Airlines play a crucial role in transporting passengers and cargo across different geographies. Every year, billions of passengers choose the plane as their main means of transport when they need to move from one city to another, from one country to another or to another continent. Operating both frequent and charter flights, airlines are recognized by Air Operating Certificates issued by government aviation bodies.
The global airline industry is valued at over $850 billion in 2023, up 22% from 2020.
The largest airlines in the world
Until the 1930s, many airlines were privately owned. Between 1940 and 1980 the governments of many countries decided to invest in this industry and this is how most commercial airlines were born. After the mid-1980s, the privatization or transformation of airlines began in order to evolve and reach today. We have a list of the oldest airlines in the world which still flies today!
When it comes to the world's largest airlines in 2023, it's hard to rank them. The size of airlines can be calculated by the size of their fleets, by the number of passengers carried, by the number of routes operated and many other criteria. In this ranking we present the largest airlines by revenue in 2022.
10. China Airlines
China Airlines reported revenue of $10.4 billion in 2022. With a fleet of 110 aircraft, China Airlines operates more than 1400 weekly flights to 100 destinations in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania.
09. Air france
With 11.9 billion dollars, Air France ranks ninth in this ranking. With a fleet of 210 aircraft, Air France flies to 175 destinations in 78 countries. It operates more than 340 flights daily from its base in Paris. In 2022 it carried approximately 50 million passengers.
08 Qatar Airways
The second largest airline in the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar Airways reported revenues of $14.1 billion in 2022. With a fleet of 235 aircraft, Qatar Airways flies to 150 international destinations, including Europe, Africa, the Americas and Oceania .
07. China Southern Airlines
The world's seventh largest airline by reported revenue, China Southern Airlines has a fleet of 650 aircraft that operate more than 2000 flights daily. It is the largest airline operator in China, headquartered in Baiyun, Guangdong Province.
06 southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines, the largest low-cost airline in the US and the world. It operates more than 4000 flights to 109 American destinations daily. It has a fleet of approximately 800 single-aisle aircraft. In 2022, it reported revenues of approximately $15.8 billion, placing the team in sixth position.
05 Emirates
Emirates is one of the largest airlines in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East. It has a fleet of 260 wide-body aircraft flying to more than 150 destinations in 80 countries. No less than 3600 flights are operated every week. In 2022, Emirates reported revenues of $16.1 billion, which places the team in fifth position in this ranking.
04. Lufthansa Group
According to the reported revenues in 2022, of 16.3 billion dollars, Lufthansa is the fourth airline in the world. The Lufthansa Group is the largest in Europe in terms of the number of passengers transported, but also in terms of fleet size – over 700 aircraft. The Lufthansa group includes airlines such as Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, SWISS, Brussels Airlines and many other subsidiaries.
03. United airlines
Considered the third largest air transport operator in the world, United Airlines reported revenues of 24.6 billion dollars. United is one of the major US airlines, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. After merging with Continental Airlines in 2010, it became the third largest airline in the world in terms of number of routes and fleet size. United has a fleet of 890 aircraft and flies to 340 destinations.
02. Delta air lines
Delta Airlines, the world's second largest airline, reported revenue of $29.9 billion. Delta is among the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Together with its regional affiliates such as Delta Connection, Delta Airlines operates around 5.400 flights per day to more than 325 destinations in 52 countries, spread over six continents. This airline has approximately 83.000 employees and a fleet of approximately 920 aircraft.
01. American Airlines
American Airlines reported revenues of over $29.9 billion. It operates daily more than 6800 flights to 350 destinations in 50 countries. American Airlines has a fleet of over 930 aircraft, 80% of which are single-aisle - Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. On average, American Airlines carries 50 passengers daily and approximately 000 million passengers annually.
With that said, enjoy your flights!