What Is The Largest Airline In The World?

As of 2019, American Airlines Group, Delta Air Lines, and Turkish Airlines are the world's largest airlines by fleet size, passenger miles, and revenue.

This page features the latest traffic figures and rankings for the world's largest airlines. All of the details are provided by the airlines, including their available seat miles and flights.

American is the biggest US carrier by capacity. It has the largest recovery rate in the market, with its recovery varying widely by region.

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines is the world's largest airline company with a fleet of more than 700 planes. It also offers more than 300 international routes.

Delta has eight hubs in the US, including Atlanta, New York JFK, Los Angeles, Boston, Minneapolis, and Seattle. They also have international hubs in Amsterdam, Paris, Tel Aviv, and Tokyo.

Delta Air Lines has been around for over 100 years. As of March 2021, it is the world's largest airline in terms of revenue and market cap.

With a massive international presence, Delta serves up to 200 million passengers annually. It has around 74,000 employees globally.

Due to the increasing number of passengers traveling across the US, Delta plans to hire 1,000 pilots in the next couple of years.

American Airlines

As of July 2021, American Airlines has 233 domestic and 123 international destinations. It has hubs in the US, Europe, and Asia.

Despite the pandemic that affected travel across the world, American Airlines still reported more than 900 million passengers in 2019.

Although Delta is slightly younger than American Airlines, it still holds the title of the world's largest rival in terms of total passengers and miles traveled.

American Airlines currently has a fleet of over 900 airplanes, which are mainly composed of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737-800s.

As of 2019, American Airlines has more than 100,000 employees. It employs over 15,000 pilots to fly its planes.

Despite experiencing a drop in revenue in 2019, American Airlines still plans to increase its capacity by -20% in 2021. To avoid experiencing financial issues, the company has implemented various financial measures.

United Airlines

United Airlines has a fleet of 827 airplanes. Out of these, 367 are Boeing 737-800s and 367 are Boeing 737-900 ERs, which are currently in use.

Aside from its domestic operations, United also has various divisions such as a vacation planning service and a couple of avionics companies.

Behind American is United Airlines, which is the third-largest airline in terms of fleet size and total routes traveled.

The company's fleet is managed by around 92,000 employees. These employees fly about 150 million passengers each year across the US and around the world.

During the first quarter of 2021, United Airlines saw its revenue drop 66% compared to the previous year. It was mainly due to the flu pandemic.

In 2021, American Airlines plans to increase its capacity by 10% and hire an additional 10,000 pilots.

Emirates

In total, Emirates has a fleet of over 260 passenger planes and over 11 cargo planes. Out of these, 95 are Boeing 777-300ERs, while the rest are Airbus A380-800s.

Emirates is a subsidiary of the Dubai-based Emirates Group. It provides various aviation services such as engineering, catering, and cargo planes.

Emirates is another airline that serves various countries around the world. It currently has routes to 139 locations. In total, they transported more than 56 million passengers in 2019.

Emirates, which is the youngest airline on this list, has been able to rise to become one of the world's leading airlines due to its continuous expansion.

As for Emirates, its fleet consists of over 250 passenger planes and 11 cargo planes. In 2024, it will start phasing out its Boeing 777-300ERs in favor of the Boeing 777Xs.

Due to the continuous expansion of its operations, Emirates currently has about 45,000 employees. It plans to hire more pilots in order to accommodate the increasing number of passengers.

For the 2019 fiscal year, Emirates reported a profit of $9.7 billion, which is down 66% from the previous year due to the flu pandemic. Despite the drop in revenue, the airline still managed to maintain its financial stability.

Southwest Airlines

As of 2021, Southwest employs about 60,000 people globally, and it has 8,500 pilots. Its entire fleet is made up of Boeing 737 planes.

Southwest Airlines is a US-based carrier that serves various cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. Aside from these, they also offer flights to various Caribbean islands.

Southwest Airlines started as a regional airline in 1967. It then became a major player in the US market after starting to expand to other countries.

During the first quarter of 2021, Southwest's revenue dropped by almost 50% compared to the same period in 2019. However, the company noted that the flu pandemic did not affect its operations.

With the recovery in mind, Southwest has started to expand its domestic reach by launching new routes. It also plans to add new planes to its fleet.

China Southern Airlines

China Southern Airlines has a fleet of about 860 aircraft, which is mainly composed of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737-800s. The company also plans on adding 200 more planes to its fleet.

Through the first quarter of 2021, China Southern's revenue has grown by 11% compared to the same period in 2019. The company also noted that the travel market has started to recover.

Ever since the SARS epidemic, China Southern Airlines has been steadily growing and expanding their network to over 200 locations in 40 countries. They currently have seven hub locations in China.

China Southern Airlines is the biggest commercial airline in Asia. It operates a fleet of over 100 airplanes and has the biggest passenger base in the region.

Ryanair

Despite being known for its budget flights, budget airline Ryanair is the largest international carrier in the world. It currently operates from over 80 locations in 35 countries.

Within its own brand, the company has a fleet of more than 500 airplanes. In the next couple of years, it plans to add another 210 Boeing planes.

With such a large fleet, Ryanair can easily transport millions of passengers every year. In 2019, the company's passenger count reached 150 million, which surpassed the previous record of around 1 million.

In 2020, the company's passenger volume dropped by 83% due to the SARS pandemic. Although it was able to report a 66% drop in revenue, it was still significantly lower than its 2019 earnings.

China Eastern Airlines

Since the pandemic started, China Eastern's revenue has continuously declined. During the first quarter of 2019, it was able to recover its revenue.

Currently, China Eastern has a fleet of over 630 airplanes. As it continues to expand, it is expected to reach a total of 1,000 planes by 2021.

Since its establishment in 1996, China Eastern has grown to handle around 500,000 passengers a day. The company's main hub is in Shanghai, and it has regional hubs in other major cities in China.

China Eastern Airlines, which is a subsidiary of China Eastern, is the second-largest carrier in the country.

Shenzhen Airlines

The COVID-19 pandemic affected Air China the most. For the first quarter of 2019, the company's revenue dropped 58% compared to the same period in 2019.

Lufthansa

Due to the pandemic, Lufthansa's passenger count dropped to 145.2 million in 2019. The company was able to make up for it through its fleet of over 700 planes, which included the new Airbus A320neo.

Currently, Germany's largest airline has a fleet of over 200 planes and offers flights to over 230 international locations.

Brussel Airlines

Due to the expected increase in passenger volumes, Lufthansa is expecting a decrease in their monthly cash burn.

For the first quarter of 2021, Lufthansa's revenue was up significantly compared to the previous year. The company was able to keep up with its business due to the influx of cargo shipments.

Conclusion

Although the pandemic is far from over, the airlines are starting to feel optimistic about the recovery of the global travel industry. As more people get vaccinated, the demand for air travel is expected to increase.

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