www.globalaviationenglish.com

 

Chapter 2: Applying for a Job

 

  

Ø  Section 1 – Choosing the Right Company

The very first step of applying for a job is to determine what company you would like to work for. There may be some obvious choices but it its best to examine several factors to determine if a particular airline is suited for you. Chapter 4 of this guidebook provides an extensive list of international carriers to study. When you examine an airline for employment possibilities, be sure to consider the following:

1. Location: Where is the airline based? Does that country pose any security threats or immigration problems? In addition: Are you willing to live that far away from your home country?
2. Economic stability: While no airline is immune from bankruptcy, some carriers are more economically stable than others. You may think the larger airlines are in better financial condition, but that is not always the case.
3. Union or non-union: Do you prefer to work for an airline where its employees are represented by a union? Would you rather not be involved with a union? In either case, you should research to see if the flight attendants at the carrier have representation or not.
4. Route structure: One major factor you may want to keep in mind is the route structure of each airline you consider as a potential employer. How far is each typical leg? How many bases does the airline operate? These are all factors in determining how many days you can expect on a typical trip. Do you prefer to stay home more often?  If so, you might prefer to fly for a small, regional operator. If you prefer longer trips, with more days out working, then larger airlines with complex route structures are for you.
5.  Fleet composition and size: Flight attendants enjoy exciting careers and part of the excitement comes from the opportunity to fly in different aircraft. This may be easier in some airlines compared to others. When looking at where to apply, consider how many aircraft types are flown by the airline. Are you the kind of person that would enjoy transitioning from one type to another or would you simply prefer to remain with one kind of jet? Depending on your answer, a large carrier with a varied fleet might be the best choice to submit an application. Perhaps you would rather fly with a small company with only one kind of aircraft. That is fine as long as you consider there won’t be much room for change.
6. Opportunity for Advancement:  In addition to transitioning from one aircraft type to another, you may also have aspirations to advance upward through an airline’s corporate structure.  For example, many flight attendants chose to transition into other related positions such as training instructors. Others prefer to g into management positions such as in-flight operation supervisors. In either case, this career move allows someone to maintain their connection to the operational aspect of their job while also enjoying a new change of pace, and hopefully, a higher salary.

 

 

Section 2 – Resumes & Cover Letters

 

 

Ø  2A – Resumes

Applying for a job is a multi-step process that includes submitting several items of paperwork. Certificates, educational transcripts and references are some samples of things that you will need to show the prospective employer.  However, the most important paperwork you will likely offer is your resume because this is what will permit you to move (or not) to the next level of the hiring process: the job interview.

So, what is a resume?

A resume is one of the most important documents of your professional career. Simply put, the resume can be described as a brief document that highlights academic qualifications, professional experience/expertise and any other information regarding the profession and professional life of a person. In essence, the resume can be considered as your representation in the corporate world.

Ø  2A.1- The challenge of writing a good resume

Writing a resume that summarizes effectively experience, skills and competencies is challenging for many people. So, many job seekers look for help from outside sources. The following are some tips that will help you format a resume to represent you in the best way possible.

Tip: Remember The Focus!

A good resume will effectively promote you. It will present you in the best possible way for getting the employers interest in you so they invite you to the job interview. A good resume not only reviews previous/current jobs but focuses on YOU, and how you performed and what you accomplished in those jobs. Therefore, a good resume is a targeted one. It is a document which highlights those accomplishments that are most relevant to the kind of jobs you apply for – It will somehow predict how you might perform in that desired future job.

A good resume is piece of paper that takes 10-30 seconds to read and effectively helps you land a job interview. That’s it. That is the amount of time you get to make an impression. It is a marketing tool – not a personnel document. A resume that focuses on the future and your past achievement/accomplishments (not on job descriptions) will motivate an employer to meet with you.

 

Here is an example of a typical resume:

 

Flight Attendant Resume Example

Last Name, First Name
Address, Zip
Phone No., Mobile, Fax, Email Address

Flight Attendant Resume Objective Statement 
I am a flight attendant looking for a job in airlines, where I can utilize my skills to manage all the in-flight activities and procedures, right from flight facilities to taking care of the passengers.

Professional Experience

Flight attendant 
[Company details], [Location]                                  2002 – present
Responsibilities

• Sorted confusions and queries of passengers in regards to flights, routes and services

·         Informed passengers about any possible delays and disturbances

• Helped passengers in locating as well as placing their luggage in a flight
• Directed the passengers to find their allocated seats while entering the flight
• Ensured the timely availability of reading materials, blankets and meals for the passengers
• Educated passengers and assisted them with using seat belts and oxygen masks etc
• Paid special attention and care to passengers who are handicapped or with other medical problems
• Assisted and prepared the passengers for complications during landing and take off
• Helped customers during process of emergency landing and evacuations
• Assured passenger safety and security during emergencies or turbulences Acted as a communication link between the pilot and the passengers

 

Key Skills, Core Competencies & Strengths

• Effective communication skills, oral and written
• Energetic, adaptable and flexible
• Motivated to listen and learn
• High attention to detail
• Agile – quick to respond to problems, Problem solving talent
• Good presentation skills

Education & Qualifications

• High school Diploma
• Certification by FAA(Federal Aviation Administration)
• Graduate Degree
• Diploma in Foreign Language

 

 

 

Ø  2B – Cover Letters

You may have noticed that our discussion of cover letters comes after the section on resumes. That is intentional since it is often suggested that cover letters be written after a resume is made. Why? Because a cover letter is a tool designed to attract the reader to your resume.  Don't ever send a resume without a cover letter.  

1. The Purpose of a Cover Letter

So, what should your cover letter do for you? Simply put; it should answer the question – Why should I hire you? It should grab the employer’s attention and point out why you, above all other applicants, you should be contacted for a personal interview. The cover letter will be seen first.  Therefore, it must be very well written and targeted to that employer.

2. How to Craft An Effective Cover Letter

All cover letters should explain why you are sending a resume. Don't make the reader guess what you are asking for. Be specific. Tell specifically how you learned about the position or the organization — a flyer posted in your department, a web site, a family friend who works at the organization. It is appropriate to mention the name of someone who suggested that you write.

Convince the reader to look at your resume. Call attention to elements of your background — education, leadership, experience — that are relevant to a position you are seeking. Be as specific as possible, using examples. It is also important that you reflect your attitude, personality, motivation, enthusiasm, and communication skills.

In addition, provide or refer to any information specifically requested in a job advertisement that might not be covered in your resume, such as availability date, or reference to an attached writing sample.

Finally, indicate what you will do to follow-up with the hiring department. In a letter of application — applying for an advertised opening — applicants often say something like "I look forward to hearing from you." However, if you have further contact info (e.g. phone number) and if the employer hasn't said "no phone calls," it's better to take the initiative to follow-up, saying something like, "I will contact you in the next two weeks to see if you require any additional information regarding my qualifications."

In a letter of inquiry — asking about the possibility of an opening — don't assume the employer will contact you. You should say something like, "I will contact you in two weeks to learn more about upcoming employment opportunities with (name of organization)."  Then mark your calendar to make the call.

3. Page margins, font style and size

For hard copy, left and right page margins of one to 1.5 inches generally look good. You can adjust your margins to balance how your document looks on the page. Use a font style that is simple, clear and commonplace, such as Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri. Font SIZES from 10-12 points generally look appropriate. Keep in mind that different font styles in the same point size are not the same size. A 12-point Arial is larger than a 12-point Times New Roman. If you are having trouble fitting a document on one page, sometimes a slight margin and/or font adjustment can be the solution.

