Airlines Looking To Utilize Lower-Capacity Aircraft For Long-Haul

A trend among airlines of phasing out four-engine widebody aircraft in favor of smaller, more fuel-efficient two-engine aircraft, including narrowbodies, has accelerated.

With business travel and long-haul international flying expected to be the slowest to recover from the pandemic, airlines are looking to utilize lower-capacity aircraft to operate long-haul routes, and many are permanently parking their Airbus A380s and Boeing 747s. 

The pandemic has driven both Airbus and Boeing to slash production on their popular twin-engine widebodies. Airlines are still ordering them, but in smaller numbers.