The aircraft budget airlines use revealed

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Europe's low-cost airlines fly millions of us across the region - and beyond - every year, and boast some of the world's best safety records. But which aircraft do the most popular budget flyers, such as easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz, depend upon to ensure passengers reach their destination - be it a city break or balmy beach - safely? The good news for passengers is that the low-cost carriers have some of the youngest fleets in the world - with many ordering brand new aircraft from both Boeing and Airbus to bolster their fleets.
RYANAIR
Back in 2023, Ryanair ordered 330 new Boeing 737 Max 10 aircraft in a deal worth more than $40billion dollars (£32billion). The delivery of the aircraft is due between 2027 and 2034 and, says the airline, when the order's fulfilled, the planes will be able to 'carry 21% more guests, burn 20% less fuel and be 50% quieter than the Boeing 737-NG fleet.' What does Europe's largest airline group currently have in its 618-stong fleet?
There are 181 Boeing 737-8200 'Gamechanger' planes and 26 Airbus A320s. The majority of Michael O'Leary's airline's current fleet though is the 189-seater Boeing 737-Next Gen plane, of which the airline has 411 of them. The popular twin-engine narrow-body aircraft carries a CFM-56 engine, and has a 35.8 m (117 ft 5 in) wingspan.
EASYJET
The orange-hued airline, founded by Stelios Haji-Ioannou in 1995, lays claim to 'one of the youngest fleets in the industry'. Passengers fly on 318 Airbus A320 family aircraft, with the company recently welcoming the new generation Airbus A320neo too. According to Airbus, the A320neo, equipped with CFM LEAP-1A engines and wingtip 'Sharklets', flies up to 3,400 NM and delivers 20% less fuel burn and CO2 emission per seat - thanks to its fuel efficient engines.
There's also a fleet of A321neo aircraft, with 235 seats on board, in use by the airline. Flyers onboard those enjoy one of the widest single-aisle cabin in its class, with more personal space and wider seats alongside bigger than average overhead compartments.
JET2
Another airline with planes on order, Jet2 announced plans to welcome 60 new Airbus A321neo planes back in 2021 - with the option to extend to up to 75. And in 2015, the company acquired 34 brand new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with the order fulfilled by January 2019.
The brand - famous for its catchy ads, using pop star Jess Glynne's Hold my Hand track - launched its first leisure flight from Leeds Bradford Airport to Amsterdam in February 2003.
BRITISH AIRWAYS
The British airline has the most diversity when it comes to planes, with a huge array of aircraft within its fleet, and operating one of the most modern fleets of any airline in the world. Currently in the fleet are: the Airbus A319-100, Airbus A320-200 and A320neo, Airbus A321-200 and A321neo, Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A380-800, Boeing 777-200 and 777-300, Boeing 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 - and the Embraer 190 BA CityFlyer. In the midst of the pandemic, the airline scrapped its entire fleet of jumbo jets.
The nation's flag carrier was the world's last major operator of the iconic Boeing 747 'Queen of the Skies', which had been in service with the airline since 1971. BA had originally planned to retire them by 2024 and gradually replace them with newer, more fuel-efficient jets such as the 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350. But plummeting passenger numbers forced the airline to bring forward its plans.
WIZZ AIR
The Hungarian airline has made huge waves since it started in 2004, having carried 200 million passengers after 15 years in business. Its fleet, like easyJet, is also young, with 207 aircraft with an average age of 4.2 years. More than 200 of those are the ultramodern Airbus A320 family aircraft, which helped Wizz land a spot in the top ten safest low cost carriers in 2019. There's also the more eco-friendly Airbus A321neo aircraft amongst its fleet, which, says the low cost carrier, makes them 'the airline with the smallest environmental footprint per passenger.'

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