanbul into a leading global aviation hub​.

Honorable Mentions

Other notable large airline fleets in 2025 include Lufthansa Group (with a combined fleet around 700 across Lufthansa and its subsidiaries), Emirates (approximately 260 wide-body aircraft, all Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s), EasyJet (around 300 Airbus A320-family aircraft), and Air France-KLM Group (combined ~500). However, none of these individual airlines surpass the top 10 listed above in total aircraft count. The ten carriers profiled here represent the giants of global commercial aviation, each operating a fleet that underscores their scale and market reach.

By focusing on fleet size, we see how the largest airlines leverage sheer number of aircraft to connect hundreds of destinations. From the big three U.S. carriers with their vast mainline and regional fleets, to the state megacarriers of China, to pioneering low-cost airlines, these fleet figures highlight the airlines that truly dominate the skies in 2025. Each continues to grow and renew their fleets, so the rankings in coming years will be exciting to watch as they jostle for the top spot.