Serif or sans serif? Sans (without) serif fonts are those like Arial and Calibri that don't have the small finishing strokes on the ends of each letter. There is a great deal of research and debate on the pros and cons of each. Short story: use what you like, within reason; note what employers use; generally sans serif fonts are used for on-monitor reading and serif fonts are used for lengthy print items (like books); serif fonts may be considered more formal. Test: ask someone to look at a document for five seconds; take away the document; ask the person what font was on the document; see if s/he even noticed the style. A too-small or too-large font gets noticed, as does a strange style.

Should your resume and cover letter font style and size match? It can be a nice touch to look polished. But it's also possible to have polished documents that are not in matching fonts. A significant difference in style and size might be noticed. Remember that you can have your documents reviewed through advising, and that might be a fine-tuning question you ask.

Here are some tips to make your cover letter professional:

·         Research the company and the specifics about the position so you can tailor your letter to the needs of the organization.

·         Avoid using too many sentences that start with "I" or writing in the passive voice (ex. "This experience enabled me to…" or "Through my internship, I was responsible for…"); instead, make yourself the subject of each sentence and use active descriptions (ex., "In this internship, I demonstrated sound judgment and problem-solving skills on a daily basis.").

·         Do not use contractions (I'd, didn't, it's).

·         Spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes are out of the question! Cover letters are a reflection of your writing skills, so make each cover letter an example of your best work.

·         Be sure to sign your letters. (Black ink is suggested)

·         Keep your letter short and simple (one page maximum). This is not the time to tell your whole life's story.

·         Have an outside career specialist or human resources expert review your cover letter.

·         Use good quality paper that matches your resume paper and envelopes.        

 

4. Putting It All Together

Now, let’s put some of these elements into a functional format as shown below:

YOUR ADDRESS (Do not put your name here)

TODAY'S DATE

 

Mr./Ms. EMPLOYER'S NAME (If you don't have one, get one!)

TITLE

COMPANY'S NAME

ADDRESS

 

DEAR Mr./Ms. EMPLOYER:

 

FIRST PARAGRAPH: This is the "why I'm writing to you" paragraph which immediately tells the employer the position you want to be considered for. This is short – usually 2-3 sentences. Points to cover:

·         Why you are writing and which position you are applying for.

·         How you heard about the position is irrelevant unless it is a mutual contact or recruiting program. Do not write, "I learned of this opportunity through the Career Services Office."

·         Show from your research why you are interested in this position or organization. The goal is to make a connection – do this Briefly and Specifically or leave it out; sweeping statements will not work.

SECOND PARAGRAPH: This is the "why I'm qualified" paragraph. Highlight some of your most relevant experiences and qualities as they relate to the position for which you are applying. Choose 2 – 3 points you want to make about; specific experiences/accomplishments or about general qualities you have exhibited, and provide specific examples to support those points. This paragraph will change according to the job/employer for which you are applying. This is usually the longest paragraph of the letter. You may break this paragraph into two if it looks too lengthy or if your points work best in separate paragraphs. Points to remember:

·         The first sentence should be a hard-hitting opener. It is a quick introduction, which is accomplishment-oriented and directed at the skills and qualifications needed for the job/industry.

·         The body of the paragraph should provide evidence to back up what you've just claimed. Cite specific jobs/internships/activities/projects and accomplishments associated with those experiences. Use your resume to come up with some specifics, but NEVER reiterate passages from your resume word for word. Discuss why what you did is to the employer- relate the facts to the job. Strong examples are important!

·         The final sentence is a summary of what you've discussed above. It's a good idea to mention the position title and company name to bring the reader back to the specific job in question. 

FINAL PARAGRAPH: This is a short 2-4 sentence paragraph. You should refer to the enclosed resume, request an interview and let the reader know what will happen next (Contact them within specific period of time unless it is a recruiting program). It is vital that you thank the reader for his/her time and consideration.

 

Sincerely,

 

Your Signature

Your Name

 

Enclosure(s)

 

 

 

www.globalaviationenglish.com

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Chapter 3: Participating in the interview

 

v  Section 1 – Preparing for an Interview

While many of us may not think of job interviews as a presentation, it may be the most important first presentation we ever make. It may also be the most critical. With a job interview we are there to "sell ourselves" not just ideas. First impressions are extremely important and like presentations we should properly prepare ourselves for the interview. Remember: The interview is an exercise is finding out whether the person is actually fit for an airline flight attendant job.

Below are the 5 stages recommended to follow when preparing for your interview:

Preparation – Learn as much about the company as you can before your interview. Find out what they do, what they make, what kind of services they provide and determine if your skills can fit with what they do. Determine what you can offer the company. Arrange and confirm the time for your interview. Make sure you arrive early. Don't be late. Ask for directions when you confirm your appointment, if needed. Make a list of what questions you may want to ask them. More importantly, make a list of those questions you anticipate they might ask you and decide how you will answer these questions. You then are prepared how to answer them.

Introduction – Make sure your initial non-verbal contact is positive. For example, smile when you first see the person interviewing you. Have a firm handshake and establish good eye contact when talking. You be the one to start off the conversation. Go prepared with your list of specific questions to ask them about the job and the company. Don't forget to bring the questions with you.

Presentation – When asked questions always listen to their questions carefully. If you don't understand any question, ask them to clarify the question. If you do not know the answer to the question be honest and say so but do offer to get back to them with the answer later and DO GET back to them.

Obtain Information for Yourself – Remember, this job interview is for your benefit also. Ask questions about the actual job requirements, benefits and type of work that you will be expected to do. Determine if the job will fit in with your educational background and career goals. (Have you written down your career goals?). Be prepared to take notes during the interview. This "shows" you came prep(ared. Write down all the names of the people you meet and their position. Name tags for a leg up networking in. Be active in the interview process. Don't just sit there

The Final Stage – Write down all the reasons for the company to hire you. Ask if your background matches what the company is looking for. Ask if they are interviewing other people for the same position and when can you expect a decision. Ask if the interviewer wants you to call later for an update. Also, ask how long it will take before they will make a decision. Don't forget to follow up with a phone call or a thank you note. Clearly tell them you are interested if you are BEFORE you leave the interview.

 

v  Section 2- Presenting Yourself Correctly

 

 

 

A job interview is a process where almost every aspect of a person is gone through minutely. Therefore, one should be completely presentable and ready while at an interview. One of the items you should cover during you job interview preparations is knowing how to dress for a job interview.  Most of the interview is over at the first glance that the interviewer has on the interviewee. Therefore, the interview clothing sense and interview dress code make a lot of difference in making or breaking the interview. Here are some tips on how to dress for an interview.

v  Design and Sense:

To be very frank, make sure that your clothes do not shout out anything about you to the interviewer. This is something that you might want to have communicated or not. The clothes should not be gaudy or so striking to take anything away from the conversation. After all, it is a conversation that would apparently decide a long stint of your life.

Colors: Make sure that you do not wear any clothes that have a color that becomes a conversation starter even before the interviewer gets a chance to meet you. The best corporate colors are something that do not call too much attention on yourselves, preferably light shades. Also, one should avoid wearing block colors, because block colors are synonymous with employees at the lower rungs.

