The global airline industry is worth $841.4 billion in 2023, representing a 22% increase from the 2020’s low point of $686 billion
Much of this decrease in revenue was due to lower travel demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic and related travel restrictions.
However, for the first time since the pandemic, the industry has surpassed the pre-covid valuation of $828 billion (2019), showing a relatively swift and strong recovery.
For the moment, let’s take a look at the largest players in the industry to get a sense of its current state.
The 15 largest commercial airlines as of 2023 are:
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American Airlines. Fort Worth, Texas
2022 Revenue: $29.9 billion
Total Employees: 123,400
Fleet Size: 935 aircraftAmerican Airlines is the largest airline in the world in terms of revenue passenger mile, scheduled passengers carried, and fleet size.
The company operates nearly 6,800 flights each day between 350 destinations across more than 50 countries.
It’s also a founding member of Oneworld, the third-largest airline alliance in the world.
In addition to long-haul flights, American Airlines also offers regional service under the brand name American Eagle. The company operates ten hubs in the United States, with the Dallas/Fort Worth location being the most prominent.
On average, American Airlines flies approximately 500,000 passengers each day and over 200 million passengers annually.
As of 2023, the carrier operates the largest commercial aircraft fleet in the world. Its fleet of 935 planes consists mostly of Airbus and Boeing.
Over 80% of these aircraft are narrow-bodies, primarily Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A320 series.
In addition to regular cabin options such as economy, American Airlines also offers premium products such as:
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Flagship First. Flagship First is American Airlines’ international first-class option. The company only offers it aboard the Boeing 777-300ER.
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Flagship Business. Offered mainly on the airline’s Boeing 777-200ER and Airbus A330-200s is a business class cabin that features fully lie-flat seats.
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Delta Air Lines. Atlanta, Georgia
2022 Revenue: $29.9 billion
Total Employees: 83,000
Fleet Size: 915 aircraftDelta Air Lines is the second-largest airline in the world by the number of scheduled passengers carried and the largest by revenue and market cap.
It operates over 5,400 daily flights across 325 destinations and six continents.
The company is a founding member of SkyTeam, the world’s second-largest airline air alliance. It’s also the only carrier in the United States that flies to certain major cities such as Copenhagen, Stuttgart, and Lagos.
Delta has been one of the largest airlines in the United States since the 1940s when it specialized mainly in freight transport.
The company experienced massive growth when it acquired Northeast Airlines in 1972 and expanded its all-jet fleet throughout the decade. It also acquired all of Pan Am’s trans-Atlantic routes in 1991, making it the largest airline operating in the Atlantic region.
As of 2023, Delta Airlines operates a fleet of 915 aircraft. Its Boeing 717, Boeing 767, and Boeing 757 fleets are the largest of their kind in the world.
Other than common cabin options such as first-class and basic economy, Delta also offers premium products such as:
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Delta One. Delta One is the company’s best-selling business class product, offering private quarters and entertainment options on international and U.S. transcontinental flights.
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Delta Comfort+. This option provides passengers with amenities such as dedicated overhead space and priority boarding.
Delta Air Lines also runs a frequent flyer program called Delta Air Lines.
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United Airlines. Chicago, Illinois
2022 Revenue: $24.63 billion
Total Employees: 92,795
Fleet Size: 891 aircraftOften simply called United, United Airlines is the third largest airline in the world by fleet size and travel routes.
The carrier mainly operates transcontinental flights across the United States but also flies hundreds of thousands of passengers each day between six continents.
United Airlines operates eight major hubs, with its Chicago-O’Hare location being the most prominent in terms of the number of departures and passengers.
It’s also a founding member of Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance in the world.
The company also provides regional services across the United States, also typically operates under the brand name United Express.
As of 2022, United operates a fleet of 891 planes. The majority of these are either Airbus or Boeing aircraft.
The company’s best-selling business class product is United Polaris Business, which offers amenities such as premium seats, separate check-in counters, and access to the United Polaris Lounge.
Due to mounting criticism surrounding their environmental impact, United is currently pursuing a major initiative to increase its operational fuel efficiency and switch to low-carbon alternative fuels, where possible.
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Lufthansa. Cologne, Germany
2022 Revenue: $16.3 billion
Total Employees: 107,643
Fleet Size: 710 aircraftIn terms of scheduled passengers carried, Lufthansa is both the largest airline in Germany and the largest airline in Europe.
The company is Germany’s flag carrier, as well as one of the founding members of Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance in the world.
Lufthansa also owns many subsidiary companies that are major airlines in their own right, including Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings.
In addition to airlines, Lufthansa’s subsidiaries also include companies that specialize in related industries. Lufthansa Technik AG, for example, is the largest aircraft maintenance and repair company in Europe.
