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20 Most Popular Airlines in the World

In this article, we will discuss the 20 most popular airlines in the world. If you want to skip our detailed analysis of why passengers opt for certain airlines and know which airlines came at the top, you can take a look at the 5 most popular airlines in the world

Although passengers place significant importance on the price of tickets when deciding which airline to choose, the NATS Aviation Index 2019 shows that the importance of on-board facilities is increasingly growing. Besides this factor, the reputation of the airline is also essential, as 71% of the people said they would never fly with an airline that has a bad reputation. 

Based on IATA’s 2022 Global Passenger Survey, convenience was the top priority of passengers traveling in post-COVID times. Most of the passengers included in the survey wanted their planning and booking information in one single place. It’s one of the reasons why airline CIOs are prioritizing increased spending on digitalization and sustainability by 2024 — according to SITA’s 2021 Air Transport IT Insights

Airline companies are also looking to invest in technology that reduces flight times. In 2022, American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) agreed to buy supersonic planes from Boom. These planes will travel as fast as Mach 1.7, which will significantly reduce flight time. For instance, a 10-hour flight will only take 6 hours on these planes. Previously, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) also committed to buying 15 supersonic planes. 

We also found that these airline companies are among the 12 best airline stocks to buy — along with Ryanair Holdings plc (NASDAQ:RYAAY), Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK), JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU) and Spirit Airlines, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAVE). 

During the pandemic, many countries imposed strict travel restrictions to curb the spread of infections. It caused a significant decline in passengers opting for air travel. Even when the restrictions were lifted, the passengers must carry vaccination certificates. 

A significant number of airline staff was also laid off at that time. Bloomberg reported that about 400,000 airline industry workers lost their jobs during the coronavirus. To help U.S. airlines survive, the government provided a $54 billion lifeline. The airlines that got the bailout included Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV), American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) and others. 

As a lot of people have started choosing air travel again, airline companies might find it challenging to cater to the demand. If you want your travel plans to not be affected, it’s important to reach the airport early and consider flying from a smaller airport. In the case of international travel, you should check the health insurance requirements of the country you’re traveling to and arrange it beforehand. 

Methodology 

For our list of the most popular airlines worldwide, we analyzed Cirium’s Airline Passenger Rankings for 2021. These rankings are based on the yearly system-wide traffic returns for over 600 airline operations tracked in the company’s database. Then, we listed the 20 most popular airlines in the world in ascending order of high passenger traffic. 

Here are the top airlines in the world:

20. Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK)

Annual Passenger Traffic: 23.3 million

Alaska Airlines has a solid reputation for dependability, safety, and top-notch customer service, making it one of the major airlines in North America. They provide a comfortable and entertaining flying experience while connecting passengers to scenic areas through their broad route network. 

19. Azul S.A. (NYSE:AZUL)  

Annual Passenger Traffic: 23.3 million

A well-known airline in Brazil, Azul Brazilian Airlines, is renowned for its commitment to punctuality and customer satisfaction. Azul assures that travelers enjoy pleasant flights with cutting-edge amenities while they explore various diverse and exciting destinations around the world. Azul S.A. (NYSE:AZUL) Q1 2023 revenue was $913 million.

18. Lufthansa 

Annual Passenger Traffic: 23.5 million

Lufthansa is praised for its excellent customer service and dependability. It links travelers to a variety of stunning locations across the world. The airline’s fleet consists of 710 aircraft, with the average age of each aircraft being 13.1 years. 

17. Shenzhen Airlines

Annual Passenger Traffic: 24.3 million

Shenzhen Airlines commenced its operations 29 years ago. The airline’s main office is located in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. It has a fleet of over 197 aircraft and flies to several locations worldwide, mainly within China but also to neighboring Asian nations, and has good connectivity throughout the region.

