The data illustrates the leading airline groups worldwide in 2017, based on passenger traffic. In that year, the ranking was dominated by U.S.-based airlines: American Airlines topped the list, with 199.6 million passengers.
Air passengers
The rising middle classes in emerging economies are expected to help global air traffic grow at an average annual growth rate of 4% till 2034. Such emerging regions, particularly Latin America and China, are on the cusp of becoming key markets for the aviation industry. In 2015, Chinese tourists spent a staggering 292 billion USD during their holidays outside their home country.
