The largest air carrier in the world. The largest airlines in the world. Rating of world airlines by passenger turnover and fleet size

The list of the world's largest airlines selects the best carriers based on several parameters. The largest airline is determined by passenger turnover, fleet size, number of destinations and financial indicators.

Rating by financial indicators

In the list compiled by the authoritative publication Forbes, the American airline American takes first place. Airlines Group. As of early 2017, it had revenues of more than $40 billion and profits of more than $2.5 billion. The carrier's total assets for 2016 exceeded $51 billion.

Delta Air Lines took 2nd place on the list. Its 2016 revenue was almost $40 billion and its profit was $4.4 billion. The firm's total assets in 2016 exceeded a value of $51 billion.

The German company Lufthansa is in 3rd place in the ranking. Its annual revenue is about $38 billion. The European aviation giant's net profit is $2.1 billion. The company's total capital value is $41 billion.

Fourth place was taken by another American carrier - United Continental Holdings. The airline was founded in 2010, and at the end of 2016 announced a net profit of $2.3 billion. The company had revenue of $36.5 billion and total assets of $40.1 billion.

The list of the world's largest airlines by financial indicators also included China Southern Airlines, British Airways and Emirates. It is worth noting that the company from the UAE is in 7th place due to the exclusion of the cost of state-owned capital.

Rating of airlines by passenger turnover

The leader of this list is also the company "AA". American Airlines' passenger turnover is more than 400,000 million passenger kilometers.

Second place went to one more company from the United States of America. United Airlines is quite a bit inferior to AA. But it is worth noting the drop in passenger turnover in last years. In 2010, it was almost 334,000 million passenger kilometers versus 216,000 million for American Airlines. Already in 2012, the passenger traffic of both airlines amounted to approximately 331,000 million passenger-kilometers, and since 2013, AA has become the leader in the rating.

In third place is Delta Air Lines with passenger traffic of more than 320,000 million passenger-kilometers.

Also included in the list of the world's largest airlines by passenger traffic are Emirates, Lufthansa and British Airways.

Ranking of airlines by fleet size

And the leader in this list was American Airlines. In total, the AA fleet numbers about 1 thousand aircraft.

Second place went to Delta Air Lines, the number of aircraft of which is about 800. United Airlines took third place with 718 aircraft.

In addition to the three large American carriers, the list included Ryanair, Lufthansa, and Air France. And again, British Airways.

Rating of airlines by number of destinations

The leadership in the list again remained with three American companies. But this time the first place was taken by Delta Air Lines, which flies to 355 destinations.

Continental Airlines took second place with a slight lag. US Airlines rounded out the top three.

The Russian Aeroflot is in 14th place. 19th place was taken by another company from Russian Federation- "Russia". Also in the ranking there was a place for Japan Airlines, which took 16th place, but was located above other Asian companies.

"American Airlines"

AA is the largest airline in the world. It was founded in 1930 and was called American Airways, but began its operations 4 years after its founding.

American Airlines carries out Passenger Transportation within the United States of America, in countries Latin America, Canada, Europe, as well as Japan, India and the People's Republic of China.

American Airlines hubs are located in Chicago, Dallas, Charlotte, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Washington and New York.

AA staff numbers more than 120 thousand workers. More than 7 thousand flights are carried out daily.

Delta Airlines

American airlines are world leaders in all indicators, from the number of passengers to net profit. One such carrier is Delta Air Lines. The airline was founded in 1924 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Hub airports are in Cincinnati, New York, Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Tokyo, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Paris and Amsterdam. The company employs more than 80 thousand employees.

In 2008, Delta bought 100% of the shares of Northwestern Airlines. The merger was officially formalized at the beginning of 2010. After this, Delta Air Lines became the largest commercial airline in the world.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa is the flagship airline of Germany and the largest in Europe. It includes " Austrian Airlines" and "Swiss International Airlines".

Deutsche Lufthansa AG has hubs in Munich and Frankfurt am Main. The airline was founded in 1936 and began operations in 1955. Lufthansa has more than 100 thousand employees

"British Airways"

British Airways is the national carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest airlines in Europe.

