World's 15 Oldest Airline Fleets: How Do U.S.-Based Airlines Rank?

The Dubai Airshow has seen aircraft sales shoot through the roof even after just the first day. Nearly $170 billion in sales have already been completed, and that will allow airlines to equip their fleets with the coolest, most efficient and best aircraft the industry has to offer.

But as these sales are made, some might wonder the ages of various airline fleets. The following chart reveals the numbers.

Public airlines with market capitalizations of at least $1 billion were considered. Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (AF:EN) were ranked separately, as were Avianca and Taca. Each pair of airlines operates under the same company. Averages included both passenger and cargo planes, except for Singapore Airlines Ltd (SI:SIAL) and Deutsche Lufthansa AG (DE:LHAG), which included only passenger planes. Although AMR Corp. had a market cap of $510 million as of Dec. 31, 2012, and wasn't included, American Airlines' fleet averaged 16.6 years and American Eagle Airlines' fleet averaged 9.6 years.