Airlines Face Decade Wait for Planes as Backlog Grows, IATA Says

A record order backlog for new aircraft will result in carriers waiting for as long as a decade to take delivery of new planes, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The average wait time jumped to five-and-a-half years in 2024, from two years to three years previously, according to Nick Careen, the industry body’s senior vice president for operations, safety and security. Airlines are waiting for a total of about 17,000 planes, up from 8,000 to 12,000, he said.