Interview dress code for women: Women should ensure that their clothes are not too skimpy and that they do not show more than necessary of their cleavage or is too tight for being genuine corporate wear.  For women, sharply cut business suits or a business shirt with sharp skirts is one of the best ways to come across as a professional and serious individual. While keeping hair au natural is one of the best ideas, if you do have to color your hair, keep in mind the corporate mindset, which would frown upon red or green or any other color that seems out of place in a corporate environment.

Interview dress code for men: Men can never go wrong with white or similar shade shirts, black pants and ties. Other than that, men can use any design that does not disturb the conversation.  If the interview is in a semi casual environment where you can wear jeans, make sure that the jeans are classic denim. The color or the design of the denim does not come out like fake or unnatural.

Facing an interview requires considering some aspects; among these aspects is the job interview dressing.  Therefore, there are some do’s/don’ts when it comes to the question – how to dress for a job interview. You should avoid some common mistakes of an interview dress code in order to “sell” yourself and to be placed in a better position as a candidate.

 

v  Section 3 – The Interview Process

 

 

 

3a – General Stages of an Interview

There are general stages of any job interview.  Below are descriptions of some the typical stages.

 Introductions

The common exchange of names, small talk, casual questions as you are escorted to the place of the interview is your first chance to impress.  Topics may include weather, traffic, hobbies, etc., designed to make you more at ease/relaxed.

Broad Questions and Answers

The interviewer will begin to ask you questions about yourself, your education, your past work experience, other items on your resume, your interests and goals.  You may also be asked questions about the organization and the job position.  Questions may include: “Tell me about yourself,”  “Why did you choose your major area of study?”  “What are some of your extracurricular interests?” 

Position Related Questions

The interviewer concentrates more on the details of the job and the company and how you might fit in.  You will be able to discuss how your experiences and qualifications fit the requirements of the job.  These questions require the most preparation in advance and include:  “What types of contributions do you see yourself making tot his company?”, “How has your experience and education prepared you for this position?”. You should ask pointed questions about the job and company based on your previous research.  In addition to skills and qualifications, the interviewer will be looking for signs of your work ethic and your values.  

Conclusion

The interviewer will summarize what has been said and clarify any questions you may have.  This is when you need to reiterate your interest in this company and position and stress again how you are uniquely qualified for the job.  The interviewer should explain the next steps in the recruiting process and how and when the next contact with you will be made.  If the interviewer doesn't do this, ask them for the information before you leave.  Ask for a business card so you can send a thank you note with correct spellings and address.  Don't discuss salary or benefits unless the interviewer initiates it.  These will be discussed when you are definitely being considered for the job or when an offer is made. 

 

3b – Interview questions with suggested answers

In addition to choosing the right clothes to wear, it is extremely helpful to prepare for questions which might be asked during the interview.  This important step will ensure that you have a much better presentation than if you had not prepared beforehand. There are some questions that will surely be asked and other that may be highly probable.

Some of the questions you may be asked in a flight interview include but are not limited to:

Ø  Tell us about yourself?

This is one of the first and general questions that are asked during any interview, and the same goes for an airline attendant interview. However, these, and several such seemingly innocent questions are actually aimed at whether you have the natural abilities that make the job simple and likeable.

When you are asked such a question during your flight attendant interview, you should make it a point to bring to the interviewer’s attention that you can handle stress, and that you are generally a social person who likes to be around people. These two traits are the most important traits in an airline flight interview. Unfortunately, it is quite difficult for a person to gain these traits later in their lives for professional reasons.

Once these questions are asked, along with the other general questions like educational qualifications, etc, the interviewer would be more interested in finding out whether you can look after the day to day activities that are part and parcel of a flight attendant’s life.

Ø  There is a dispute between two passengers regarding the seats. How would you handle it?

In addition to the important role as safety officer, a flight attendant is a hostess, and the first responsibility of a hostess is to ensure that there are no unpleasant events during the flight. Disputes such as these are right on top of the list of undesired in-flight incidents.

Therefore, the first step that a flight attendant is to do is to calm down the situation and create a sense of helpfulness of authority in the situation – whichever would be better. Then, finding out what the problem is, the best way out is to find out an amicable solution to the matter. If no amicable solution is found, the best way is to bring the entire situation to the notice of a superior, which would ensure a quick and logical solution to the problem.

Ø  You see one of the passengers being deliberately rude to your fellow flight attendant. How would you solve this?

This is one of the most common problems that flight attendants face during their jobs. Most often than not, the people who cause such problems are harmless creatures who intend to creating problems just because they are in a position to do so.

The best way to solve these problems is by dealing with them in a soft, yet strict demeanor, which would not only make the mischief monger uneasy, but also create a sense of relief amongst the other passengers.

Ø  You are a flight attendant, and the plane has less entertainment resources than previously planned, what would you do?

First off, my reaction to this situation would depend on as to when I come to know of this. If I find this out before the takeoff and I can calculate that the time taken to solve this situation would be abysmal, I would inform my superiors immediately so that the relevant resources can be put in.

If I have found this situation after takeoff, I would first look at whether some people have taken these resources. Once I have recognized these, I would politely inform them of the situation, and request these entertainment resources.

 

Ø  Other questions that may be asked are:

 

1. Why did you decide to be a flight attendant?

 

2. What are your career goals and future plans? How long do you plan to work here?

 

3. What do you think and how much do you know about the flight attendant job? What do you know about us (airline)?

 

4. Do you have any experience in customer service jobs?

 

5. Why should we hire you? What are your qualifications for this job?

 

6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the flight attendant job?

 

7. How would you handle a situation in which an annoying passenger breaks the basic flight rules such as seat belt etc.?

 

8. Describe a stressful situation in which you have to use your communication skills or problem solving skills. How did you handle the situation and what were the results?

 

v  Section 6 – English Proficiency

Excellent language and communication skills are essential. Applicants must use good grammar and speak clearly with a pleasant voice. Often during the interview process, applicants are asked to demonstrate basic abilities. Languages spoken will vary depending on the company. US airlines require that you speak English fluently. In addition, applicants who desire to fly internationally generally must be fluent in a foreign language Some of the other languages you might use include (but are not limited to):  English, French, German, Spanish, Cantonese, Hindi, Chinese, and Japanese. Bilingual applicants are desired and, may help increase chances of initial employment with domestic carriers, and may be required by some airlines.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 4 – Airline Directory

 

 

 

Africa

 

Air Namibia

Namibia

ICAO (Airline) Code: NMB

Website: www.airnamibia.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: WDH

Air Namibia is the national airline of the Republic of Namibia in southern Africa, based in the capital city of Windhoek. It operates scheduled domestic, regional, and international passenger and freight services. Its international hub is Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport with a domestic services hub at the smaller Windhoek Eros Airport.

 

 

EgyptAir

Egypt

ICAO (Airline) Code: MSR

Website: www.egyptair.com.eg

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: CAI

EgyptAir is the flag carrier airline of Egypt and is wholly owned by the Egyptian government.  The airline is based at Cairo International Airport, its main hub, operating scheduled passenger and freight services to more than 75 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. An extensive network of domestic services is focused on Cairo, Egypt's capital. EgyptAir is Africa's largest airline, joining Star Alliance on 11 July 2008.

