Overview
Since the first aircraft was built by the Wright brothers in 1903, 150,000+ planes have been built, with ~90,000 currently operational worldwide. They include planes for military (~54,000), research, recreation, private, businesses (mining, farming etc), commercial cargo, and commercial passenger travel.
There are ~29,000 active commercial passenger planes, making ~120,000 daily flights, and carrying more than five billion passengers each year. At any time of day or night there are 10,000+ planes flying on Earth's atmosphere.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, a UN body) includes more than 5,000 airlines from 193 countries, while the International Air Transport Association (IATA, an airlines cartel) includes more than 1,100 commercial airlines. Most airlines are domestic or low-cost carriers. Yet, there are ~100 airlines that are global, i.e. they offer many regular international flights and carry tens of millions of passengers each year.
At Bowing Travel, we specialize in airlines that offer long-haul international flights from/to Australia. This is a select league of ~30 airlines that are best and biggest in the world.
Top 12 Airlines, by Revenues (2024)
(US$ Billion per year)
- Delta: 62
- United: 58
- American: 54
- Lufthansa Group: 43
- Emirates: 37
- Air France+KLM: 36
- IAG: 34
- Southwest: 27
- China Southern: 24
- Air China: 23
- Turkish: 22
- Qatar: 22
Top 10 Airlines, by Fleet Size (2025)
(number of active planes)
- United: 1037
- American: 992
- Delta: 986
- China Southern: 850
- Southwest: 801
- China Eastern: 800
- Ryanair: 624
- Skywest: 579
- Air China: 500
- Turkish: 493
Top 10 Airlines, by Passengers (2025)
(million passengers per year)
- American: 211
- Delta: 190
- Ryanair: 184
- United: 164
- Southwest: 134
- Lufthansa Group: 123
- IAG: 115
- IndiGo: 104
- Air France/KLM: 94
- Turkish: 84
Top 10 Airlines, by International Destinations (2025)
(countries flown to)
- Turkish: 124
- Qatar: 92
- Ethiopian: 87
- Air France: 86
- Emirates: 80
- United: 77
- British: 77
- Lufthansa: 75
- KLM: 66
- American: 61
Skytrax is an independent rating body that publishes annual airlines rankings. They list ten airlines that have 5-stars rating, 62 airlines with 4-stars rating, and 157 airlines with 3-stars or lower rating.
At Bowing Travel, we accept only the best airlines for our clients and do not compromise on quality. We offer only flights from airlines having 5-stars rating, few with 4-stars rating, or Top-20 ranking.
Skytrax 5-Stars Airlines
(Alphabetical order, only 11)
- ANA
- Asiana
- Cathay Pacific
- EVA Air
- Garuda
- Hainan
- Japan Air
- Korean Air
- Qatar
- Singapore
- STARLUX
Skytrax 4-Stars Airlines
(Alphabetical order, selected from 49)
- Air Canada
- Air France
- Air New Zealand
- Austrian
- British
- China Airlines
- China Southern
- Emirates
- Etihad
- Ethiopian
- Finnair
- Iberia
- KLM
- Lufthansa
- Malaysia
- Oman
- Qantas
- Royal Brunei
- Saudia
- Swiss
- Thai
- Turkish
- Virgin
Skytrax Top 10 Airlines, overall (2025)
- Qatar
- Singapore
- Cathay
- Emirates
- ANA
- Turkish
- Korean
- Air France
- Japan
- Hainan
Skytrax Top 20 Airlines, First Class (2025)
- Singapore
- Emirates
- Air France
- Cathay
- Lufthansa
- ANA
- Japan
- Swiss
- Qatar
- British
- Qantas
- Etihad
- Saudia
- Korean
- Thai
- STARLUX
- China Eastern
- Garuda
- Air China
- Kuwait
Skytrax Top 20 Airlines, Business Class (2025)
- Qatar
- Singapore
- ANA
- Cathay
- Air France
- Hainan
- STARLUX
- Japan
- Turkish
- Virgin Atlantic
- Emirates
- EVA Air
- Qantas
- Delta
- Etihad
- Lufthansa
- Iberia
- British
- Finnair
- Swiss
- Saudia