Since a large number of overlapping EMPs went off in close proximity to major airports, I question how many functional MODERN aircraft like the 747 or A300 would be left to fly. There is a good reason why the "big boys" (long-haul wide-bodied aircraft) suffered disproportionally higher losses. That reason is based on the aircraft in question needing MAJOR runways to fly. For those who are unfamiliar with Civil Aviation in the US, airports are rated for the weight and size of aircraft which they can support. Those types of airports are;
Major Airports: These are rated as having AT LEAST 8,000ft runways that can handle the heaviest aircraft. They are strictly controlled airspaces as well and serve as major "Hubs" for both domestic and international flights. There are roughly a dozen such airports on each coast with New Orleans, Dallas-Fort Worth, O'Hare (Chicago), and Detroit servicing the center of the country. Many of these airports are near Nuke impacts. The EMPs and blasts would decimate the air fleets flying from these hubs (with LITERALLY HUNDREDS of large aircraft falling from the sky during the strikes).
Regional Hubs: These are locally controlled (ATC has limited airspace control here) airports with runways between 5,000ft and 8,000ft. They can handle medium-weight aircraft like the 727 or the DC10 and these older aircraft would not be as vulnerable to EMP BUT some systems WOULD be affected. Imagine a couple of 727s which have lost ALL radio, transponders, and ILS both heading to the regional airport's runway for an emergency landing with NOBODY to organize their decent and landing. Scary. These medium weight aircraft COULD be used to fly long distances but most are limited to about 5,000 kilometers in range. The other issue is that most of them will burn between 750 GALLONS and 1,000 GALLONS of Jet A PER HOUR OF FLIGHT. While Virgin Airlines proved that a jet can fly on Biodiesel (Specifically Bio-Willy's), that's still a lot of fuel to burn through getting from A to B.
Local Airports: These may be locally controlled (by ATC) or uncontrolled (no ATC at all) and are used by General Aviation (private pilots) or small business planes. With runways of 5,000ft or less, only the smallest jets can land here. Resources are scarce compared to the bigger airports but a lot of the General Aviation planes here with still be flyable. This is because most GA planes are older (1960's and 1970's) and NOT digital. Newer digital cockpit planes will most likely fall victim to the EMPs hitting America. These planes will comprise models like Cesnas, Moonies, Beechcraft, and Pipers and will have a small useful payload (1,000lbs or less) and shorter ranges (500 to 1,000 kilometers on average). Fuel will be an issue with older NON-TURBOPROP aircraft as they must use AVGAS. Turboprops will need Jet A (or military JP6) or Kerosene.
So, there may be lots of Civil Aviation around but how much of it can still fly would be the issue.
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