Apart from maybe the internet, no other invention has brought the world closer together than the plane. There is currently no other transportation method that brings you quicker and safer from A to B than airplanes. Planes allow you to travel throughout our planet in the matter of not more than a day. The biggest airlines safely bring tens of millions of their passengers to their desired destinations.
Due to the Covid pandemic, airlines took a hit in 2021 since fewer people generally traveled. But in 2022, the number of civilian flights performed all over the world is projected to recover to pre-pandemic heights. It is, therefore, no surprise that the global air travel industry is still doing quite well overall. The multi-billion industry is in fact now one of the largest markets there is. And also one of the most competitive ones. The following ranking shows you the current Top 10 Biggest Airlines in the World by reached revenue last year.
The achieved revenue of an airline highly correlates with the number of passengers the airline carried during a year. However, the level of ticket prices and in that context the countries and regions an airline operates in can also have a huge impact on revenue performance as you can see in the current Top 10 Airlines ranking.
Note: For the Top 10 Ranking of Busiest Airports in the World, click here.
The 10 Biggest Airlines in the World 2022
1. American Airlines
American Airlines
Revenue: $29.9 billion
Founded in: 2013
(as a merger between US Airways & AMR)
Based in: Forth Worth, Texas, USA
Alliance: Oneworld
Owned by: American Airlines Group Inc.
Number of countries served: 48
Number of yearly passengers: ~ 165 million
2. Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Revenue: $29.9 billion
Founded in: 1925
Based in: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Alliance: SkyTeam
Owned by: Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Number of countries served: 52
Number of yearly passengers: ~ 125 million
3. United Airlines
United Airlines
Revenue: $24.6 billion
Founded in: 2010
(as a merger between United Air Lines & Continental Airlines)
Based in: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Alliance: Star Alliance
Owned by: United Airlines Holdings, Inc.
Number of countries served: 74
Number of yearly passengers: ~ 105 million
4. China Southern Airlines
China Southern Airlines
Revenue: $16.4 billion
Founded in: 1988
Based in: Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Alliance: None
Owned by: China Southern Air Holding Company
Number of countries served: 40
Number of yearly passengers: ~ 110 million
5. Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Revenue: $15.4 billion
Founded in: 1953
Based in: Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Alliance: Star Alliance
Owned by: Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Number of countries served: 77
Number of yearly passengers: ~ 50 million
6. Air China
Air China
Revenue: $10.9 billion
Founded in: 1988
Based in: Beijing, China
Alliance: Star Alliance
Owned by: Air China Group
Number of countries served: 41
Number of yearly passengers: ~ 105 million
7. China Eastern Airlines
China Eastern Airlines
Revenue: $10.8 billion
Founded in: 1988
Based in: Shanghai, China
Alliance: SkyTeam
Owned by: China Eastern Air Holding Company
Number of countries served: 41
Number of yearly passengers: ~ 90 million
8. Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Revenue: $9.1 billion
Founded in: 1967
Based in: Dallas, Texas, USA
Alliance: None
Owned by: Southwest Airlines Co.
Number of countries served: 11
Number of yearly passengers: ~ 100 million
9. All Nippon Airways
10. Air France
Air France
Revenue: $7.1 billion
Founded in: 1933
Based in: Tremblay-en-France, Ile-de-France, France
Alliance: SkyTeam
Owned by: Air France-KLM S.A.
Number of countries served: 93
Number of yearly passengers: ~ 25 million
The 10 Biggest Airlines in the World 2022
(as of March 2022)
| Top 10 Biggest Airlines in the World: |
|---|
| 1. AMERICAN AIRLINES Revenue: $29.9 billion |
| 2. DELTA AIR LINES Revenue: $29.9 billion |
| 3. UNITED AIRLINES Revenue: $24.6 billion |
| 4. CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES Revenue: $16.4 billion |
| 5. LUFTHANSA Revenue: $15.4 billion |
| 6. AIR CHINA Revenue: $10.9 billion |
| 7. CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES Revenue: $10.8 billion |
| 8. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES Revenue: $9.1 billion |
| 9. ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS Revenue: $8.0 billion |
| 10. AIR FRANCE Revenue: $7.1 billion |
Ranking of the top 10 biggest airlines in the world ranking, based on most current revenue numbers. Tiebreaker: More annual passengers.