Check Compensation
The 10 Biggest Airlines - World’s Largest Carriers

The Largest Airlines in the World - Top 10 Biggest Carriers

Amy Lancelotte
Written By Amy Lancelotte
8 minutes read
Last Updated: January 13, 2025

There are more than 5,000 different airlines worldwide. Some are small regional carriers and others are huge airline groups that carry hundreds of millions of passengers annually. We set out to determine once and for all which airline is the biggest. This is based on 6 different categories:

  • Number of passengers carried
  • Fleet size
  • Number of annual flights
  • Annual revenue
  • Available seat miles (ASM)
  • Destinations and countries served

A single factor can be misleading, and by taking them all into account, we have emerged with the conclusive largest airline company in the world winner: American Airlines.

American Airlines is the largest airline in the world for 2025

Overall Biggest Airlines in the World - AirAdvisor Ranking 2025

Rank

Airline

Number of Points

American Airlines

65

2

United Airlines

63

3

Delta Air Lines

62

4

Ryanair

36

5

Southwest Airlines

35

6

Turkish Airlines

23

7

Lufthansa

21

8

Emirates

19

9

China Southern Airlines

18

9

Air France/KLM

18

We see that American, United, and Delta are clear winners. Ryanair is the fourth-largest airline in the world but is a massive 26 points below the top 3. Ryanair is the only non-US airline in the top 5, so the USA’s dominance in the realm of worldwide airlines is undeniable. Read on to see exactly how it all breaks down:

Biggest Airlines Worldwide Based on Passenger Numbers

  • 1st Place: American Airlines
  • 2nd Place: Delta Air Lines
  • 3rd Place: Ryanair

Whether we look at 2022 or 2023, the top 3 worldwide airlines are the same. American offers the highest number of annual flights in the group, so it’s not a surprise that they can carry a lot of people. In line with this, Delta has the second-highest number of annual flights available. Ryanair, on the other hand, attracts passengers based mostly on low prices, and it seems to be working!

Ryanair is among the largest airlines in the world for passenger volume

United Airlines climbed one rank from 2022 to 2023, with an increase year over year of 14.5%. The largest increase in passengers served during this period belongs to IndiGo, which flew 38.8% more people in 2023 than in 2022.

Annual Passengers Carried by Airline 2022

Rank

Points

Airline

Annual Passengers 2022 (millions)

10

American Airlines

199

2

9

Delta Air Lines

175

3

8

Ryanair

168

4

7

Southwest Airlines

157

5

6

United Airlines

144

6

5

Lufthansa

101

7

4

IAG

94.7

8

3

Air France/KLM

83.3

9

2

IndiGo

75.3

10

1

Turkish Airlines

71.8

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_airlines_in_the_world

Annual Passengers Carried by Airline 2023

Rank

Points

Airline

Annual Passengers 2023 (millions)

10

American Airlines

211

2

9

Delta Air Lines

190

3

8

Ryanair

181.8

4

7

United Airlines

165

5

6

Southwest Airlines

137

6

5

Lufthansa

122.5

7

4

IAG

115

8

3

IndiGo

104.5

9

2

Air France/KLM

93.5

10

1

Turkish Airlines

83.4

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_airlines_in_the_world

Was your last flight using any of the 10 largest airline companies delayed or canceled? Compensation could be possible. Check your flight risk-free here.Check Your Flight

Biggest Airlines in the World by Number of Aircraft Owned

  • 1st Place: United Airlines
  • 2nd Place: Delta Air Lines
  • 3rd Place: Air China

You might think that the top passenger-carrying airlines would also have the largest fleets, but that’s not exactly the case. When we consider the overall fleet size, United Airlines emerges on top, Delta stays strong in second place, and Air China takes the bronze medal.

While this metric represents an airline’s potential to accommodate passengers and offer routes, it’s important to note that the top airlines for aircraft operated are slightly different and would be United, Delta, and American, as you may expect. In terms of planes in operation, Air China would then fall to eighth place, with only 502 aircraft being used regularly.

Largest Airlines in the World by Fleet Size (as of January 2025)

Rank

Points

Airline

Number of Aircraft Owned

10

United Airlines

992

2

9

Delta Air Lines

987

3

8

Air China

907

4

7

American Airlines

854

5

6

Southwest Airlines

830

6

5

China Southern Airlines

653

7

4

China Eastern Airlines

652

8

3

Ryanair

607

9

2

SkyWest Airlines

520

10

1

Lufthansa

514

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_airlines_in_the_world

Airlines Worldwide with the Most Flights

  • 1st Place: American Airlines
  • 2nd Place: Delta Air Lines
  • 3rd Place: United Airlines

A higher availability of daily flights means increased flexibility for passengers. This factor largely contributes to American Airlines’ status as the overall winner for the largest airline in the world. United, which offers the biggest fleet (no matter how you look at it) can typically operate over 4,000 flights a day. Delta offers more than United to keep their second-place finish.

China Eastern Airlines is the top Chinese airline for the most annual flights

Although this category is stacked with US-based carriers, there are 3 Chinese airlines on this list, China Eastern (6th), China Southern (7th), and Air China (9th). These flights clearly allow the country’s airlines to cater to its high population.

