Airplanes carry goods and passengers millions of miles across the country and the world every day. Some of the largest fleets in North America belong to private airlines, and these companies comprise the majority of the air traffic seen in the United States for industrial, commercial, and private use. While companies like UPS and FedEx command large fleets of aircraft for transporting goods and packages across the country, the largest airlines in North America are commercial airlines that focus on individual passenger delivery. The following are the 10 largest airlines in North America.
The List
- American Airlines. The largest private airline in the United States, American Airlines transported nearly 200 million passengers in 2016 with a fleet of 958 aircraft.
- Delta Air Lines. Delta carried more than 183 million passengers to their destinations in 2016 with a fleet of 870 aircraft.
- Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines used its fleet of 732 aircraft to carry more than 150 million passengers to their destinations in 2016.
- United Airlines. Despite several recent scandals, United Airlines remains the No. 4 airline in North America, reporting 143 million passengers in 2016 with a fleet of 748 aircraft.
- Air Canada. The Canadian airline commands a fleet of 170 aircraft, which delivered almost 45 million passengers to their destinations in 2016.
- Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines took nearly 42 million passengers to their destinations in 2016 using a fleet of 156 aircraft. Alaskan Airlines serves most of the Pacific Northwest and many flights in and out of the icy airports of Alaska’s major cities.
- JetBlue Airways. More than 38 million passengers took JetBlue aircraft to destinations all over North America in 2016, and the airline owns a fleet of 233 aircraft.
- WestJet. The second-largest Canadian airline is WestJet. The company transported 22 million passengers in 2016 with a fleet of 119 aircraft.
- Aeroméxico. This Mexican airline delivered almost 19 million passengers to destinations in 2015 with a fleet of 72 aircraft.
- Spirit Airlines. Spirit is the tenth-largest North American airline with a fleet of 105 aircraft.
These airlines are mostly responsible for transporting individual passengers to hundreds of destinations all over North America, and the largest airlines on the continent make thousands of departures every day. Anyone flying in North America should take the time to familiarize themselves with an airline’s history and recent company events before flying with them. Airlines fall under the supervision of the Federal Aviation Administration, the government entity responsible for handling civil aviation. Airlines are also subject to common carrier laws in most situations involving damages to passengers.
Anyone who suspects an airline has caused them damage or harm in any way should speak with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. The right plane crash attorney will help an injured airline passenger secure compensation from any available avenues after an accident. The previously mentioned airlines have maintained their positions as leaders in North American aviation and generally strive to provide passengers with the best experiences possible. However, anyone who suffers injuries or other losses due to airline employee’s actions should know their options for legal recourse.