Air Force, Navy Aircraft Availability and Flight Hours Decline

The U.S. Navy's fighter attack fleet availability 'fell considerably more' than that of the Air Force, according to the government report.

Kimberly Johnson

Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 06:29 PM ET

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A U.S. Navy E/A-18G Growler flies over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, Sept. 25, 2020. [U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Justin Parsons]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft flying hours and availability have declined significantly over the past two decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The decline is more pronounced in the Navy, particularly for fighter aircraft and trainers, which experienced steeper drops in availability compared to the Air Force.
CBO's assessment, which counts aircraft in depot maintenance or storage as unavailable, presents a starker picture of availability than Department of Defense measures.
Both services saw a short-term increase in aircraft availability during the initial phase of the pandemic in 2020, likely due to fewer flying hours.

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U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft flying hours and availability have declined over the past two decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

The trend, which is more pronounced than U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) assessments due to how aircraft are accounted for, was heavier in the Navy, which also flew more hours per aircraft, the nonpartisan government agency tasked with supplying economic analysis to Congress said in a recent report.