The Airlines That Fly to the Most Destinations

Demand for air travel just keeps growing. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects that 5.8% more passengers will take to the skies in 2025 compared with the year prior. They’ll fly on more than 700 airlines through 3,945 airports currently in operation around the globe. While many of these carriers are downright tiny, a select few are behemoths of the industry — thanks to decades of history, mergers, and ambitious route network expansion. Here are the 10 airlines that serve the most destinations in 2025, according to aviation intelligence and data firm ch-aviation.

10. British Airways

Number of destinations served: 212

As the United Kingdom’s flag carrier, British Airways is No. 10 on the list of airlines that serve the most destinations. It certainly helps that the airline’s home base, London Heathrow, is one of the planet’s busiest airports. In 2026, British Airways plans to expand its route network with new flights to Graz, Austria, and Rabat, Morocco.

9. Air China

Number of destinations served: 213

Air China, the official flag carrier of the People’s Republic of China, is based in the country’s capital, Beijing. The airline serves every single continent except Antarctica, but over half of its destinations are domestic, which should come as no surprise considering China is the world’s fourth-largest country by area. 

8. Lufthansa

Number of destinations served: 216

Germany’s flag carrier serves more than 200 destinations worldwide on its own. But if you consider the entire Lufthansa Group of airlines — which includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Eurowings, and several smaller regional carriers — that number skyrockets to more than 300 destinations served with over 12,000 weekly frequencies in peak summer season. 

7. China Eastern Airlines

Number of destinations served: 232

China Eastern is the second-largest airline in China, but its main hubs — Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport — are located in the country’s most populous metro area: Shanghai. The airline made headlines recently by announcing the world’s longest “direct” flight. The new route will connect Shanghai to Buenos Aires, but there’s a refueling stop in Auckland, New Zealand. In all, the journey will take a whopping 29 hours.

5. China Southern Airlines (tie)

Number of destinations served: 233

Headquartered in Guangzhou and operating a fleet of more than 600 aircraft, China Southern is the largest carrier in China and the Chinese airline that serves the most destinations around the globe. This winter, the carrier will launch its first route to Spain, with thrice-weekly flights from Guangzhou to Madrid. 

5. Ryanair (tie)

Number of destinations served: 233

Thanks to its low-fare model, this pioneering Irish ultra-low-cost carrier has grown rapidly since its founding in 1984. When you’re visiting Europe, it’s likely Ryanair is the airline that can get you from city to city nonstop for the cheapest price, but it comes with a catch — you’ll have to pay for anything extra (even water). And soon, you won’t even be able to get a paper boarding pass; only your mobile phone will work. The airline has been a vocal proponent of industry-leading cost-cutting moves such as this one, even going so far as to explore installing standing-only seats.

4. Turkish Airlines

Number of destinations served: 292

Turkish Airlines’ mega-hub in the transcontinental city of Istanbul is perfectly positioned to facilitate connections between North America and Europe to cities throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and beyond. While Turkish ranks No. 4 in terms of destinations served, it takes the crown for most countries served out of any airline in the world (125).

3. Delta Air Lines

Number of destinations served: 315

Headquartered at the world’s busiest airport in Atlanta, Delta Air Lines serves more than 300 airports around the globe. Next summer, the airline is expanding its route map with new service from New York’s JFK Airport to Porto, Portugal; Malta; and Sardinia, Italy. Delta will be the first and only U.S. carrier to serve the latter two European airports. 

2. American Airlines

Number of destinations served: 363

American is the largest airline in the world, by both passengers carried and fleet size. With a combined mainline and regional (American Eagle) fleet of more than 1,500 aircraft, the Fort Worth-based airline offers service to 63 countries on more than 1,300 routes. 

1. United Airlines

Number of destinations served: 379

No airline flies to more destinations than United, which serves a whopping 379 airports across the globe. As of late, United has been on an international expansion kick, becoming the first and only U.S. airline to offer flights to countries such as Greenland, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.