 

 

 

El Al Israel Airlines

Israel

ICAO (Airline) Code: ELY

Website: www.elal.co.il

Alliance: None

Hubs: TLV

El Al Israel Airlinesis the flag carrier airline of Israel. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights to Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia from its main base in Ben Gurion International Airport. As of 2010, it operated an all-Boeing fleet of 40 aircraft, ranging from the 737-700 to the 747-400, including one 747-400F and two 747-200F operated by El Al Cargo. Its head office is located on the grounds of Ben Gurion International Airport.Since its inaugural flight from Geneva to Tel Aviv in September 1948 the airline has grown to serve 48 destinations on five continents.

 

 

Emirates Airline

United Arab Emirates

 ICAO (Airline) Code: UAE

Website: www.emirates.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: DXB

Emirates is the national airline of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is owned by The Emirates Group and is considered the largest airline in the Middle East. emirates operates over 2,400 passenger flights per week from its hub at Dubai International Airport Terminal 3, to 105 cities in 62 countries across six continents. The company also operates three of the ten world's longest non-stop commercial flights from Dubai to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston. Emirates is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which has over 50,000 employees, and is wholly-owned by the Government of Dubai directly under the Investment Corporation of Dubai. Cargo activities are undertaken by the Emirates Group's Emirates SkyCargo division.

 

 

Gulf Air

Bahrain

ICAO (Airline) Code: GFA

Website: www.gulfairco.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: BAH

Gulf Air is the national carrier for the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman. The airline operates a fleet of 34 aircraft on scheduled services to 45 destinations in 28 countries Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East. Gulf Air's hubs are Bahrain International Airport (BAH) and Seeb International Airport (MCT). The airline is part of the Oneworld global explorer fare. It has extensive codeshare agreements with other airlines and special partnerships with Jet Airways and Oman Air's Frequent Flyer Programs. The trademark phrase is 'Colour Your Sky', and the company's logo features a golden falcon.

 

Pakistan International Airlines

Pakistan

ICAO (Airline) Code: PIA

Website: www.piac.com.pk

Alliance: None

Hubs: ISB

Pakistan International Airlines Corporation, commonly known as PIA, is the flag carrier airline of Pakistan. The airline, with its head office on the grounds of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, is one of the most recognisable airlines in Asia and operates scheduled services to 24 domestic destinations and 39 international destinations in 25 countries across Asia, Europe and North America. Its main bases are at Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad/Rawalpindi. PIA has been ranked as a 3-star airline by Skytrax, the world's official airline and airport reviewer.

The airline's secondary bases include Peshawar, Faisalabad, Quetta, Sialkot and Multan, from which it connects the metropolitan cities with the main bases, the Middle East and the Far East. The airline is owned by the Government of Pakistan (87%) and other shareholders (13%). It employed 18,043 people as of May 2008.

 

Qatar Airways

Qatar

ICAO (Airline) Code: QTR

Website: www.qatarairways.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: DOH

Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C., operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 95 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of 96 aircraft. It is one of only six airlines awarded 5-star rating by Skytrax along with Cathay Pacific, Asiana Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines. Qatar Airways operates services across Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Far East, Indian subcontinent, Middle East, North America, South America and Oceania. Qatar Airways is currently undergoing a major expansion and is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. The airline also operates one of the youngest fleets in the world (an average of less than 4.1 years). The airline employs more than 15,000 people. 10,000 employees work for the airline directly while the other 5,000 work in the airline's subsidiaries.

 

 

Royal Jordanian Airlines

Jordan

ICAO (Airline) Code: RJA

Website: www.rja.com.jo

Alliance: None

Hubs: AMM

Royal Jordanian Airlines is an airline with its head office in Amman, Jordan, operating scheduled international services over four continents from its main base at Queen Alia International Airport at Amman (AMM) Jordan. Royal Jordanian (RJ) is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization and of Oneworld, a global airline alliance. Royal Jordanian won the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation award for "Airline Turnaround of the Year 2006" on 9 November 2006. The airline operates over 500 flights per week, with at least 110 daily departures.

 

Saudi Arabian Airlines

Saudi Arabia

ICAO (Airline) Code: SVA

Website: www.saudiairlines.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: JED

Saudi Arabian Airlines  is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Domestic and international charter flights are operated, mostly during Ramadan and the Hajj season.

The airline's main operational base is at Jeddah-King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED). Other major hubs are Riyadh-King Khalid International Airport (RUH), and Dammam-King Fahd International Airport (DMM). The new Dammam airport was opened for commercial use on 28 November 1999. Dhahran International Airport in use until then, has reverted to being used as a military base.

Saudi Arabian Airlines is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization. The airline used to be the largest carrier in the region, but because of the growth of other airports and airlines has become the second largest in 2006, behind Emirates.

 

 

South African Airways

South Africa

ICAO (Airline) Code: SAA

Website: www.flysaa.com

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: JNB, CPT

South African Airways (SAA), is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Republic of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at or Tambo International Airport, using a fleet of 59 aircraft. The airline is ranked as a 4-star airline by the independent research consultancy firm Skytrax.

 

At the end of 2010, SAA permanently phased out the two Boeing 747-400s, which were temporarily re-introduced in late 2008. The 747-400s, which had been important to the airline's long-haul route structure, were initially retired in 2007 as part of the company's restructuring plan. This was expected to save it $60 million during the fiscal year ending March 2009. The fleet of Jumbo Jets was the backbone of South Africa–U.K. services. When the aircraft re-entered service, they served flights to Lagos and Luanda. SAA's Airbus A340-600s are the 747's replacement.

 

 

Asia

 

 

Air China

China

ICAO (Airline) Code: CCA

Website: www.airchina.com.cn/en/

Alliance: None

Hubs: PEK

Air China is the People's Republic of China's state owned and second-largest commercial airline and is based in Beijing. It is the flag carrier and the only airline to fly the PRC national flag on its entire fleet. Its logo is a phoenix in the form of the abbreviation VIP. Its main base is Beijing Capital International Airport.

 

 

Air India

India

ICAO (Airline) Code: AIC

Website: www.airindia.com/

Alliance: None

Hubs: DEL, BOM, MAA

Air India is the largest international airline in India and the national flag carrier of India with a worldwide network of passenger and cargo services. It is one of the two state-owned airlines in the country, the other being Indian Airlines.Its main bases are Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai and Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi with hubs at Chennai International Airport. The airline connects 95 destinations around the world, including 12 gateways in India with Air India Express, which is a fully-owned subsidiary of Air India.

 

All Nippon Airways (ANA)

Japan

 ICAO (Airline) Code: ANA

Website: www.ana.co.jp/eng

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: NRT, HND, KIX

All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd., also known as Zennikkū (全日空) or ANA, is the second largest airline in Japan, after Japan Airlines. It is headquartered at the Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes and employed over 14,000 employees as of May 2009. In May 2010, ANA’s total passenger traffic is up year-on-year by 7.8%, and its international services grow by 22% to 2.07 million passengers in the first five months of 2010. ANA's main international hubs are at Narita International Airport outside Tokyo and Kansai International Airport in Osaka. Its main domestic hubs are at Tokyo International Airport, Osaka International Airport, Chūbu Centrair International Airport (near Nagoya), and New Chitose Airport (near Sapporo).

In addition to its mainline operations, ANA controls several subsidiary passenger carriers, including its regional airline, Air Nippon, charter carrier, Air Japan, and Air Next, a low-cost carrier based at Fukuoka Airport which handles flights for ANA.

