• IATA’s latest World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) shows the Boeing 737 remained the world’s most-used aircraft family in 2025 with 10.8 million flights, followed by the Airbus A320 and A321.
• New-generation aircraft recorded the strongest growth since 2019, with Airbus A350 flights increasing 117.4 percent, Boeing 787 operations rising 40.8 percent, and Airbus A220 activity surging 770.4 percent.
• The data highlights airlines’ continued shift towards newer, more efficient aircraft while utilisation of older models such as the Airbus A380 and A319 continues to decline.
   

New-generation aircraft continued to strengthen their position in global airline fleets in 2025, with the Airbus A350, Boeing 787 and Airbus A220 recording the fastest growth in flight activity since before the pandemic, according to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) latest World Air Transport Statistics (WATS).

The figures highlight how airlines are increasingly deploying newer aircraft types while gradually reducing the use of older models.

Despite the shift, narrowbody aircraft remained the backbone of global aviation. The Boeing 737 was the world’s most-used aircraft family in 2025, operating 10.8 million flights, up 3.1 percent compared with 2019. The Airbus A320 followed with 8.7 million flights, representing 7.6 percent growth over the same period. The Airbus A321 continued its rapid expansion, recording 4.2 million flights in 2025 compared with 2.6 million in 2019, an increase of 61.6 percent. Meanwhile, the Embraer ERJ170/190 family remained stable, operating 2.7 million flights, up 2.8 percent.

Among widebody aircraft, newer-generation models showed the strongest gains. The Boeing 787 operated 795,000 flights during 2025, a 40.8 percent increase compared with 2019, while the Airbus A350 more than doubled its activity, rising from 200,000 flights in 2019 to 434,000 flights in 2025, an increase of 117.4 percent.

The fastest growth of any aircraft type was recorded by the Airbus A220, which expanded from 61,000 flights in 2019 to 530,000 flights in 2025, representing growth of 770.4 percent. In contrast, older aircraft continued to decline in utilisation. Flights operated by the Airbus A319 fell 34.3 percent, from 2.1 million in 2019 to 1.4 million in 2025. The Airbus A380 also continued its gradual decline, operating 90,000 flights in 2025 compared with 119,000 before the pandemic, a decrease of 24.4 percent. The fleet data forms part of IATA’s 2025 World Air Transport Statistics (WATS), which compiles operational data from 1,315 airlines, including contributions from more than 250 international carriers.

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