Lufthansa operates 710 aircraft, making it one of the largest fleets anywhere in Europe. In early 2021, the company retired the entirety of its Airbus A340-600 fleet.
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and resulting travel restrictions, Lufthansa generated most of its revenue through 2020 by providing high-density cargo shipment services using its commercial fleet.
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Emirates. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2022 Revenue: $16.1 billion
Total Employees: 105,730
Fleet Size: 262 aircraftEmirates is both the flag carrier and largest airline in the United Arab Emirates.
Operating over 3,600 flights each week across 150 cities in 80 countries, the company is also the largest airline headquartered in the entire Middle East.
Founded in 1985, Emirates is much younger than most other airlines on this list. The company has recorded a profit every year other than its second and has grown at an annual rate of 20% since its inception.
Emirates is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, an airline holding company solely owned by the government of Dubai.
The company is also relatively diversified when compared with other major airlines, owning seven subsidiaries that operate in related industries such as engineering and tour operator operations.
As of 2023, Emirates operates 262 passenger aircraft, as well as an additional 11 cargo aircraft under the brand name Emirates SkyCargo.
The company operates the largest fleet of Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 in the world. Its mainline fleet includes no narrow-body planes.
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Southwest Airlines. Dallas, Texas
2022 Revenue: $15.79 billion
Total Employees: 66,100
Fleet Size: 792 aircraftOriginally established in 1967 as Air Southwest Co, Southwest Airlines spent the first decade of its existence operating solely as a Texas-based intrastate airline.
The company has since expanded to become the largest domestic flight carrier in the United States, operating about 4,000 flights across 109 American destinations during the peak travel season.
The entirety of Southwest Airlines’ fleet is composed of Boeing 737 jetliners, making the company the largest operator of the aircraft model in the world.
A notable difference between Southwest Airlines and its main United States competitors is that the airline does not use the popular hub-and-spoke system, instead preferring a combination of the point-to-point system and a rolling hub model.
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China Southern. Guangzhou, China
2022 Revenue: $14.23 billion
Total Employees: 98,098
Fleet Size: 653 aircraftChina Southern is the largest airline in Asia in terms of revenue, fleet size, and scheduled passengers carried.
The company was founded in 1988 after the government of China decentralized and restructured the state-owned CAAC Airlines into four different domestic airlines.
The company flies over 2,000 departures each day, spread across 200 destinations and 60 countries.
China Southern also entered a frequent flyer partnership with American Airlines in 2019, allowing passengers to spend a portion of their frequent flyer points at either airline.
The company currently operates a fleet of 653 aircraft, including 163 Boeing 737s and 106 Airbus A320s.
China Southern also owns and operates China Southern Cargo, a cargo airline that provides services between Europe, North America, and China.
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Qatar Airways. Doha, Qatar
2022 Revenue: $14.12 billion
Total Employees: 50,110
Fleet Size: 236 aircraftQatar Airways is the second largest airline on the Arabian peninsula. It is fully owned and operated by the Qatari government
The airline flies to over 150 international destinations across the world, including: Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. Since Qatar is a small country, almost all flights take off from Hamad International Airport.
Their fleet is composed of 236 aircraft, making the company’s high revenue even more impressive.
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Air France. Paris, France
2022 Revenue: $11.89 billion
Total Employees: 84,062
Fleet Size: 210 aircraftOften stylized as AIRFRANCE, Air France is the flag carrier of France and the largest airline in the country.
The company originally formed in 1933 through a merger between Air Union, Air Orient, and three other airlines.
The airline offers domestic flights across 36 destinations in France, as well as international flights to 175 locations across 78 different countries.
As of 2022, Air France flew nearly 47 million passengers and employed over 84,000 workers. The company’s main international hub is the Charles de Gaulle Airport, where it flies an average of 335 departures each day.
Their main subsidiaries include Air France Consulting, Air France Hop, and Servair.
The company saw a revenue drop of 59% in 2020, mainly due to travel restrictions and decreased travel during the coronavirus pandemic.
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China Airlines. Taipei City, Taiwan
2022 Revenue: $10.43 billion
Total Employees: 88,395
Fleet Size: 113 aircraftChina Airlines is both the flag carrier of Taiwan and the largest airliner on the island.
Though China Airlines has been embroiled in controversy with the People’s Republic of China (mainland China) since its inception in 1959, the airline is nonetheless successful.
For instance, China Airlines agreed to begin the process of joining the airline alliance SkyTeam on September 14th, 2010, and became an official member a year later in 2011.
As of today, the airliner operates 1,400 flights weekly across 102 cities in Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania.
The also company owns 113 aircraft in its fleet.
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China Eastern Airlines. Shanghai, China
2022 Revenue: $9.4 billion
Total Employees: 80,000
Fleet Size: 614 aircraftChina Eastern Airlines is the second-largest airline in China in terms of scheduled passengers carried, serving over 500,000 customers each day.