Number of Annual Flights by Airline

Rank

Points

Airline

Number of Flights 2024

10

American Airlines

2,177,433

2

9

Delta Air Lines

1,713,533

3

8

United Airlines

1,616,464

4

7

Southwest Airlines

1,452,233

5

6

Ryanair

1,068,135

6

5

China Eastern Airlines

863,753

7

4

China Southern Airlines

822,653

8

3

IndiGo

750,085

9

2

Air China

615,660

10

1

easyJet

569,585

Source: samchui.com

Largest Airlines in the World by Revenue

  • 1st Place: Delta Air Lines
  • 2nd Place: United Airlines
  • 3rd Place: American Airlines

Are you sensing a trend yet? These top 3 spots are most populated with these same US carriers, but the actual order keeps changing. Delta finally climbs to the top in this category. This isn’t necessarily a good thing as it might indicate higher-than-average prices for flights and other services. And if price is a concern for you (as it is for most), check out our list of the Cheapest US Airlines to find the best deals!

In fact, you may want to look at the lowest-ranking airlines here. Southwest is a standout because it is consistently higher ranking in the other “large” categories, like passengers carried and available seat miles, but that is not reflected in its lower revenue. Surely there are some bargains to be had!

Annual Revenue by Airline 2023

Rank

Points

Airline

2023 Revenue (billions)

10

Delta Air Lines

$54.67

2

9

United Airlines

$53.72

3

8

American Airlines

$52.79

4

7

Lufthansa Group

$35.8

5

6

Emirates Group

$32.62

6

5

IAG

$31.94

7

4

Air France/KLM

$30

8

3

Southwest Airlines

$26.09

9

2

Turkish Airlines

$19.68

10

1

China Southern Airlines

$12.92

Source: statista.com

Not even the world’s biggest airlines are immune to flight delaysIf you encounter a significant interruption, you may be able to claim compensation up to €600 ($630), depending on your route.Let us help you get started!

Largest World Airlines for Capacity

  • 1st Place: United Airlines
  • 2nd Place: American Airlines
  • 3rd Place: Delta Air Lines

United Airlines is the biggest airline company in the world for capacity/available seat miles

It’s the same 3 airlines again but also in a different order. As the largest airline in the world for fleet size, it is reasonable that United Airlines also offers the most available seat miles to its passengers. The same goes for American and Delta, which finally sinks to third place.

Note that this category favors airlines with long-haul routes, which is why we see Emirates emerging in fourth place.

Available Seat Miles by Airline 2024

Rank

Points

Airline

ASM 2024 (billions)

10

United Airlines

315

2

9

American Airlines

296

3

8

Delta Air Lines

291

4

7

Emirates Group

222

5

6

Southwest Airlines

178

6

5

Ryanair

159

6

5

Qatar Airways

159

8

3

China Southern Airlines

151

9

2

Turkish Airlines

145

10

1

China Eastern Airlines

138

Source: theaeroworld.com

Worldwide Airlines with the Biggest Selection of Destinations

  • 1st Place: United Airlines
  • 2nd Place: American Airlines
  • 3rd Place: Delta Air Lines

For this metric, we consider which airlines have the most destinations available to passengers. And as you may expect, the same carriers come out on top. There’s a notable addition in fourth place, though, Turkish Airlines, with 287 different destinations offered.

American Airlines is a close second in this category and in 2025, the carrier expanded its routes to Italy. Brian Znotins, the company’s Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning shared that:

quotes

As Italy continues to remain popular for summertime travel, American is making it easier than ever for customers to shop, dine or unwind in their favorite destinations. Whether reveling in the history of Rome or relaxing on a beach on the Mediterranean, American’s network will offer more ways for customers to plan their perfect itinerary.

So, it seems that American is gunning for that top spot after all…

Number of Destinations by Airline as of January 2025

Rank

Points

Airline

Individual Destinations

10

United Airlines

374

2

9

American Airlines

355

3

8

Delta Air Lines

311

4

7

Turkish Airlines

287

5

6

Ryanair

239

6

5

China Southern Airlines

238

7

4

China Eastern Airlines

224

8

3

Lufthansa

216

9

3

British Airways

216

10

1

Air France

197

Source: ch-aviation.com

Largest Airlines Worldwide by Countries Served

  • 1st Place: Turkish Airlines
  • 2nd Place: Qatar Airways
  • 3rd Place: Air France

Turkish Airlines is the largest airline company in the world for countries served

Finally some movement in the top 3! Turkish Airlines connects by far the most countries of any airline in the world: 120. Qatar Airways and Air France earn the second and third-place spots with 89 and 85 countries, respectively. 

Note that the typical 3 largest world airlines, American, Delta, and United are low on this list or don’t appear at all. So, if you’re looking for flight options outside of the US, other airlines may have more to offer.

Number of Countries Served as of August 2024

Rank

Points

Airline

Individual Destinations

10

Turkish Airlines

120

2

9

Qatar Airways

89

3

8

Air France

85

4

7

Ethiopian Airlines

84

5

6

Emirates Group

80

6

5

British Airways

77

6

5

Lufthansa

77

8

3

United Airlines

73

9

2

American Airlines

63

10

1

KLM

62

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airlines_by_countries_served

Now that you know the largest airlines in the world are American, United, and Delta and why exactly they reign supreme, will you choose them for your next flight?

Back to News list

No feedback

Leave your feedback

Flight Compensation Calculator

Flight Compensation Calculator:

Check if you are entitled to flight delay compensation in just 3 minutes.
Free Instant Check

Free Instant Check

No Win, No Fee

No Win, No Fee

Ready to claim your £520 (€600) now?

It takes less than 5 minutes

Claim compensation

AirAdvisor has been featured in:

  • CNN
  • Forbes
  • USA Today
  • Mirror