 

 

Cathay Pacific Airways

China (Hong Kong)

ICAO (Airline) Code: CPA

Website: www.cathaypacific.com

Alliance: Oneworld Alliance

Hubs: HKG

 Cathay Pacific Airways Limited is an Asian commercial airline based in Hong Kong and operating scheduled passenger and cargo services to 90 destinations world-wide. Its main base is Hong Kong International Airport. The airline's operations include scheduled passenger and cargo services to 114 destinations in 36 countries worldwide, including codeshares and joint ventures, with a fleet of 126 wide-body aircraft, consisting of Airbus A330s and A340s, Boeing 747s and 777s. The airline also operates fifth freedom flights from Bangkok and Taipei, its major focus cities. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Dragonair, operates to 29 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region from its Hong Kong base.  In 2009, Cathay Pacific and Dragonair operated 56,000 flights, carrying nearly 25 million passengers and over 1.52 million tonnes of cargo and mail.

 

 

China Airlines

Taiwan

 ICAO (Airline) Code: CAL

Website: www.china-airlines.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: TPE

 China Airlines is the flag carrier of the Republic of Taiwan. The airline is not a state-owned corporation nominally, but belongs to Taiwan Aviation Development Foundation. However, the foundation belongs to the government of the Republic of Taiwan. The chairman does not have to report to the Legislative Yuan, unlike other state-owned companies in Taiwan. The airline, based at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and with headquarters in Taipei, currently flies to many destinations in Asia, Europe, North America and the South Pacific. Because of political obstacles over the establishment of the Three Links, it does not have regularly scheduled flights into mainland China; passengers to mainland China must go through Hong Kong, transferring to another airline. Its main competitor is EVA Air.

 

 

China Eastern Airlines

China

ICAO (Airline) Code: CES

Website: www.chinaeastern.co.uk

Alliance: None

Hubs: PVG

 

China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited is an airline based in Shanghai, China. It is a major Chinese airline operating international, domestic and regional routes. Its main bases are Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. China Eastern also has hubs at Kunming Wujiaba International Airport and Xi'an Xianyang International Airport. China Eastern Airlines is China's second-largest carrier by passenger numbers and the world’s third-biggest carriers by market value. The airline posted a net profit of CNY2.21 billion ($326.7 million) for the first half of 2010. On 16 April 2010, China Eastern Airlines announced an initial agreement to join Skyteam.

 

 

China Southern Airlines

China

ICAO (Airline) Code: CSN

Website: www.cs-air.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: CAN

 China Southern Airlines is an airline based in Guangzhou in the Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Operating domestic, regional and international services, it is the largest airline in China in terms of fleet size and passengers carried. It is also the 4th largest airline in the world in domestic passenger traffic and 6th largest in scheduled domestic passenger-kilometres flown. China Southern carries more domestic cargo than any other airline. It is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance.

Its main operation hubs are Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport, with other focus cities in Changchun, Changsha, Dalian, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Ürümqi, Wuhan and Zhengzhou. The airline plans to develop Chongqing and Ürümqi as hubs, to supplement its current hubs at Beijing and Guangzhou.

 

 

Garuda Indonesia

Indonesia

ICAO (Airline) Code: GIA

Website: www.garuda-indonesia.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: CGK, DPS

PT (Persero) Perusahaan Penerbangan Garuda Indonesia, abbreviated to Garuda Indonesia, is the national airline of the Republic of Indonesia, based in Jakarta. Garuda is the name of the mythical bird found on Pancasila the national seal of the government of Indonesia. In Indian, Vedic tradition, Garuda is the flight carrier of Lord Vishnu. The airline operates domestic services to 30 destinations and international services to over 20 destinations in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Europe.

 

 

Indian

India

ICAO (Airline) Code: IAC

Website: www.indian-airlines.nic.in

Alliance: None

Hubs: DEL, BOM, CCU

Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai and focuses primarily on domestic routes, along with several international services to neighboring countries in Asia. It is state-owned, and is administered by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It is one of the two flag carriers of India, the other being Air India.

On 7 December 2005, the airline was rebranded as Indian for advertising purposes as a part of a program to revamp its image in preparation for an initial public offering (IPO). The airline operates closely with Air India, India's national carrier. Alliance Air, a fully-owned subsidiary of Indian, was renamed Air India Regional. In 2007, the Government of India announced that Indian would be merged into Air India. As part of the merger process, a new company called the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL) was established, into which both Air India (along with Air India Express) and Indian (along with Alliance Air) will be merged. Once the merger is complete, the airline – which will be called Air India – will continue to be headquartered in Mumbai and will have a fleet of over 130 aircraft.

 

 

 

 

Japan Airlines (JAL)

Japan

ICAO (Airline) Code: JAL

Website: www.jal.co.jp

Alliance: None

Hubs: NRT, KIX, HND

Japan Airlines International Co., Ltd. (JAL) is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport, as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport. The airline and four of its subsidiaries (J-Air, JAL Express, JALways, and Japan Transocean Air) are members of the Oneworld airline alliance.

JAL group companies include Japan Airlines for international and domestic services; JALways for international leisure services; JAL Express for international and domestic low-cost services; Hokkaido Air System, J-Air, Japan Air Commuter, Japan Transocean Air and Ryukyu Air Commuter for domestic feeder services; and JAL Cargo for cargo and mail services. JAL group operations include scheduled and non-scheduled international and domestic passenger and cargo services to 220 destinations in 35 countries worldwide, including codeshares. The group has a fleet of 279 aircraft. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, the airline group carried over 52 million passengers and over 1.1 million tons of cargo and mail.

JAL was established in 1951 and became the national airline of Japan in 1953. After over three decades of service and expansion, the airline was fully privatized in 1987. In 2002, the airline merged with Japan Air System, Japan's third-largest airline and became the sixth largest airline in the world by passengers carried. The airline filed for bankruptcy protection on January 19, 2010, after losses of nearly ¥100 billion in a single quarter.

 

 

Korean Air

South Korea

ICAO (Airline) Code: KAL

Website: www.koreanair.com

Alliance: SkyTeam Alliance

Hubs: ICN

Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd., operating as Korean Air, is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of South Korea, with global headquarters located in Seoul. Korean Air's international passenger division and related subsidiary cargo division together serve 130 cities in 45 countries, while its domestic division serves 20 destinations. It is among the top 20 airlines in the world in terms of passengers carried and is also the top-ranked international cargo airline. Incheon International Airport serves as Korean Air's international hub. Korean Air also maintains a satellite headquarters campus at Incheon.

Korean Air's main global headquarters campus, the Korean Air Operations Center, is located in Gonghang-dong, Gangseo-gu in Seoul. Korean Air also maintains a domestic office campus at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. Korean Air's lesser domestic hubs are based at Jeju International Airport, Jeju and Gimhae International Airport, Busan. The maintenance facilities are located in Gimhae International Airport.

Skytrax, which publishes official ratings of airlines and airports, rates Korean Air as a four-star (out of five) airline. Korean Air is currently North America's largest airline to Asia. Its main rival is Asiana Airlines, another South Korean carrier. Korean Air is a founding partner airline of SkyTeam, the world's second largest airline alliance.

 

 

Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia

ICAO (Airline) Code: MAS

Website: www.mas.com.my

Alliance: None

Hubs: KUL

 Malaysia Airlines System Berhad, DBA Malaysia Airlines (abbreviated MAS), is the government-owned flag carrier of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operates flights from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its secondary hub in Kota Kinabalu. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor.

