Ever wondered which airlines is the largest in the world? From passenger numbers to revenue, there are many ways to rank the world’s airlines, but when it comes to the number of aircraft, the list looks quite different.
Measuring the world’s largest airlines depends on the criteria one chooses. Some measure it by annual passenger numbers, others by market share or revenue. However, if we look at it by largest fleet size, i.e., number of aircraft, the picture is little different. There are over 700 officially recognised scheduled commercial airlines worldwide, but out of this, only a fraction operate on massive scale. If we include the number of companies with airline codes, including charter, cargo, private, and other types of airlines, then it is significantly higher, reaching approximately 5,000 to 5,500. Reports suggest that approximately 720 airlines are actively operating globally.
Why is the number of aircraft important?
Fleet size or the number of aircraft indicates how many planes an airline has and how many passengers it can serve simultaneously. A larger fleet allows an airline to increase the number of flights, expand connectivity and capture a bigger market share. Based solely on the number of aircraft, United Airlines is currently the world’s largest airline. While the US airline market is huge, airlines in China and India are also rapidly expanding their fleets. This clearly demonstrates the growing competition in the global airline industry. Here’s list of top 10 airlines by fleet size.
World’s Top 10 Airlines
1. United Airlines
United Airlines is the world’s largest airline by fleet size. It operates approximately 1,050 to 1,055 planes. These aircraft are primarily Boeing and Airbus narrow-body aircraft. It also has wide-body aircraft such as the 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner, and Airbus A320 family.
2. American Airlines
American Airlines ranks second with approximately 1,002 aircraft. This airline also relies primarily on Boeing and Airbus narrow-body and wide-body carriers. Notably, three of the top 10 largest airlines are American airlines: United, American Airlines, and Delta Airlines. This reflects the size of the air travel market in the United States.
3. Delta Airlines
Third is the Delta Airlines, which has approximately 986 planes. Delta Airlines is one of the world’s leading airlines, and its number of planes makes it one of the largest airlines with a large fleet.
4. Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines, also based in the United States, ranks fourth. It has a fleet of approximately 810-820 aircraft. This airline is extremely popular for domestic travel and relies on the Boeing 737.
Chinese Airlines Rank 5th, 6th, and 7th
Interestingly, three Chinese airlines are among the world’s top 10. These include, China Eastern Airlines which is ranked fifth with 738 aircraft, China Southern Airlines ranked sixth with 704 aircraft, and Air China ranked seventh with 522 aircraft.
8. IndiGo
India’s IndiGo airline ranks eighth. It has a fleet of approximately 417 aircraft. A rapidly growing airline, IndiGo uses Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
9. Turkish Airlines
Turkey’s Turkish Airlines is ranked ninth with a fleet of approximately 356 aircraft. This airline operates on key routes in Europe and Asia.
10. EasyJet Airline
The United Kingdom’s EasyJet is at number 10. It has a fleet of approximately 337 aircraft. EasyJet is primarily a low-cost airline and is quite popular in Europe.
