Aerospace Global News tracked flight operations for two Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by Ryanair and Southwest Airlines during the peak summer season to compare transatlantic fleet utilization. Both aircraft were delivered in September 2018 and are equipped with CFM56 engines, with Ryanair's aircraft configured for 189 passengers in an all-economy cabin and Southwest's configured for 175 seats.
On August 3, 2026, Ryanair's aircraft (EI-GSH) operated seven flight sectors totaling 12 hou (HOU)rs and 37 minutes of flight time across 5,323 nautical miles. On the same day, Southwest Airlines' aircraft (N8582Z) also completed seven sectors, logging nine hours and 34 minutes of flight time across 4,144 nautical miles.