Despite a financial restructuring exercise in 2006, Malaysia Airlines maintains a strong presence in Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Middle East and on the Kangaroo Route between Europe and Australasia. Malaysia Airlines also operated transatlantic flights from Kuala Lumpur to Buenos Aires, via Johannesburg. It operates transpacific flights from Kuala Lumpur to Los Angeles, via Taipei. In 1997, the airline flew the world's longest non-commercial, non-stop flight from Boeing Field in Seattle to Kuala Lumpur, flying eastward passing the European and African continents and breaking the "Great Circle Distance Without Landing" record for an airliner on a Boeing 777-200ER, longer than the record held by the Boeing 777-200LR.

 

Malaysia Airlines' non-aeronautical revenue sources include maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), and aircraft handling. Malaysia Airlines has two airline subsidiaries: Firefly and MASwings. Firefly operates scheduled flights from its home base Penang International Airport which focuses on tertiary cities, while MASwings focuses on inter-Borneo flights. Malaysia Airlines has a freighter fleet operated by MASKargo, which manages freighter flights and aircraft cargo-hold capacity for all Malaysia Airlines' passenger flights. MASCharter is another subsidiary of

 

Malaysia Airlines, operating charter flights using Malaysia Airlines' aircraft. After recovering from past losses, Malaysia Airlines is keen on merger and acquisition (M&A) activities: particularly airlines in the Asia Pacific region. Malaysia Airlines was ranked second with score 88 in Aviation Week's Top Performing Companies which accurately measures financial viability of an airline.

It is one of only six airlines to be given a 5-star status by Skytrax (the other 5 are Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines). Malaysia Airlines is also listed among Skytrax's Quality Approved Airlines, alongside fellow 5-star carriers Asiana Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines and Qatar Airways.

 

 

Philippine Airlines

Philippines

ICAO (Airline) Code: PAL

Website: www.philippineairlines.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: MNL

Philippine Airlines, Inc. (abbreviated as PAL), also known historically as Philippine Air Lines, is the flag carrier and national airline of the Philippines. Headquartered in the Philippine National Bank Financial Center in Pasay City, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the oldest commercial airline in Asia operating under its original name. Out of its hubs at Ninoy Aquino International Airport of Manila and Mactan-Cebu International Airport of Cebu City, Philippine Airlines serves nineteen destinations in the Philippines and 24 destinations in Southeast Asia, Middle East, East Asia, Oceania and North America. The carrier has been awarded a 3-star rating by the independent research consultancy firm Skytrax.

 

 

Singapore Airlines

Singapore

ICAO (Airline) Code: SIA

Website: www.singaporeair.com

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: SIN

Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA) is the flag carrier of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and Oceania markets. The company also operates trans-Pacific flights, including the world's two longest non-stop commercial flights from Singapore to Newark and Los Angeles on the Airbus A340-500.

Singapore Airlines was the launch customer of the "superjumbo" Airbus A380. SIA has diversified airline-related businesses, such as aircraft handling and engineering. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, SilkAir, manages regional flights to secondary cities with smaller capacity requirements. Subsidiary Singapore Airlines Cargo operates SIA's dedicated freighter fleet, and manages the cargo-hold capacity in SIA's passenger aircraft. SIA has a 49% shareholding in Virgin Atlantic and engages the low-cost carrier sector through its stake in Tiger Airways. It ranks amongst the top 15 carriers worldwide in terms of revenue passenger kilometers, and 10th in the world for international passengers carried. On December 15, 2010, Singapore Airlines was announced by the International Air Transport Association as the world's second largest airline in the world by market capitalization with a worth of 14 billion dollars.

 

 

SriLankan Airlines

Sri Lanka

ICAO (Airline) Code: ALK

Website: www.srilankan.aero

Alliance: None

Hubs: CMB

SriLankan Airlines Limited (previously known as Air Lanka) is the flag carrier airline of Sri Lanka. It operates to destinations in Asia and Europe from its main base and hub at Bandaranaike International Airport (Colombo). In total, SriLankan Airlines serves 49 destinations in 31 countries (as of 1 October 2010), including codeshare destinations. The airline's trademark phrase is 'You're Our World', and the company's logo features a stylized peacock. The airline's head office is in the Airline Centre, on the grounds of Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, Sri Lanka. The airline launched its new website on 1 December 2010, and as of September 2010, has an all Airbus fleet.

 

 

Thai Airways International

Thailand

ICAO (Airline) Code: THA

Website: www.thaiair.com

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: BKK

 Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (Thai) is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a major shareholder which hold 39% shares of Nok Air—a low-cost Bangkok-based carrier. In August 2010, Thai announced it is to own 51% of a low-cost airline joint venture based in Thailand, with Tiger Airways owning the remaining 49% of the airline.

From its hub at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thai flies to 71 destinations in 34 countries, using a fleet of 98 aircraft. The airline operates one of the longest non-stop commercial flights, including the 18 hours non-stop flight from Bangkok to Los Angeles. Thai Airways International is the first Asia/Pacific airline to serve London Heathrow Airport.

Skytrax awarded Thai Airways International Worlds Best Cabin Staff and The Best Airline in the World in 2006, while placing second in the Airline of the Year category in 2007. Thai's first class lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport was awarded World's Best First Class Lounge by Skytrax in 2009. Thai Airways International has received an award for the excellence of its inflight hygiene measures by the World Health Organization. Thai Airways International is currently an official sponsor of Football Association of Thailand.

 

 

Caribbean

 

Air Jamaica

Jamaica

ICAO (Airline) Code: AJM

Website: www.airjamaica.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: KIN, MBJ

Air Jamaica Ltd, operating as Air Jamaica, was Jamaica's national airline. The new holding company of Air Jamaica is Caribbean Airlines-Air Jamaica Transition Limited and is under the control of Caribbean Airlines. The former national airline of Jamaica operated scheduled services from Kingston and Montego Bay to 23 destinations in the Caribbean, Canada, the United States. The airline's acquisition by Caribbean Airlines of Trinidad and Tobago was implemented on 1 May 2010, following which there will be a projected 6-12 month transition period. However the current owners intend to keep the name "Air Jamaica" in use as long as they are in possession of the company. The airline's main bases are Norman Manley International Airport (KIN), Kingston and Sangster International Airport (MBJ), Montego Bay.

 

LIAT

Antigua

ICAO (Airline) Code: LIA

Website: www.fly-liat.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: ANU

Leeward Islands Air Transport, known as LIAT, is an airline headquartered on the grounds of V. C. Bird International Airport in Saint George Parish, Antigua. It operates high-frequency interisland scheduled services serving 22 destinations in the Caribbean. The airline's main base is VC Bird International Airport, Antigua and Barbuda, with bases at Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados and Piarco International Airport, Trinidad and Tobago.

In January 2007 the airline announced an intended merger with Caribbean Star Airlines, and they entered into a commercial alliance, involving the flying of a combined schedule. Instead, LIAT purchased Caribbean Star Airlines on the 24 October 2007 and five of Caribbean Star's DHC-8 aircraft have been transferred to LIAT. As another result of the merger, LIAT changed its slogan to "LIAT, Star of the Caribbean", which was used as the slogan for a short time, and was then changed back to "THE Caribbean Airline". The airline is owned by 7 Caribbean governments, with 3 being the Major shareholders (73.4%); private shareholders (10%); and employees (5.3%). It has 673 employees.

