Excellent connections: The 5 best airlines for international travel
Over the years, international travel has become more accessible in most parts of the world, and many cities are connected by a single flight. The world's largest airlines operate flights to more than 200 cities from various transportation centers. Due to fleet growth and route expansion plans, some airlines are growing over the next few years, offering passengers access to even more destinations.
The publication simpleflying.com has prepared a list of the five largest international airlines by number of destinations served. This includes both current routes and routes that will be launched in the next few months.
Carriers in the United States and other territories have an extensive domestic network that covers nearly 300 cities, but fewer international destinations. Wherever you want to go, the carriers below can take you to almost any part of the world.
5. Air France
The French airline, a member of the Air France-KLM group and a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance is the fifth airline in the world in terms of international connections. Already having a strong domestic network, it serves 177 international destinations in 83 countries.
Among them are Madagascar and Senegal in Africa, Beijing and New Delhi in Asia, Rome and Stockholm in Europe, Mexico City and Denver in North America, and Lima and Buenos Aires in South America. Based in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), the airline's domestic network covers Toulouse, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux and other cities.
4. Lufthansa
Lufthansa is one of the largest airlines in Europe in terms of fleet size, number of passengers carried, and number of destinations. With its main airport in Frankfurt am Main (FRA), the German national carrier operates flights to 211 destinations, including 194 international and 17 domestic ones.
The airline flies to Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America. Unsurprisingly, most of the routes run through Europe, connecting the continent's largest cities, including London, Paris, Madrid, and Amsterdam. The carrier also serves about 20 destinations in the United States. Its domestic destinations include Munich (MUC), Hamburg (HAM), Berlin (BER), and Dusseldorf (DUS).
Lufthansa's fleet currently consists of 313 aircraft. With 216 new aircraft on order, the airline plans to grow even further over the next few years.
3. British Airways
Although British Airways' fleet is somewhat smaller than that of the German airline, it is the third largest airline in the world by number of international connections. Based at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), it operates flights to more than 200 destinations in 77 countries, including the UK. This also includes more than 25 destinations in the United States, making it one of the largest international operators in that country.
British Airways is one of the few carriers that operates flights to all six inhabited continents – Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North and South America. The airline's main focus is Europe, which accounts for more than 50% of its flights. Intercontinental destinations include Atlanta, São Paulo, Cape Town, Sydney and Tokyo.
2. Ryanair
Ryanair is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, but the company has established several hubs across Europe. It is one of the world's largest operators in terms of the number of destinations served, fleet size, number of passengers carried, and other indicators. Although the carrier does not fly to as many countries as other airlines, it ranks second with 229 international destinations.
It flies to only three continents – Africa, Europe, and Asia, with Europe being its main target. The airline is constantly opening new routes across the continent, bringing passengers to major cities like London and Paris and smaller islands like Gran Canaria and Ponta Delgada.
Interestingly, Ryanair is the second largest intercontinental carrier to Africa, despite serving only one country – Morocco. It serves 12 cities in the North African country and is expected to launch domestic flights this summer.
1. Turkish Airlines
As of February 2024, Turkish Airlines is the largest scheduled passenger carrier in the world. It operates flights to 119 of the 195 recognized countries in the world, making it the largest carrier by number of countries served. Its main hub is Istanbul International Airport (IST), and it has destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.
It is planning to add Melbourne, Australia, making it one of the few carriers serving all six inhabited continents. Turkish has 13 destinations in the United States, including New York, Atlanta, Boston, Houston, and Miami. Its domestic destinations include Istanbul (Sabiha), Antalya, Adana, and Ankara.
According to ch-aviation, the Turkish national airline currently has a fleet of 449 aircraft, with another 315 on order.
Earlier, TravelWise reported that Turkish Airlines plans to launch non-stop flights from Istanbul to major cities in Australia.
