Are you interested in the 9 most profitable airlines in the world? If so, come with us and read this list. There is a fierce competition among the airline companies for the travelers and the profit. Now we have come up with a new compilation about the most profitable according to Insider Monkey’s latest article.
There are 200 airlines in the world, so Insider Monkey had to find the most profitable ones, by listing the total amount of profits it generated in 2018, as we don’t have the new data about the companies yet. They took into consideration the the number of aircraft it operates with, the number of the countries where they fly, and the destinatons in the world.
If we want to see how big airline market is, and how much money is in it, we need to check out the situation of the US airlines, US airlines file quarterly financial reports with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). The whole US airline industry made an after-tax profit of $25 billion in 2015. While during the fourth quarter of 2018, US airlines made revenues of almost $26 billion.
Now without a further ado, let’s check what Insider Monkey have found for us about the 9 most profitable airlines in the world. For more arresting information and data, read the original compliation!
#9 Air France KLM
Air France and KLM merged, and now Air France KLM operates from two major hubs: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, where Air France is headquartered, and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, where KLM has its base. The group registered a 150% increase in profits in 2018 that came in at $463 million.
#8 China Southern Airline
Its headquarter is in Guangzhou. In 2018 the airline generated $21.7 billion in revenues leading to a net profit of $509 million.
#7 American Airlines
Its headquarter is in Dallas-Fort Worth, and it operates with 6,800 flights daily, covers 350 destinations to more than 50 countries. In 2018, American Airlines generated $44.6 billion in operating revenues, leading to a pre-tax profit of $1.9 billion.
#6 United Airlines Holdings
Its headquarter is in Chicago, Illinois, and it really deserves its place among the most profitable airlines in the world. It generated a net income of $2.1 billion in 2018 after setting a new record on the most revenue passengers ever. The airline achieved a record completion rate on completing more than 1.7 million flights.
#5 Lufthansa
We are half way through our list of the most profitable airlines in the world, the fifth one is Lufthansa. It’s also the largest European airline in terms of passengers carried. Its headquarter is in Cologne Germany, and it has more than 700 aircrafts. The airline generated a profit of $2.5 billion in 2018, affirming its credentials as one of the most profitable airlines in the world.
#4 Southwest Airlines
This airline is the only low-cost one in our list now. Its headquarter is in Dallas, Texas. It operates over 4,000 departures during the peak travel season. It operates mainly in the U.S. focusing on domestic passengers. The airline generated a net income amounting to $2.5 billion in 2018, slightly lower from a net income of $3.4 billion recorded in 2017.
#3 International Airlines Group
It’s among the bigegest airlines in the world, International Airlines Group came into being following the merger of British Airways and the U.K flagship carrier and Iberia, Spain’s flagship carrier. It’s registered in Madrid, Spain but the headquerter is in the U.K. IAG reported a pre-tax profit of $3.5 billion in 2018.
#2 FedEx
FedEx is a U.S. airline service and provides courier delivery services. Its headquarter is in Memphis, Tennessee, and it’s well-known for its shipping service. In 2018, the airline generated $65.5 billion in revenues leading to a net income of $4.57 billion.
#1 Delta Airlines
Believe it or not, the first place is given to Delta Airlines, which is the most profitable one in the world. Its headquarter is in Atlanta, Georgia, and it operates about 5,400 flights a year, with 325 destinations and 52 countries. It also operates from nine hubs, among which Atlanta is the biggest one. The airline generated $5.2 billion in pre-tax profit in 2018, propelling it to the first spot as the most profitable airline.
We hope you enjoyed the compilation about the 9 most profitable airlines in the world 2020 renkings.