LIAT is currently looking at acquiring Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s as part of a new study into future aircraft alternatives. Acting chief executive Brian Challenger says the carrier has initiated an evaluation of new turboprops and plans to hire a consultant to help it evaluate its options. LIAT currently connects 22 destinations throughout the Caribbean with most flights operated using 50-seat Q300s. While some routes can potentially support 70-seat Q400s (such as Antigua to Barbados, Trinidad, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Guyana and as well as launching new flights to Cuba and Jamaica), Challenger says switching to an all-Q400 fleet is not an option because it has several routes which can only be sustained with the 50-seat and 37-seat aircraft. Challenger says 50-seat aircraft remain the ideal aircraft size for most of LIAT's routes. He says 37-seat aircraft are also needed for very small markets such as St. Kitts and Nevis.

 

 

Europe

 

Aer Lingus

Ireland

ICAO (Airline) Code: EIN

Website: www.aerlingus.com

Alliance:  Oneworld Alliance

Hubs: DUB

General Airline Overview/Information:

Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland. Based in Dublin, it operates over 30 aircraft serving Europe, the United States and recently Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The airline is 28% owned by the Irish government; it was floated on the Dublin and London Stock Exchanges on 2 October 2006, following prior government approval (the government previously owned 85% of the airline). 

 

 

Air France

France

ICAO (Airline) Code: AFR

Website: www.airfrance.com

Alliance: SkyTeam Alliance

Hubs: CDG, ORY

Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before its merger with KLM, it was the national airline of France, employing 71,654 people (as of January 2005).

The company's headquarters are located at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris; these headquarters are now used by Air France-KLM. Between April 2001 and March 2002, the airline transported 43.3 million passengers and earned 12.53 billion Euro. Air France's subsidiary, Regional, operates regional jet and turboprop flights within Europe.

 

Alitalia

Italy

 ICAO (Airline) Code: AZA

Website: www.alitalia.com

Alliance: SkyTeam Alliance

Hubs: FCO, MXP

 Alitalia – Linee Aeree Italiane is the national airline of Italy. Headquartered in Rome, it operates services to domestic and international destinations. The airline's main base is Malpensa International Airport (MXP), Milan, with a hub at Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport (FCO), Rome.

 

 

bmi British Midland

United Kingdom

ICAO (Airline) Code: BMA

Website: www.flybmi.com

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: LHR, MAN

bmi British Midland is the second-largest full-service scheduled airline in the United Kingdom. The airline's headquarters are at Donington Hall, close to Nottingham East Midlands Airport. It flies to destinations across Europe as well as to The United States, India, the Caribbean and Saudi Arabia. bmi's operational base is London Heathrow, where it holds 11% of all take off and landing slots and operates over 2000 flights a week. It was formerly known as British Midland.

 

British Airways

United Kingdom

ICAO (Airline) Code: BAW

Website: www.britishairways.com

Alliance: Oneworld Alliance

Hubs: LHR, LGW

 British Airways is the largest airline of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe, with more flights from Europe across the Atlantic than any other operator. Its main hubs are London Heathrow and London Gatwick, with wide-reaching European and domestic shorthaul networks, including smaller hubs at other UK airports including Manchester, from which some longer-haul flights are also operated.

 

 

Condor

Germany

ICAO (Airline) Code: CFG

Website: www.condor.de

Alliance: None

Hubs: FRA

Condor Flugdienst is an airline based in Germany. It is Germany's largest holiday airline, operating services to the Mediterranean, Asia, Africa, North America and the Caribbean. Its main base is Frankfurt International Airport, with a hub at Munich International Airport.

 

 

Easyjet

United Kingdom

ICAO (Airline) Code: EZY

Website: www.easyjet.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: LTN, GVA, LPL

EasyJet Airline Company Limited (styled as easyJet) is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports. The parent company, EasyJet plc, is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: EZJ) and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. As at 30 September 2009, it employed 8,000 people, based throughout Europe but mainly in the UK.

EasyJet has seen rapid expansion since its establishment in 1995, having grown through a combination of acquisition and base openings fuelled by consumer demand for low-cost air travel. The airline, along with franchise airline EasyJet Switzerland, now operates over 180 aircraft,[6] mostly Airbus A319. It has 20 bases across Europe, the most important one being London-Gatwick. In 2009, EasyJet carried 45.2 million passengers and is the second-largest low-cost carrier in Europe, behind Ryanair.

 

 

Finnair

Finland

 ICAO (Airline) Code: FIN

Website: www.finnair.com

Alliance: Oneworld Alliance

Hubs: HEL

Finnair is Finland's biggest airline and the national flag carrier. Its main hub is Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and its headquarters are located in Vantaa, Finland. Finnair and its subsidiary companies dominate both the domestic and international air travel markets in Finland. Finnair is a member of the Oneworld alliance. In 2005, the airline transported 8.5 million passengers. Its route network covers 16 domestic and about 55 international destinations, in addition there are about 50 seasonal charter-flight destinations. As of 2006, the airline has not had a fatal accident since 1963, ranking it the second-safest airline of all time.

 

 

 

Iberia

Spain

ICAO (Airline) Code: IBE

Website: www.iberia.com/

Alliance: Oneworld Alliance

Hubs: MAD, BCN

Iberia Lineas Aereas de España, S.A. (Iberia Airlines of Spain in English), usually shortened to Iberia, is the largest airline of Spain, based in Madrid. It operates an extensive international network of services. Its main bases are Madrid Barajas and Barcelona airports. Iberia Airlines, with Iberia Regional (operated by an independent carrier Air Nostrum), is a part of Iberia Group. In addition to transporting passengers and freight, Iberia Group carries out related activities, such as aircraft maintenance, handling in airports, IT systems and in-flight catering. Iberia Group airlines fly to over 102 destinations in 39 countries. Via code-sharing arrangements with other companies, it offers flights to another 90 destinations.

On 12 November 2009, Iberia Airlines confirmed that it had reached a preliminary agreement to merge with British Airways. The merger between the two carriers will create the world's third-largest airline in terms of revenue. On 8 April 2010, it was confirmed that British Airways and Iberia had signed an agreement to merge, making the combined operation the third largest commercial airline in the world by revenue. The newly merged company will be known as International Airlines Group, although both airlines will continue to operate under their current brands. Both airlines are expected to complete their merger in January 2011. On November 29, 2010, shareholders from both carriers approved the merger.

 

 

Icelandair

Iceland

ICAO (Airline) Code: ICE

Website: www.icelandair.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: KEF, RKV

Icelandair is an Icelandic airline of Icelandair Group. It is Iceland's largest airline and has its main offices in Reykjavik. It operates services to 22 cities in 12 countries. Icelandair's hub is located at Keflavik International Airport. The in-flight entertainment system comprises seatback, touch-screen monitors for each passenger. The entertainment selection normally includes on-demand movies and television episodes, as well as documentaries and music. The airline offers the Inflight Entertainment free of charge. The cabin is divided into three classes: Economy Class, Economy Comfort and Saga Class (generally considered equivalent to business class amenities). Economy travelers can choose from a variety of meals at moderate cost. Icelandair is one of the only airlines to implement a-la-carte service on the trans-Atlantic route.

 

 

 

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Netherlands

ICAO (Airline) Code: KLM

Website: www.klm.com

Alliance: SkyTeam Alliance

Hubs: AMS

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the national airline of the Netherlands and is part of Air France-KLM. KLM's headquarters are in Amstelveen near its hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. KLM operates worldwide scheduled passenger and cargo services to more than 90 destinations. It is the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name. It has 33,000 employees (as of March 2007).