16. Volaris

Annual Passenger Traffic: 24.4 million

Volaris Airlines’ headquarter is in Mexico City. With a fleet of about 123 aircraft, it offers inexpensive and practical travel options to a variety of interesting places in Mexico and throughout the Americas, including the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean.

15. Xiamen Airlines 

Annual Passenger Traffic: 26.1 million

Xiamen Airlines is one of the many Chinese airlines that are pretty popular among global travelers. Although it’s based in Xiamen, China, the airline has branches in several cities, including Beijing, Hunan, and Tianjin. The airline currently operates on around 350 routes and has 206 aircraft in its fleet.  

14. Wizz Air

Annual Passenger Traffic: 27.1 million

Founded in 2003, Wizz Air’s headquarters are in Budapest, Hungary. About 194 locations in Europe and the Middle East are serviced by the airline. As one of the top low-cost carriers in Europe, it provides travelers with a variety of accessible and economical travel options. 

13. JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU)

Annual Passenger Traffic: 30.1 million

The corporate offices of the airline are located in Long Island City, New York. JetBlue flies to about 593 destinations, mostly in the US, the Caribbean, and Latin America, with a fleet of about 285 aircraft. JetBlue provides passengers with a pleasant and joyful flying experience and is well-known for its luxurious cabins and warm customer service. 

12. Spirit Airlines, Inc. (NYSE:SAVE)

Annual Passenger Traffic: 30.8 million

The corporate headquarters of the airline is located in Miramar, Florida. It operates a fleet of about 198 aircraft and flies to about 83 locations throughout the Americas. Spirit Airlines, Inc. (NYSE:SAVE) had a net loss of $103.9 million in its Q1 2023 earnings report.

It’s a well-known low-cost airline that provides economical travel options to a variety of exciting locations for travelers on a tight budget. 

11. SkyWest, Inc. (NASDAQ:SKYW)

Annual Passenger Traffic: 35.5 million

The airline’s main office is in St. George, Utah, in the United States. SkyWest Airlines, a regional carrier that manages a fleet of approximately 500 aircraft, offers flying services on behalf of international airlines like Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL), American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL), and Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK). It improves accessibility for air travel by connecting travelers to various locations around North America.

10. Air China

Annual Passenger Traffic: 44 million

The company’s main office is in Beijing, China. The airline serves several destinations with a fleet of about 484 aircraft, which includes significant cities in Asia, Europe, and North America. As China’s flag carrier, it is crucial to connect the nation to the rest of the globe by offering a fusion of traditional Chinese hospitality with cutting-edge air travel.

9. Turkish Airlines 

Annual Passenger Traffic: 44.8 million

Turkish Airlines is one of the most popular airlines in the world. It is a significant player in the aviation sector, with its headquarters in the dynamic city of Istanbul. With a fleet of about 334 airplanes, it connects continents and cultures by flying to 262 international destinations.  

8. IndiGo

Annual Passenger Traffic: 48.4 million

The headquarters of IndiGo, the biggest and most successful low-cost carrier in India, is located in Gurgaon, Haryana. IndiGo offers service to many domestic and international destinations with a large fleet of over 310 aircraft. Millions of people can travel by air thanks to the airline’s reliability, effectiveness, and cost. 

Its new, fuel-efficient aircraft guarantees a comfortable flight, and the welcoming staff and customer-focused attitude improve the overall travel experience. IndiGo, a pioneer in the Indian aviation sector, keeps growing its network and holding onto its position as a top alternative for travelers looking for a dependable and affordable flying option. 

7. China Eastern Airlines 

Annual Passenger Traffic: 64.5 million

China Eastern Airlines is one of the major airlines of China, along with Air China and China Southern Airlines. The primary hubs of this airline are the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and the Shanghai Pudong International Airport. It operates a sizable fleet of over 619 aircraft and serves a vast network of around 156 domestic and international destinations. 

