Jax asked us this one day at the airport: "Which airline is the biggest?" It depends on how you measure — passengers, planes, or destinations. Here are the top 10 by passengers per year.
Which Airline Carries the Most Passengers?
American Airlines carries the most passengers of any airline in the world — over 225 million per year. In fact, the top four airlines are all based in the United States. Here's the full ranking:
1. American Airlines (USA)
American Airlines is the world's largest airline. It carries over 225 million passengers every year and has more than 900 airplanes — the biggest fleet in the world! Their main hub is Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), but they also have major hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington D.C. They fly to over 350 destinations in 60+ countries. American flies mostly Boeing 737s and Airbus A321s for domestic routes, and Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 777s for long international flights.
2. Delta Air Lines (USA)
Delta is the second biggest and is known for being really reliable — they consistently rank as one of the most on-time airlines. They carry about 190 million passengers a year. Delta's biggest hub is Atlanta (ATL), the busiest airport on Earth with over 93 million passengers a year. They also have major hubs in Detroit, Minneapolis, New York (JFK), Salt Lake City, and Seattle. Delta's fleet includes over 800 aircraft.
3. United Airlines (USA)
United Airlines connects people to over 350 destinations in 75+ countries. They carry about 181 million passengers every year. Their main hub is Chicago O'Hare (ORD), and they have major hubs in Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington Dulles. United operates over 800 aircraft and is known for its extensive Pacific route network — they fly to more Asian destinations than any other U.S. airline.
4. Southwest Airlines (USA)
Southwest is special because they only fly one type of airplane — the Boeing 737! This makes it easier to train their pilots and mechanics, and keeps costs low. They carry about 160 million passengers a year. Southwest doesn't have traditional hubs — instead, they focus on point-to-point flights between 120+ cities. They're also known for free checked bags and no change fees.
5. China Southern Airlines (China)
China Southern is the biggest airline in Asia and the largest in China. With about 174 million passengers a year, they connect cities all across China and fly to many countries around the world. They're based in Guangzhou and operate over 600 aircraft — one of the largest fleets in the world. Their fleet includes everything from small regional jets to Airbus A380 double-deckers.
6. Ryanair (Ireland)
Ryanair is Europe's biggest airline and the world's largest low-cost carrier. They're known for really cheap tickets — sometimes as low as $10 for short flights! They carry about 155 million passengers a year, mostly flying between cities in Europe. Ryanair is based in Dublin, Ireland, and operates over 500 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Like Southwest, they fly just one aircraft type to keep costs down.
7. China Eastern Airlines (China)
China Eastern is China's second-largest airline, carrying about 150 million passengers a year. Based in Shanghai — China's business and financial capital — they operate from both Pudong (PVG) and Hongqiao (SHA) airports. China Eastern flies over 600 aircraft to 200+ destinations and is a member of the SkyTeam alliance. They were the first airline in the world to fly the COMAC C919, China's homegrown narrow-body jet.
8. IndiGo (India)
IndiGo is India's largest airline and one of the fastest-growing in the world. They carry about 110 million passengers, mostly flying within India's massive domestic market. Founded in 2006, IndiGo now controls over 60% of India's domestic air travel market. They fly over 350 Airbus A320 family aircraft — making them one of the largest Airbus operators in the world.
9. Turkish Airlines (Turkey)
Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other airline in the world — over 120 countries and 340+ destinations! They carry about 83 million passengers a year from their hub at Istanbul Airport (IST), one of the newest and largest airports in the world. Turkey's location between Europe and Asia makes Istanbul a perfect connecting hub. Turkish Airlines has won "Best Airline in Europe" multiple times.
10. Lufthansa (Germany)
Lufthansa is one of Europe's oldest airlines, flying since 1953. They carry about 80 million passengers a year and are known for their excellent service and engineering heritage. Based in Frankfurt and Munich, Lufthansa is also the parent company of Swiss, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines. Their fleet includes over 250 aircraft, and they're one of the biggest operators of the Airbus A350.
Most Popular Airlines by Region
Here's a quick look at the biggest airline on each continent:
- North America: American Airlines (225M+ passengers)
- Europe: Ryanair (155M+ passengers)
- Asia: China Southern Airlines (174M passengers)
- Middle East: Emirates (56M+ passengers)
- South America: LATAM Airlines (70M+ passengers)
- Africa: Ethiopian Airlines (15M+ passengers)
- Oceania: Qantas (50M+ passengers)
Fun Facts About the Biggest Airlines
- If you added up all the passengers from these 10 airlines, that's over 1.5 billion trips a year — more than the entire population of India taking a flight!
- The top 4 airlines are all American — the U.S. has the largest domestic air travel market in the world.
- China has two airlines in the top 10 (China Southern and China Eastern), reflecting the massive growth of Chinese air travel.
- Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other airline — over 120 countries from its Istanbul hub.
- Southwest and Ryanair both fly only Boeing 737s — proving you can be one of the biggest airlines with just one type of plane.
You can see the planes these airlines fly by clicking on their countries on our map. Want to know more about those planes? Read about the types of airplanes or learn the difference between Boeing and Airbus. And if you're curious about the ultra-long routes some of these airlines fly, check out the longest flights in the world.