The first half of 2020 will go down as a terrible time for the commercial aviation industry. Since June, the active aircraft fleet has been increasing gradually, providing a glimmer of hope for the industry. 

While the record-setting decline in flying last year could have prompted a spike in aircraft retirements, the opposite occurred. Aside from a peak of 137 retirements in March 2020, monthly retirements were generally lower in 2020 as operators deferred fleet recapitalization. 

All these, along with airlines scheduling flights through this April at much higher rates, shows improvement in the market but a fully-fledged recovery has yet to occur.