Along with Southern China and Air China, China Eastern Airlines was another one of the domestic airlines formed after the decentralization of the Chinese state-owned CAAC airlines.
China Eastern Airlines owns and operates Shanghai Airlines, another major Chinese airline that it merged within 2009.
The company’s main traffic routes are between Asia, North America, and Australia. As of 2021, their current main stated initiative is to expand domestic air travel between Shanghai and other major Chinese cities.
China Eastern Airlines operates a fleet of 614 ships, composed mostly of Airbus and Boeing planes. The backbone of the company’s mainline fleet is the Airbus A320-200, which it uses primarily for domestic flights.
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International Airlines Group. London, United Kingdom
2022 Revenue: $8.2 billion
Total Employees: 59,505
Fleet Size: 558 aircraftThis large European airline is the holding company of British Airways and Iberia, which are the flag carriers of the United Kingdom and Spain.
British Airways merged with Iberia in 2011 to form the International Airlines Group. Together, the combined company is the second-largest airline in Europe in terms of revenue.
The airline is another member of Oneworld, the third-largest airline alliance in the world. It also codeshares with major airlines such as China Eastern Airlines and American Airlines.
Its extensive route network includes over 256 destinations, including several locations in the United States and the United Kingdom.
As of 2023, International Airlines Group operates 558 aircraft. The majority of these are Boeing wide-bodies and a mix of Airbus wide and narrow-body planes.
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All Nippon Airways. Tokyo, Japan
2022 Revenue: $7.14 billion
Total Employees: 42,196
Fleet Size: 212 aircraftAlso known as Zennikkū, All Nippon Airways is Japan’s largest airline in terms of revenue and scheduled passengers carried.
The company was second-largest formed in 1958 through a merger between Far East Airlines and Japan Helicopter and Aeroplane Transports company.
As of 2023, the company employs over 40,000 workers and serves an average of over three million customers annually.
All Nippon Airways primarily operates a large domestic route network across almost all major cities in Japan. It also flies international routes through the rest of Asia, as well as to Canada, Western Europe, and the United States.
The airline also operates various subsidiaries including ANA Wings, Air Do, and Peach.
The company’s main international hub is the Narita International Airport.
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Alaska Air Group. SeaTac, Washington
2022 Revenue: $6.18 billion
Total Employees: 25,469
Fleet Size: 295 aircraftAlaska Air Group is a US west-coast airline that mainly services states in that area and flies to international destinations.
In total, the airline flies to more than 115 destinations and has roughly 1,200 daily flights across the United States, Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica.
As of 2023, the airline operates a mainline fleet of 295 aircraft. The majority of these are Boeing 737 aircraft, Airbus A321 aircraft, and Embraer 175 aircraft.
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JetBlue Airways. Long Island City, New York
2022 Revenue: $6.04 billion
Total Employees: 22,000
Fleet Size: 287 aircraftJetBlue is another American airline based around New York City, but also has corporate offices in Utah and Florida.
The company operates at least 1,000 flights daily, servicing 100 domestic and international network destinations. These destinations are all over the world in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe.
As of 2023, JetBlue’s mainline fleet numbers 287 aircraft, which are mostly Airbus models.
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Airline Industry FAQ
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The CDC still suggests that it isn’t completely safe to fly in 2023 without proper precautions. If you’re dedicated to traveling, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, while many airline companies have implemented safety measures, such as mandatory face masks, daily cleanings, PPE for flight crew, and changes to food service, not all airlines are the same.
Additionally, many countries are still requiring mandatory two-week quarantines for Americans. When in doubt, we recommend researching your travel destination before planning a flight.
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Why are flights getting expensive?
Flights are expensive due to the cost of jet fuel and increased demand. Flights were insanely cheap in 2020 because no one was flying! Now that demand and the price of jet fuel are rising once again, the cost of flights must rise as well. However, this trend should become more stable by 2023.
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Is flying harmful to the environment?
Yes, flying is harmful to the environment. Given that commercial aviation alone was responsible for 3-4% of the US’ total greenhouse emissions, it’s unfortunate to admit that flying is harmful to the environment. Going forward, many countries are looking into using sustainable aviation fuels made from plants, algae, cooking oil, and even municipal waste.
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What percentage of the US economy is the airline industry?
5.2% of the US economy is the airline industry, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP). US aviation also employs 1,290,400 total employees and generates over $1 trillion in total economic activity each year.
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Who dominates the airline industry?
Three major companies are at the top of the U.S. airline industry: American Airlines, Southwest, and Delta. The current US leader is American Airlines, with 19.3% domestic market share. Southwest and Delta are second and third, at 17.4% and 15.5% respectively.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
