Largest Airlines in the World (2026)

Delta Air Lines reported GAAP operating revenue of US$63.36bn for 2025, up from US$61.64bn in 2024, which places it first in this ranking. The company said it served more than 200 million customers during the year and employs more than 100,000 people. Delta is headquartered in Atlanta and is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance.

United Airlines Holdings reported total operating revenue of US$59.07bn for 2025, compared with US$57.06bn in 2024. Its results release counts 181.1 million passengers carried, 113,200 employees at year end and a fleet of 1,490 aircraft. The release is datelined Chicago, where the group is based. In 2025 United's revenue was about US$4.3bn below Delta's and about US$4.4bn above American's.

American Airlines Group reported total operating revenues of US$54.63bn for 2025, marginally above the US$54.21bn of 2024. It recorded 223.5 million enplanements, the most of any carrier in this list that discloses the figure, and operated 1,580 aircraft, of which 1,013 were mainline and 567 regional. Full-time-equivalent staff totalled about 139,100 including its regional subsidiaries. Revenue growth of under 1% was the weakest among the three large US network airlines.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG reported total revenue of €39.60bn for 2025, of which traffic revenue was €32.33bn, against €37.58bn in 2024. At the IRS 2025 average rate this equals about US$44.7bn. The group carried 135.0 million passengers and had 103,255 employees at year end.

IAG reported total revenue of €33.21bn for 2025, made up of €28.97bn passenger revenue, €1.24bn cargo and €3.01bn other revenue; the total was up 3.5%, or €1.11bn, on 2024. Converted at the IRS 2025 average rate, revenue was about US$37.5bn. The group's annual report lists 75,786 employees in 76 countries and a fleet of 627 aircraft. Its revenue was about €206m higher than that of Air France-KLM, a narrow margin that changes with exchange rates.

Air France-KLM reported revenues of €33.01bn for 2025, an increase of 4.9% year on year. That is about US$37.3bn at the IRS 2025 average rate. The group carried 102.8 million passengers and said new-generation aircraft made up 35% of its fleet. It ranks just behind IAG; the two European groups were separated by less than 1% of revenue in 2025.

The Emirates airline reported revenue and other operating income of AED130.85bn for the year to 31 March 2026, up from AED127.94bn; the wider Emirates Group, including the dnata services business, reported AED150.47bn. The airline-only figure, about US$35.6bn at the IRS 2025 rate, is used here. Emirates carried 53.2 million passengers, employed 74,980 people and operated 277 aircraft at year end. Its year ends in March, so its figures cover a later period than the December-year groups ranked above it.

Southwest Airlines reported total operating revenues of US$28.06bn for 2025, compared with US$27.48bn in 2024. It carried 134.1 million revenue passengers, had 72,790 active full-time-equivalent employees and operated 803 aircraft at year end. Although it carries more passengers than Emirates or Air France-KLM, its short-haul domestic network yields far lower revenue per passenger, so it ranks eighth by revenue.

China Southern Airlines reported total operating revenue of RMB182.26bn for 2025, of which traffic revenue was RMB173.31bn, against RMB174.22bn in 2024. At the IRS 2025 average rate this is about US$25.6bn. The company carried 174 million passengers, more than any non-US airline in this list.

Türk Hava Yolları reports its consolidated IFRS accounts in US dollars and recorded revenue of US$24.10bn for 2025, up from US$22.67bn in 2024. Its 2025 fact sheet gives 92.6 million passengers, a total headcount of 66,727 including subsidiaries and a fleet of 516 aircraft, of which 27 are freighters. The Türkiye Wealth Fund holds 49.12% of the shares and the remaining 50.88% trades on Borsa Istanbul.

Air China reported total revenue of RMB171.48bn for 2025, compared with RMB166.70bn in 2024. That is about US$24.1bn at the IRS 2025 average rate, placing it a fraction behind Turkish Airlines. The group carried 160.6 million passengers, up 3.4%, and operated 964 aircraft across the group. Its results announcement refers to its Star Alliance membership.

China Eastern Airlines reported revenue of RMB139.94bn for 2025, up from RMB132.12bn in 2024. Converted at the IRS 2025 rate this equals about US$19.6bn. The airline carried 149.9 million passengers, an increase of 6.7%, and its fleet table totals 826 aircraft. Its revenue per passenger is the lowest of the three large Chinese groups in this list.

Korean Air Lines reported consolidated revenue of ₩25.23 trillion for 2025, against ₩17.87 trillion in 2024, according to the summary financial information in its annual business report filed with the Financial Supervisory Service. At the IRS 2025 average rate this is about US$17.7bn. The steep increase reflects a larger consolidated group after the Asiana Airlines acquisition, so the year-on-year comparison is not like for like.

Ryanair Holdings reported total operating revenues of €15.54bn for the year to 31 March 2026, comprising scheduled revenue of €10.56bn and ancillary revenue of €4.99bn, up from €13.95bn a year earlier. That equals about US$17.5bn at the IRS 2025 rate. The group carried 208.4 million passengers and had 647 aircraft at the year end. Its passenger count exceeds every airline in this list except American, but its low fares keep revenue well below the network carriers.

ANA Holdings recorded operating revenues of ¥2.54 trillion for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2026, up from ¥2.26 trillion, according to the eleven-year summary in its ANA Report 2026. At the IRS 2025 average rate this is about US$17.0bn. The group reported 47,826 employees, and the ANA brand carried 45.6 million domestic and 9.0 million international passengers. Japan Airlines, its domestic rival, could not be verified for this list.

Qantas Airways reported revenue and other income of A$25.52bn for the year to 30 June 2026, compared with A$23.82bn a year earlier. Converted at the IRS 2025 average rate this is about US$16.5bn. The group carried 55.9 million passengers and operated 372 aircraft; its registered office is at 10 Bourke Road, Mascot, New South Wales. Its June year end is the latest of any group in this list.

Air Canada reported total operating revenues of C$22.37bn for 2025, broadly flat on C$22.26bn in 2024. At the IRS 2025 average rate this equals about US$16.0bn. The airline carried more than 45.3 million revenue passengers and employed about 39,300 people excluding its leisure units, and its Aeroplan loyalty programme passed 10 million members. The company is based in Montréal.

The SIA Group reported record total revenue of S$20.52bn for the year to 31 March 2026, up from S$19.54bn. That is about US$15.7bn at the IRS 2025 rate. Singapore Airlines and Scoot together carried 42.4 million passengers, and the group fleet stood at 218 aircraft, including seven freighters. Its fiscal year ends in March, three months later than the Chinese and Korean groups ranked above it.

Cathay Pacific Airways reported revenue of HK$116.77bn for 2025, up 11.9% from HK$104.37bn. At the IRS 2025 rate this equals about US$15.0bn. Cathay Pacific carried 28.9 million passengers and HK Express a further 7.9 million, and the group employs more than 33,000 people. It is the only Hong Kong-based group in this ranking.

LATAM Airlines Group reported revenue of US$14.27bn for 2025 under IFRS, compared with US$12.83bn in 2024, according to the XBRL data in its Form 20-F filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The figure is the IFRS revenue line; LATAM's own press materials may also show a total operating revenue figure that includes other income. It is the only Latin American group large enough to enter this ranking.

Alaska Air Group reported total operating revenue of US$14.24bn for 2025, up 21% from US$11.74bn, mainly because Hawaiian Airlines, acquired in September 2024, was consolidated for the full year. The group carried 58.6 million passengers, averaged 31,585 full-time-equivalent employees and had 413 operating aircraft. Alaska is a oneworld member and Hawaiian was scheduled to join the alliance in spring 2026.