British Airways was created in 1974. The parent company is IAG. The hubs are located in London. These are Heathrow and Gatwick airports, which are the largest in the world.

Emirates

Emirates is one of the largest airlines in the world. The headquarters is located in Dubai. The company was founded in 1985. Main destinations: Qatar, Malaysia, Australia, USA and England.

The purpose of creating Emirates was to develop the state's infrastructure, as well as to attract tourists to the UAE. In 2010, the company was the largest air carrier.

Ryanair

Irish Ryanair airline- one of the largest low-cost airlines. It was founded in 1984. The fleet size is about 400 aircraft. Rainair's hub is Dublin Airport.

In September 2017, the European Commission began an investigation into the cancellation of more than two thousand flights. According to experts, the reason was mass layoffs. Because of this, Ryanair canceled up to 50 flights every day.

Brussels said European passengers whose flights were canceled are entitled to compensation of between 250 and 400 euros. The head of the low-cost airline said that the company's losses due to compensation would amount to about 25 million euros. Experts talk about the amount of 35 million euros.

The company also said that customers will be offered alternative flights, or the money spent on the ticket will be refunded.

Rainair operates passenger services in 34 countries. There are more than 1,800 flights per day.

"Japan Airlines"

Japan Airlines is the largest Japanese airline and one of the largest in Asia. The main hub airports are located in Tokyo. There are also two additional hubs in Osaka. The headquarters is based in the Shinagawa province of Tokyo.

The airline was created in the early 50s of the last century, when the Japanese authorities decided to found a state-owned airline. The first flight was carried out in 1954 in the USA.

As of June 2017, Japan Airlines had a fleet of 160 aircraft. Their average age was almost 9 years. Starting in 2010, the airline retired all older aircraft, including the forty-year-old Boeing 747s.

Japan Airlines is a member of the Onewolrd alliance, which also includes world leaders in passenger air transportation: American Airlines, British Airways, Air New Zealand, Air France, Singapore Airlines and others.

Aeroflot

The company was founded in 1923. On this moment is the largest airline in the Russian Federation. The hub airport is located in Moscow and is called Sheremetyevo. The fleet size is 193 aircraft.

Initially, Aeroflot was a completely state-owned company. However, after the breakup Soviet Union the enterprise was partially privatized. Still, 51% of the shares belong to the government of the Russian Federation.

The subsidiaries Aurora, Rossiya and Pobeda, together with Aeroflot, form a holding company called Aeroflot Group. In 2016, the carrier was the first among all Russian airlines to receive 4 stars from the reputable consulting firm Skytrax for quality of service.

: This is a UK-based consulting company that studies the quality of airline and airport services. The company annually compiles a ranking of the top 100 airlines around the world, and being ranked number one is like winning the Oscars in the world of air travel. The rating is based on a survey of passengers: it contains 50 points about all the details of the flight - from the convenience of the website and queues at the airport to the comfort of the seats, cleanliness and temperature on board the aircraft. 20 million people from 105 different nationalities provided feedback on 325 different airlines- so we think the result can be considered quite reliable.

On June 20, 2017, Skytrax announced the results: this year's best airline was Qatar Airways- they won the award for the fourth time. The airline's triumph did not end there: they also became the best air carrier in the Middle East. They also officially have the world's best business class and first class lounge. Second place goes to Singapore Airlines, they are also the best airline in Asia. In the twenties best air carriers world included Lufthansa, Austrian and Air France. Garuda Indonesia turned out to be the best. In a separate rating for European airlines Lufthansa is in first place (Russian Aeroflot is in the top ten), and the best European low-cost airline is Norwegian. You can study the entire rating based on all criteria in detail.

By the way, there is alsoairport rating : you can explore where it’s worth coming, even if you don’t need anything in the nearest city, or, conversely,

Every year, millions of people around the world use airline services. Also, more and more new air transportation companies are constantly being created. Therefore, many people, before buying a plane ticket, think about which one to give their preference. This is what it was created for world airline rating.

