Biggest world airlines ranking: Lufthansa ahead of Southwest; Air France overtakes BA; Ryanair 10th
The latest rankings of the world's largest scheduled airlines for Apr-2011 reveals further change at the top, as some airlines expand capacity levels aggressively, while others cut back. As noted last month, Emirates has moved ahead of United (though the United-Continental combination would be the world's biggest, ahead of Delta by some 10%).
Other big movers in the latest ranking, based on data supplied by Innovata, include Lufthansa, which has surged ahead of Southwest Airlines into fifth place thanks to a planned 12.1% increase in capacity (as measured by ASKs) this month.
Air France has taken British Airways' position as eighth biggest, reflecting the French carrier's 1.4% increase in capacity and BA's 3.2% contraction. The Air France-KLM combination ranks fourth, behind United-Continental, Delta and American, but slightly ahead of Emirates.
Ryanair meanwhile has soared into tenth position thanks to a 22.9% surge in capacity in Apr-2011, leapfrogging US Airways, China Southern and Cathay Pacific.
Turkish Airlines and TAM are new entrants to the Top 25 list, thanks to 26.6% and 9.4% increases in capacity this month, year-on-year, respectively. Japan Airlines will shortly exit the top flight, dropping eight positions this month to 25th, reflecting a 23.6% reduction in capacity.
See related reports:
- Southwest still world's biggest LCC, IndiGo the fastest growing: Low-cost carrier rankings
- oneworld losing market share to SkyTeam, Star Alliance. Global LCC seats share now 23.1%
Global Top 25 Airlines by capacity per week (ASK) – Apr-2011 vs Apr-2010
| Airline | Apr-2010 | Apr-2011 | % Change | Rank
Apr-2010 |
Rank
Apr-2011 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 5,937,296,571 | 6,249,895,966 | 5.3% | 1 | 1 | - |
| American Airlines | 4,792,965,009 | 4,902,192,232 | 2.3% | 2 | 2 | - |
| Emirates | 3,519,854,389 | 3,851,254,062 | 9.4% | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| United Airlines | 3,771,937,779 | 3,666,580,534 | -2.8% | 3 | 4 | -1 |
| Lufthansa | 3,042,020,928 | 3,410,933,456 | 12.1% | 6 | 5 | +1 |
| Southwest
|
3,086,639,173 | 3,377,858,273 | 9.4% | 5 | 6 | -1 |
| Continental
|
2,919,510,336 | 3,180,672,340 | 8.9% | 7 | 7 | - |
| Air France | 2,854,551,854 | 2,894,717,226 | 1.4% | 9 | 8 | +1 |
| British Airways | 2,873,788,166 | 2,781,133,319 | -3.2% | 8 | 9 | -1 |
| Ryanair | 1,958,531,669 | 2,406,391,794 | 22.9% | 14 | 10 | +4 |
| US Airways | 2,222,381,586 | 2,285,142,615 | 2.8% | 10 | 11 | -1 |
| China Southern | 2,102,723,226 | 2,274,816,863 | 8.2% | 11 | 12 | -1 |
| Cathay Pacific | 2,014,164,647 | 2,252,627,118 | 11.8% | 12 | 13 | -1 |
| Singapore Airlines | 1,997,900,188 | 2,173,376,653 | 8.8% | 13 | 14 | -1 |
| Air China | 1,915,736,772 | 2,037,024,561 | 6.3% | 15 | 15 | - |
| Qantas Airways | 1,856,115,550 | 1,956,620,874 | 5.4% | 16 | 16 | - |
| KLM | 1,717,519,964 | 1,837,379,893 | 7.0% | 18 | 17 | +1 |
| China Eastern | 1,637,080,196 | 1,821,163,137 | 11.2% | 20 | 18 | +2 |
| Air Canada | 1,672,271,834 | 1,801,556,408 | 7.7% | 19 | 19 | - |
| Korean Air
|
1,609,519,074 | 1,634,930,230 | 1.6% | 21 | 20 | +1 |
| Thai Airways | 1,490,590,421 | 1,565,223,924 | 5.0% | 22 | 21 | +1 |
| Turkish Airlines | 1,190,271,934 | 1,506,738,600 | 26.6% | n/a | 22 | n/a |
| Qatar Airways | 1,386,153,561 | 1,500,123,534 | 8.2% | 23 | 23 | - |
| TAM | 1,318,839,639 | 1,443,094,297 | 9.4% | n/a | 24 | n/a |
| Japan Airlines | 1,781,102,001 | 1,361,115,321 | -23.6% | 17 | 25 | -8 |
| TOTAL | 60,669,466,469 | 64,172,563,230 | 5.8% |