The net profit of commercial airlines worldwide fluctuated over the period given. Specifically, those companies reported significant losses of 137.7 and 42 billion U.S. dollars between 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the source, commercial airlines are expected to register a net profit of 4.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. This will be the first positive earning since 2020.
U.S. airline industry
In 2022, the U.S. airline industry generated total operating revenue of nearly 279.6 billion U.S. dollars. As one of the largest markets in the airline industry worldwide, the country also has about a third of all airports in the world - more than any other country: around 15,000 airports of all sizes, out of which more than 5,000 have paved runways. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia is the busiest airport in the country, having handled a little just under 37 million passengers in 2021.
U.S. airlines
Major airline companies in the United States can be classified into three categories: mainline passenger lines, regional airlines and freight carriers. Mainline passenger companies include carriers such as Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines or Virgin America. Regional airlines include the following carriers: Envoy Air, ExpressJet and SkyWest Airlines, while the largest freight carriers are FedEx Express and UPS Airlines; these two companies topped a worldwide ranking of airlines based on cargo volume in 2020. Based on passenger traffic, American Airlines came second in a worldwide ranking, with around 95.32 million passengers, while Southwest recorded the largest amount of domestic enplanements - roughly 121 million in 2021.
Net profit of commercial airlines worldwide from 2006 to 2021 and with a forecast until 2023
(in billion U.S. dollars)
* This figure was taken from a previous edition which was released prior to the coronavirus outbreak and can be accessed here.
** Forecast
Figures prior to 2020 were taken from previous reports.
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IATA. (May 25, 2023). Net profit of commercial airlines worldwide from 2006 to 2021 and with a forecast until 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 18, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/232513/net-profit-of-commercial-airlines-worldwide/
IATA. "Net profit of commercial airlines worldwide from 2006 to 2021 and with a forecast until 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)." Chart. May 25, 2023. Statista. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/232513/net-profit-of-commercial-airlines-worldwide/
IATA. (2023). Net profit of commercial airlines worldwide from 2006 to 2021 and with a forecast until 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 18, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/232513/net-profit-of-commercial-airlines-worldwide/
IATA. "Net Profit of Commercial Airlines Worldwide from 2006 to 2021 and with a Forecast until 2023 (in Billion U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 25 May 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/232513/net-profit-of-commercial-airlines-worldwide/
IATA, Net profit of commercial airlines worldwide from 2006 to 2021 and with a forecast until 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/232513/net-profit-of-commercial-airlines-worldwide/ (last visited June 18, 2024)
Net profit of commercial airlines worldwide from 2006 to 2021 and with a forecast until 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph], IATA, May 25, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/232513/net-profit-of-commercial-airlines-worldwide/