The most important criteria when choosing airline companies are quality of service, reliability and comfort of the flight. The cost policy in this case stands out as a completely independent indicator. Cheap tickets do not always meet all the hopes and expectations of fans of air travel.

Which airline was the best this year? Aeroflot or Emirates?! Ta-da-m... Cathay Pacific! At the Farnborough Air Show in England, the world and most important Skytrax rating World Airline Awards announced results for this year and the very first prize was taken by the Katya people, for which I congratulate them!

And here is my article about Cathay Pacific business class -

The annual award of the British consulting agency Skytrax is considered one of the most prestigious in the aviation industry. The 2014 airline awards were based on a survey of 18.85 million passengers from 160 countries around the world. 245 air carriers competed for awards in various categories. Airline products and service quality were assessed using 41 criteria.

Of course, all ratings are subjective, but the fact that Asian and Middle Eastern carriers are always in the lead only confirms the thesis about the best service orientation in these regions. Today I want to show the results in different categories and different nominations.

Best Airline in the World 2014:

1 Cathay Pacific Airways
2 Qatar Airways
3 Singapore Airlines
4 Emirates
5 Turkish Airlines
6 ANA All Nippon Airways
7 Garuda Indonesia
8 Asian Airlines
9 Etihad Airways
10 Lufthansa

What’s especially nice is that Lufthansa, the only purely European airline, is in the top ten. And so, of course, everyone at the top of the ranking is approximately the same, but the leaders need to be periodically shuffled, this is an intrigue :)

The world's best low-cost carrier:

1 AirAsia
2 AirAsia X
3 Norwegian
4 Jetstar Airways
5 IndiGo
6 easyJet
7 WestJet
8 Virgin America
9 Jetstar Asia
10 Scoot

Expectedly AirAsia. The best low-cost airline, absolutely deserved. I love them, although in March of this year, on the way from Yangon to Kuala Lumpur, I made a big mistake while booking online and forgot to add a piece of baggage for $10, and ended up paying $40 at the airport :)

There is only one European carrier - Norwegian. I haven’t flown with them, but their planes are brand new, the livery is very stylish with stern Norwegian men on the tail and free (!!!) Wi-Fi on board. And, yes, there are Dreamliners in the fleet!

The best low-cost airline in Europe:

1 Norwegian
2 easyJet
3 German wings
4 NIKI
5 airBaltic
6 Wizz Air
7 WOW Air
8 Pegasus Airlines
9 Onur Air
10 flyBe

It's unclear why they included Germanwings here. But I approve of EasyJet and WizzAir.
Where is Rainair?! He's not in the top ten.

Best airline in Europe:

1 Turkish Airlines
2 Lufthansa
3 Swiss
4British Airways
5 Austrian
6 Air France
7 Aegean Airlines
8 KLM
9Virgin Atlantic
10 Finnair

Best regional airline in Europe:

1 Aegean Airlines
2 Air Nostrum (Iberia Regional)
3 Vueling Airlines
4 S7 Airlines
5 CSA Czech Airlines
6 Luxair
7 Air Malta
8 Adria Airways
9 Cyprus Airways
10 Estonian Air

The Greeks from StarAlliance are at the top, and S7 flashed by, although it is absolutely not regional, it’s strange that it got here.

Best catering in economy class:

1 Thai Airways
2 Turkish Airlines
3 Asiana Airlines
4 Etihad Airways
5 Cathay Pacific
6 Singapore Airlines
7 ANA All Nippon Airways
8 Emirates
9 Oman Air
10 Garuda Indonesia

Best transatlantic carrier:

1 Lufthansa
2British Airways
3 Swiss
4 KLM
5 Air France
6Virgin Atlantic
7 Iberia
8 Delta Air Lines
9 Alitalia
10 United Airlines

Here you can see that passengers prefer Europeans to Americans on the transatlantic.
But where is my beloved Austrian?!

