Tracking The Industry: Retirements Still A Question Mark

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There is a lot of “wait and see” as airlines delay making final fleet decisions while they monitor the recovery’s pace. Interestingly, retirements in the first six months of 2021 are down 40% compared with 2020 and 25% less than the same period in 2019. In the meantime, OEMs continue to increase new aircraft deliveries—with Airbus leading the pack on that front in June. China and the U.S. continue to log strong domestic traffic, while traffic in Latin American and Caribbean countries is 27% higher this year compared with a year ago.

 
Lee Ann Shay

As executive editor of MRO and business aviation, Lee Ann Shay directs Aviation Week's coverage of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), including Inside MRO, and business aviation, including BCA.