6. China Southern Airlines

Annual Passenger Traffic: 68.6 million

One of Asia’s biggest and most famous airlines, China Southern Airlines, is headquartered in Guangzhou, China. The airline has a diverse fleet of almost 850 aircraft. 

China Southern provides convenient connections and seamless travel as a part of the SkyTeam alliance. The airline, renowned for its vast route network, cutting-edge aircraft, and first-rate customer service, is essential in facilitating travel to and from China, promoting cultural exchanges, and strengthening relations between the East and the rest of the world.

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Disclosure: None. 20 Most Popular Airlines in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.

The $250 Trillion AI Hype is Real. A few years from now, you’ll probably wish you’d bought this stock.

When Jeff Bezos said that one breakthrough technology would shape Amazon’s destiny, even Wall Street’s biggest analysts were caught off guard.

Fast forward a year and Amazon’s new CEO Andy Jassy described generative AI as a “once-in-a-lifetime” technology that is already being used across Amazon to reinvent customer experiences.

At the 8th Future Investment Initiative conference, Elon Musk predicted that by 2040 there would be at least 10 billion humanoid robots, with each priced between $20,000 and $25,000.

Do the math. According to Musk, this technology could be worth $250 trillion by 2040.

Put another way, that’s roughly equal to:

  • 175 Teslas
  • 107 Amazons
  • 140 Metas
  • 84 Googles
  • 65 Microsofts
  • And 55 Nvidias

And here’s the wild part — this $250 trillion wave isn’t tied to one company, but to an entire ecosystem of AI innovators set to reshape the global economy.

It’s a leap so massive, it could reshape how businesses, governments, and consumers operate worldwide.

Even if that $250 trillion figure sounds ambitious, major firms like PwC and McKinsey still see AI unlocking multi-trillion-dollar potential.

How could anything be worth that much?

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  • Bill Gates sees artificial intelligence as the “biggest technological advance in my lifetime,” more transformative than the internet or personal computer, capable of improving healthcare, education, and addressing climate change.
  • Larry Ellison — through Oracle, is spending billions on Nvidia chips and partnering with Cohere to embed generative AI across Oracle’s cloud and apps.
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AI, Tariffs, Nuclear Power: One Undervalued Stock Connects ALL the Dots (Before It Explodes!)

Artificial intelligence is the greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime. The time to invest in groundbreaking AI is now, and this stock is a steal!

AI is eating the world—and the machines behind it are ravenous.

Each ChatGPT query, each model update, each robotic breakthrough consumes massive amounts of energy. In fact, AI is already pushing global power grids to the brink.

Wall Street is pouring hundreds of billions into artificial intelligence—training smarter chatbots, automating industries, and building the digital future. But there’s one urgent question few are asking:

Where will all of that energy come from?

AI is the most electricity-hungry technology ever invented. Each data center powering large language models like ChatGPT consumes as much energy as a small city. And it’s about to get worse.

Even Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, issued a stark warning:

“The future of AI depends on an energy breakthrough.”

Elon Musk was even more blunt:

“AI will run out of electricity by next year.”

As the world chases faster, smarter machines, a hidden crisis is emerging behind the scenes. Power grids are strained. Electricity prices are rising. Utilities are scrambling to expand capacity.

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One little-known company—almost entirely overlooked by most AI investors—could be the ultimate backdoor play. It’s not a chipmaker. It’s not a cloud platform. But it might be the most important AI stock in the US owns critical energy infrastructure assets positioned to feed the coming AI energy spike.

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The “Toll Booth” Operator of the AI Energy Boom

  • It owns critical nuclear energy infrastructure assets, positioning it at the heart of America’s next-generation power strategy.
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AI. Energy. Tariffs. Onshoring. This One Company Ties It All Together.

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The Hedge Fund Secret That’s Starting to Leak Out

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Disruption is the New Name of the Game: Let’s face it, complacency breeds stagnation.

AI is the ultimate disruptor, and it’s shaking the foundations of traditional industries.

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