Best airline in Eastern Europe:

1 Aeroflot Russian Airlines
2 Transaero Airlines
3 S7 Airlines
4 Croatia Airlines
5 CSA Czech Airlines
6 Wizz Air
7 Adria Airways
8 LOT Polish
9 Tarom
10 Russia Russian Airlines

It’s just that they emerge from this angle Russian airlines somewhere from the depths of the rating.
The cool thing is that the budget WizzAir did the traditional and state LOT, but they were both defeated by the free Gambrinus on board with the Chekhovs :)

Best low-cost airline in the Middle East region:

1 flyDubai
2 Air Arabia
3 Jazeera Airways
4 Up
5 Nas Air
6 Flynas

Ha-ha, Arab low-cost airlines have completely bypassed the Israeli “little El-Al” - their subsidiary low-cost airline Up.

Full version here.

Twentieth century and technical progress allowed people to move from one point of the world to another in a matter of hours, while previously this process took many months, and the travel itself was fraught with a lot of dangers. Today everything is different. Thanks to airplanes, a person can cross the ocean in complete comfort and end up thousands of kilometers from the point of departure.

Airlines play an important role in organizing flights. It is their activities that allow people to travel so easily. Today in the world there are many various airlines, ranging from the smallest to large corporations, whose networks have intertwined the whole world. It’s about the latter we'll talk in this material. We'll tell you what the largest airline is, and also tell you about nine other companies that deserve attention.

First place - Delta Airlinesincorporation (United States of America)

This company, which is also known as Delta, has its headquarters in Atlanta. DeltaAirLines is the largest member of the famous airline alliance called SkyTeam.

Delta is the largest operator in the world in three areas. Firstly, the carrier has the largest fleet. Secondly, the company is a leader in the volume of air transportation. And third, Delta has a record number of possible routes to fly. With the help of the carrier's services, you can get to any of the continents except Antarctica. In 2009, the company began working with Australia. Planes also fly to Africa. It is the only US carrier to fly to the continent via Atlantic Ocean.

Main port Delta Airlines is based in Atlanta. It leads in the absolute number of passengers passed through it. Others major ports that operate with Delta Airlinesincorporation are: Northern Kentucky Airport, John F. Kennedy Airport (New York), and Salt Lake City Airport.

The carrier dates back to 1924. The company was then founded under the name Huff Daland Dusters. Its original activity was spraying chemicals over fields in agriculture. The first flight, the purpose of which was to transport passengers, took place in 1929. Since then, the company began to actively develop its activities in the civil aviation market.

Second place - American Airlines (United States of America)

American Airlines occupies second place in the air transportation market in the world. In one year, the company transports more than one hundred thousand people. Main office The airline is located in Texas. American Airlines has five main ports, the most important of which is international Airport Dallas. According to statistics, it accounts for more than eighty percent of all flights.

American Airlines was formed back in 1926. Then the company's first plane delivered mail from one state to another. Soon, more than eight dozen small air carriers united under the company’s wing. The airline was originally called American Airways, and it was only during World War II that it received its current name.

In 1937, the company sent its millionth customer on its way. After the war, the company began to actively develop branches in the European market. In addition, the airline began sending aircraft to Japan.

Third place - Southwest Airlines (United States of America)

Southwest Airlines is the leader in the low-cost market. The airline leads the world in the number of people transported. The airline's headquarters are in Texas. Today, the operator's fleet consists entirely of Boeing-737 aircraft. Southwest Airlines flies several thousand flights every day.

Initially, the company operated only within the state, sending people between regions of Texas. Today the company operates throughout the country. However, the carrier does not work with other countries. The fleet includes 684 aircraft. The number of routes that Southwest Airlines operates is 94.

In 2016, the carrier blocked access to its website to visitors from the Russian Federation. The exact reason for this decision is unknown, many people believe that this action has a political motive.

Fourth place - Emirates Airlines (United Arab Emirates)

This company is a monopolist in the United States market United Arab Emirates. The carrier is state-owned and was created at the end of the twentieth century with the aim of developing tourism. The airline purchased its first two aircraft in 1985. Already in the nineties, the number of aircraft in the fleet began to grow rapidly. Today the air carrier has more than two hundred ships. In addition, Emirates Airlines has ordered two hundred more aircraft from various manufacturers, which will enter service in the coming years.

