Lufthansa, IAG, and Air France-KLM: Europe’s big three legacy airline group fleets compared

Europe's three largest airline groups - Lufthansa Group, International Airlines Group and Air France-KLM - display notable similarities in the scale of their widebody fleets, yet important structural differences emerge when their broader fleet compositions are examined.

As at 10-Mar-2025, Air France-KLM leads marginally in widebody aircraft in service with 195, ahead of IAG's 190 and Lufthansa Group's 189. However, Lufthansa Group's position as the largest overall operator among the three is underpinned by its significantly larger narrowbody fleet and its broader multi-brand structure.

Lufthansa Group operates 444 narrowbody aircraft, considerably more than IAG and Air France-KLM, giving it a decisive advantage in short- and medium-haul capacity. By contrast, Air France-KLM maintains the largest regional fleet, reflecting the role of regional operators such as KLM Cityhopper and HOP! in feeding its hub networks.

At the brand level, the core Lufthansa airline has the largest individual fleet among the main subsidiaries of the three groups, while second-tier brands such as KLM, Eurowings and Vueling play significant roles in shaping each group's operational profile.

Differences also extend to cargo strategy, fleet age and aircraft orders, highlighting divergent strategic priorities. Lufthansa Group's substantial orderbook and growing network of affiliated airlines further reinforce its scale advantage, positioning it for continued leadership within Europe's evolving airline group landscape.

This report compares the fleet numbers of Europe's three leading legacy airline groups and of their extended groups (which include associates, affiliates and franchise operators).