The five African airlines which currently have the youngest airliner fleets are, in order from youngest to less young, Uganda Airlines, Jambojet, Air Tanzania, Air Cairo and Air Austral. This was highlighted by airline data and news company ch-aviation, in its “World’s Youngest Aircraft Fleet Awards 2024” announcement. No African airline was in the global top five of airlines with the youngest airliner fleets.

Uganda Airlines has six aircraft, which have an average age of 4.04 years. Kenyan low-cost carrier Jambojet (a subsidiary of Kenya Airways) has eight airliners, with an average age of 5.23 years. Third-ranked Air Tanzania, with 14 aircraft, has an average age of 5.84 years. Next comes Air Cairo, with a fleet of 31 airliners, which have an average age of 6.53 years. Fifth-placed Réunion’s Air Austral, which has nine aircraft, has an average age of 7.14 years.

“ch-aviation established the Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award to revere [sic] airlines worldwide who understand the value and necessity of investing in their fleets, introducing new-generation aircraft that considerably reduce CO₂ emissions in the aviation industry and improve fuel economy,” highlighted ch-aviation CEO Thomas Jaeger. “Sustainability represents a significant challenge and will continue to require giant leaps forward for the aviation industry. Hence, the [sic] ch-aviation has decided to honour them with this award that celebrates their effort. It is essential to say that this Award is entirely based on non-manipulable fleet data. There is no jury or any other subjective parameter involved.”

The youngest airline fleet in the world is currently that of Taiwanese operator Starlux. Its 21 aircraft have an average age of just 2.04 years. Second place is taken by Canadian ultra-low-cost-carrier Lynx Air, whose nine airliners have an average age of 2.81 years. Third is the Dominican Republic’s flag carrier, Arajet, with eight aircraft, with an average age of 2.93 years. Fourth place is taken by India’s Vistara, whose 67 airliners have an average age of 2.94 years. In fifth place is Chilean carrier JetSMART, with a fleet of 32 aircraft, whose average age is 3.05 years.

Note that Uganda Airlines, ranked first in Africa, has an average aircraft age (4.04 years) nearly a year older than the average aircraft age for globally fifth-placed JetSMART. But while Africa’s youngest fleet is older than its global, Asian, European, North American, and South American counterparts, the region with the oldest, by far, airliner fleets is Oceania. There, the carrier with the youngest fleet is Fiji Airways, with an average aircraft age of 7.11 years.