Emirates replaces United Airlines as world’s third largest carrier: Top 25 Rankings
Dubai-based Emirates continues its rise up the world rankings, taking third place ahead of United Airlines in terms of monthly capacity (ASKs). Emirates will produce 16.9 billion ASKs in Mar-2011, up 9.9% year-on-year, while United's capacity is easing 0.6% to just under 16 billion ASKs, according to the latest data from schedules provider, Innovata.
Delta Air Lines and American retain first and second rankings, with 28.4 billion and 21.8 billion ASKs, respectively, while Southwest Airlines rounds out the Top 5.
British Airways has reclaimed ninth position from rival Air France with 12.7 billion and 12.6 billion ASKs this month, respectively, growing 4.7% and 3.0%.
Other notable movers include Ryanair, which has risen from 20th place in Mar-2010 to 16th this year with 8.3 billion ASKs. Ryanair is the third fastest growing carrier of the global Top 25, with an 18.3% increase in capacity scheduled for this month, behind Turkish Airlines (+21.9%) and Qatar Airways (+20.3%), which are also surging up the rankings of the world's biggest airlines.
Japan Airlines will soon exit the top flight, falling from 16th to 25th over the past year, thanks to a 22.1% year-on-year reduction in ASKs to 6.1 billion.
The Top 25 carriers account for 50.8% of global capacity, down from 51.7% in Mar-2010. As a group, they are increasing capacity by 6.7%, slightly below the 8.6% year-on-year surge in global capacity this month.
Global Top 25 Airlines by capacity (ASK) - Mar-2011 vs Mar-2010
|
Operating Airline |
Rank Mar-10 |
Mar-10 |
Rank Mar-11 |
Mar-11 |
% Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
26,364,136,670 |
1 |
28,372,453,003 |
7.6% |
|
|
2 |
21,027,737,107 |
2 |
21,796,528,464 |
3.7% |
|
|
4 |
15,386,366,712 |
3 |
16,913,502,614 |
9.9% |
|
|
3 |
16,080,603,172 |
4 |
15,976,413,506 |
-0.6% |
|
|
5 |
13,319,283,847 |
5 |
14,480,548,895 |
8.7% |
|
|
6 |
13,019,311,391 |
6 |
14,170,584,045 |
8.8% |
|
|
7 |
12,475,379,670 |
7 |
14,127,065,440 |
13.2% |
|
|
9 |
12,188,220,699 |
8 |
12,763,571,027 |
4.7% |
|
|
8 |
12,223,523,140 |
9 |
12,587,751,183 |
3.0% |
|
|
10 |
9,646,857,246 |
10 |
9,949,898,177 |
3.1% |
|
|
11 |
9,009,781,821 |
11 |
9,903,638,741 |
9.9% |
|
|
13 |
8,730,511,658 |
12 |
9,612,907,291 |
10.1% |
|
|
12 |
8,789,574,958 |
13 |
9,358,898,830 |
6.5% |
|
|
14 |
8,313,922,870 |
14 |
8,858,900,354 |
6.6% |
|
|
15 |
8,041,650,291 |
15 |
8,383,960,293 |
4.3% |
|
|
20 |
7,035,392,192 |
16 |
8,321,753,769 |
18.3% |
|
|
17 |
7,543,723,563 |
17 |
8,191,454,017 |
8.6% |
|
|
18 |
7,313,811,821 |
18 |
7,784,871,450 |
6.4% |
|
|
21 |
6,757,115,023 |
19 |
7,696,727,086 |
13.9% |
|
|
19 |
7,050,647,131 |
20 |
7,418,752,981 |
5.2% |
|
|
22 |
6,691,436,244 |
21 |
7,003,683,713 |
4.7% |
|
|
- |
5,398,826,904 |
22 |
6,495,280,838 |
20.3% |
|
|
23 |
5,798,329,654 |
23 |
6,236,293,379 |
7.6% |
|
|
- |
5,082,212,121 |
24 |
6,196,718,940 |
21.9% |
|
|
16 |
7,870,638,176 |
25 |
6,133,873,129 |
-22.1% |
|
|
Sub-total Top 25 |
|
261,158,994,082 |
278,736,031,164 |
6.7% |
|
|
GRAND TOTAL |
|
505,222,324,927 |
|
548,865,014,054 |
8.6% |