The Largest Aircraft Fleets in the United States

Who Controls the Most Aircraft?

The FAA Civil Aviation Registry reveals not just individual aircraft ownership, but the broad outlines of who controls the largest concentrations of aircraft in the United States. The picture that emerges is dominated by commercial airlines, cargo carriers, and — increasingly — technology and logistics companies building drone and air taxi fleets.

Major Commercial Airlines

The legacy carriers and low-cost airlines together account for thousands of registered aircraft. United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines collectively operate hundreds of aircraft each, though many of these are technically registered to leasing companies rather than the airlines directly. Identifying fleet sizes from the registry requires careful analysis of trustee relationships and operating certificates.

Southwest Airlines stands out for flying an all-Boeing 737 fleet — one of the most homogeneous major airline fleets in the world, which simplifies maintenance and crew training.

Cargo Carriers

FedEx Express and UPS Airlines operate some of the largest cargo fleets in the world. FedEx fleet of wide-body freighters — including Boeing 777Fs and 767Fs — appears throughout the registry. These cargo operators are distinct from passenger airlines in that they own a higher proportion of their aircraft outright rather than leasing.

Amazon Air

Amazon Air, the e-commerce giant dedicated cargo airline, has grown rapidly and now operates dozens of aircraft. Amazon fleet is visible in the registry and has grown substantially as the company has worked to reduce dependence on FedEx and UPS for last-mile delivery logistics.

Drone and Emerging Operators

Companies like Zipline, which operates medical and commercial delivery drones, are increasingly visible in the registry as they scale their operations. These entries represent a new frontier — highly automated aircraft operated by tech companies rather than traditional aviation firms.

Exploring Fleet Data

You can explore fleet concentration data using the fleet size rankings on this site. Combining that with a tail number search for specific aircraft lets you trace individual planes back to their operating fleet. The registry transparency makes this kind of fleet-level research possible for anyone.