The operator operates flights to all populated continents, including Africa, Australia, South and North America, Europe and Asia. In the spring of 2016, the airline's plane made a record flight, covering more than fourteen thousand kilometers in sixteen hours. The carrier carries out not only passenger, but also air cargo transportation.

Fifth place - United Airlines (United States of America)

This carrier was created in 1926. The company became famous for being the first to offer its passengers meals on board. In addition, it was on the airliners of this carrier that the familiar flight attendants appeared. Today it is an expensive US airline, one of the largest on the planet.

The carrier also has a sad reputation. It was United Airlines that was the first to encounter terrorism in the air. In 1993, unknown assailants blew up a plane using a bomb hidden on board. In addition, it was the planes of this company that were hijacked by terrorists on September 9th.

Today, United Airlines employs more than fifty thousand people. The fleet includes more than four hundred aircraft. The main hubs with which the carrier operates are: Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Sixth place - Lufthansa (European Union)

The air carrier created in Germany is currently the largest in the European Union. Today, carriers from Sweden, Austria and Germany are united under the company’s wing. Lufthansa operates flights in 80 various countries. The number of routes exceeds two hundred. The company's fleet consists of 620 aircraft. Lufthansa's head office is located in Cologne.

The main hubs are located in Frankfurt and Munich.

Interestingly, until the end of the twentieth century, the airline was owned by the state. It was created in 1926. During World War II, all civilian flights were cut short. The company collaborated with the Nazis, so at the end of the war it was included in the stop lists of all advanced countries. In 1951, based on Lufthansa, it was created state airline, which received the name Aktiengesellschaft für Luftverkehrsbedarf. The former director became its manager. A few years later, the usual name returned.

The company is active in Russia, sending passengers on ten routes.

Seventh place - Air France (European Union)

The largest carrier in France. The company employs more than seven tens of thousands of people. Air France's main hub is Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport. The aircraft fleet numbers more than two hundred aircraft. The number of directions the carrier operates is 256.

AirFrance operates not only regional flights, but also long-haul flights. This organization was created in 1933. Initially, the airline operated cargo flights, but then became a passenger aviation. AirFrance is a member of the major carrier alliance SkyTeam, which includes more than fifteen carriers, including Russian Aeroflot.

The company's headquarters are located in Paris. Main endpoints routes are big cities Europe and the USA, such as New York, Berlin and London.

Eighth place - British Airways

British Airways is not only the largest carrier in the UK, but also one of the largest airlines in the world. Among other participants in this rating, in addition to Emirates Airlines, British Airways is the youngest. It was created in 1974. However, it was based on an already existing government agency. The company transports people, goods and mail.

British Airways was also state-owned for about a decade, until privatization began in 1981. At that time, many carriers were going through difficult times, and British Airways itself was suffering losses. However, the new management managed not only to bring the company to profit, but also to gain credibility throughout the world. In 2014, British Airways had a net profit of £702 million.

Ninth place - All Nippon Airways

The Japanese air carrier is famous not only for the volume of its traffic, but also for the authentic design of its aircraft, which are often painted with anime characters. The company was founded in 1952. Initially, it was engaged in transportation between the islands of Japan using helicopters, but soon the first airliners appeared in the company’s fleet. In 1986, All Nippon Airways began expanding into foreign markets. Flights were created to the USA, Hong Kong, South Korea, Paris. Today, All Nippon Airways' fleet includes 188 ships. The number of routes is 71.

The headquarters of the corporation is located in a special district of Tokyo - Minato.

Tenth place - China Southern Airlines

China Southern Airlines is the largest corporation engaged in civil aviation in modern China. In 1996, the company began operating on long-haul routes. In 1997, a non-stop flight to Los Angeles was made, which was the first of its kind for a Boeing 777 aircraft.

In 2003, the company absorbed its main competitor in the domestic market, China Northern Airlines, thanks to which it began to dominate the domestic market. The fleet includes more than five hundred aircraft. Number of routes - 180.