5 most profitable airlines of the SkyTeam alliance

There are many ways to measure the size of an airline: from fleet size, number of destinations and passengers, to elements such as profit and market capitalization on the financial side. It's no surprise that various airlines turn out to be the largest in the world when analyzed through this lens.

But there is one statistic that really measures the scale of a business: revenue. It allows us to understand how much money a carrier receives from ticket sales and other products. The 5 largest and richest alliance airlines are described in the article by simpleflying.com.

Alliances such as the expansive SkyTeam are critical for airlines hoping to expand their capacity and route network beyond what they can operate on their own.

Delta Air Lines

Revenue: $53.99 billion

Founded in 1925, the American airline Delta Air Lines has been flying for almost a century and operates a traditional network of hubs and spokes. It is based at many different airports in the United States, including its most important base of operations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

Delta leads not only the SkyTeam alliance in terms of revenue, but also the entire airline industry. Today, Delta operates to 305 destinations with a huge fleet of 945 aircraft.

Air France-KLM

Revenue: $29.41 billion

Air France-KLM Group is a French holding company that controls French and Dutch airlines. Having carried almost 83 million passengers in 2022, the conglomerate has grown to become one of the largest airlines in the world.

Founded less than 20 years ago after the merger of Air France and KLM, two of Europe's largest airlines, the carrier continues to innovate. The Air France member carrier maintains an extensive network, serving 184 different destinations with a dynamic fleet of 243 aircraft. KLM, the other half of the combined group, operates a similarly extensive network of 164 destinations, but has a smaller fleet of 110 aircraft.

China Eastern Airlines

Revenue: $12.01 billion

China Eastern is one of the country's "big three" international airlines. What's amazing is that both China Eastern, a major Chinese airline, and China Airlines, the flag carrier of neighboring Taiwan, are part of the SkyTeam alliance.

The airline continues to implement various innovative initiatives, including the introduction of the Chinese-made COMAC C919 into its fleet earlier this year. Today, the airline serves 220 destinations worldwide with a fleet of 619 different aircraft.

Korean Air

Revenue: $10.9 billion

Founded more than 60 years ago, South Korean airline Korean Air was one of the founders of not only the SkyTeam alliance, but also SkyTeam Cargo. This airline is one of the few in the world that simultaneously operates both mammoth commercial aircraft: Boeing 747-8I and Airbus A380 double-decker aircraft.

The carrier's operations are very wide: in total, Korean Air operates flights to 108 different cities with a large fleet of 164 aircraft. In addition, the airline is only one of ten five-star carriers.

Virgin Atlantic

Revenue: $3.613 billion

The second largest airline in the UK, Virgin Atlantic, took 5th place in the ranking. This carrier stands out from the rest, having joined the alliance on March 2, 2023, significantly expanding SkyTeam's presence at London Heathrow International Airport (LHR).

Operating a combination of Boeing and Airbus wide-body aircraft, Virgin Atlantic focuses on transatlantic travel between London's hubs and major North American cities, as its name suggests. In total, the airline serves only 32 destinations with a fleet of 41 aircraft, which makes the airline's revenue figures even more impressive.