The merger of KLM with Air France in May 2004 created Air France-KLM, which is incorporated under French law with headquarters at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Both Air France and KLM continue to fly under their distinct brand names. Air France-KLM is part of the SkyTeam alliance with Aeroflot, Aeroméxico, Air Europa, Alitalia, China Southern Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, Korean Air, TAROM and Vietnam Airlines.

 

 

Lauda Air

Austria

ICAO (Airline) Code: LDA

Website: www.laudaair.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: VIE

Lauda Air is an airline based in Schwechat, Austria. It operates scheduled leisure flights and charters to holiday destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Caribbean and South-East Asia. Its main base is Vienna International Airport. Lauda Air is a member of the Austrian Airlines Group and Star Alliance. As an independent airline it was headquartered in Schwechat. Lauda Air was established in April 1979 by former Formula One world motor racing champion Niki Lauda and started operations in 1985, initially operating charter and air taxi services. Scheduled operations were licenced in 1987 and in 1990 licences for international flights were obtained.[1] In 1989 Lauda started its first long-haul flights from Vienna to Sydney and Melbourne, via Bangkok. In the 1990s it started to fly its Sydney and Melbourne flights via Kuala Lumpur. Daily flights to Miami via Munich, to Dubai and to Cuba followed.[citation needed]

It became a wholly owned subsidiary of Austrian Airlines in December 2000 and has 35 employees (at March 2007). In 2005 the flight operation merged with Austrian Airlines, and the label Lauda Air now operates charter flights within the Austrian Airlines Group. Since 2007 with the additional slogan "The Austrian way to holidays"At an Austrian Airlines Group board meeting in November 2006 plans were approved to retire the Airbus wide-bodied fleet by mid-2007, to concentrate on a Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 fleet. As a result of subsequent fleet cuts Austrian Airlines was suspending some long-haul services and Lauda Air withdrew from the long-haul charter market over the next year.

 

 

LOT Polish Airlines

Poland

ICAO (Airline) Code: LOT

Website: www.lot.com

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: WAW, KRK

Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A., trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the flag carrier of Poland. Based in Warsaw, LOT was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Using a fleet of 55 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to 60 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Asia. Most of the destinations are served from its hub, Warsaw Chopin Airport. 1989 marked the beginning of the airline's quick development. LOT started retiring their old Soviet aircraft, and began their fleet renewal. With the arrival of the first Boeing 767-200ER, LOT ceased to serve their inter-continental destinations to Chicago, Newark, and New York City with the Ilyushin Il-62M aircraft. These three main routes have been one of the most popular flights that LOT operates, especially during the summer season when many Poles seek to come back to their homeland for vacation. The airline has a large short-haul service, with recently added destinations like Kaliningrad and Tbilisi, operating 20 E-Jet 170/175, and a recent order conversion to the E-195, will enable LOT to serve more destinations or more widely their current.

 

 

 

LTU International Airways

Germany

ICAO (Airline) Code: LTU

Website: www.ltu.de

Alliance: None

Hubs: DUS

LTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH (LTU) is an airline based in Düsseldorf, Germany and a fully owned subsidiary of Air Berlin. It operates scheduled services on medium and long-haul routes, as well as charter services on behalf of Air Berlin. Its main bases are Düsseldorf International Airport and Munich International Airport. In November 2007 LTU opened the third base Berlin-Tegel International Airport for long haul operations only. Since May 1, 2009, all flights have Air Berlin flight numbers, operated by LTU crew. The LTU planes are used throughout Air Berlin's network and still conducting originally LTU flights. See here for the full list of Air Berlin destinations. Additionally, LTU offered some dedicated seasonal sightseeing flights (without landing) around the North Pole.

 

 

Lufthansa

Germany

ICAO (Airline) Code: DLH

Website: www.lufthansa.com

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: FRA, MUC

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft (the German word for "air"), and Hansa (after Hanseatic League, the powerful medieval trading group). The airline is the world's fifth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating services to 18 domestic destinations and 183 international destinations in 78 countries across Africa, Americas, Asia and Europe. Together with its partners Lufthansa services around 410 destinations. With over 722 aircraft it has the third-largest passenger airline fleet in the world when combined with its subsidiaries.

 

Lufthansa's registered office and corporate headquarters is in Deutz, Cologne, with its main operations base (Lufthansa Aviation Center [LAC]) and primary traffic hub at Frankfurt Airport in Frankfurt am Main with a second hub at Munich Airport. The majority of Lufthansa's pilots, ground staff, and flight attendants are based in Frankfurt.

Lufthansa is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance formed in 1997. The Lufthansa Group operates more than 500 aircraft and employs worldwide 105,261 people of 146 nationalities (as of 31 December 2007). In 2008, 70.5 million passengers flew with Lufthansa (not including Germanwings, BMI, AUA, Brussels Airlines).

 

 

Martinair Holland

Netherlands

ICAO (Airline) Code: MPH

Website: www.martinair.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: AMS

Martinair is an airline headquartered on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the Netherlands.[2] It operates passenger and cargo services to over 50 destinations worldwide. Services are largely on a scheduled basis, but charter services are also operated. Its main base is Schiphol Airport. As of 22 January 2010, the Martinair and Martinair Cargo average fleet age is 16 years old.

 

 

Olympic Air

Greece

ICAO (Airline) Code: OAL

Website: www.olympicair.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: ATH

 

Olympic Air is the largest Greek airline by destinations served, formed from the privatization of the former national carrier Olympic Airlines. Olympic Air commenced limited operations on 29 September 2009, after Olympic Airlines ceased all operations, with the official full-scale opening of the company taking place two days later on 1 October 2009. Its main hub is Athens International Airport, with Thessaloniki International Airport and Rhodes International Airport serving as secondary hubs. The airline is headquartered in Koropi, Kropia, East Attica.

The airline uses the IATA code OA that it inherited from Olympic Airlines, and the ICAO code OAL. The airline initially launched using the IACO code NOA, but later reportedly bought the OAL code used by Olympic Airlines for a rumored $20 million.

On 22 February 2010, Olympic Air and main competitor Aegean Airlines announced they have reached an agreement to merge their operations, phasing out the Aegean brand. A decision on the merger is expected to be given by the European Union in February 2011.

 

 

Ryanair

United Kingdom

ICAO (Airline) Code: RYR

Website: www.ryanair.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: STN, DUB

Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline with its head office at Dublin Airport, and with primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport. Ryanair operates 254 Boeing 737-800 aircraft on over 1,100 routes across Europe and Morocco from over 43 bases. The airline has been characterised by rapid expansion, a result of the deregulation of the aviation industry in Europe in 1997 and the success of its low-cost business model. Ryanair is Europe's largest low-cost carrier, the 2nd-largest airline in Europe in terms of passenger numbers and the largest in the world in terms of international passenger numbers.

New Ryanair aircraft have been delivered with non-reclining synthetic leather seats, no seat-back pockets, safety cards stuck on the back of the seats, and life jackets stowed overhead rather than under the seat. This allows the airline to save on aircraft costs and enables faster cleaning and safety checks during the short turnaround times.  Other proposed measures to reduce frills further have included eliminating two toilets to add six more seats charging for the use of the toilet, redesigning the aircraft to allow standing passengers, charging extra for overweight passengers, and asking passengers to carry their checked-in luggage to the plane. In common with other no-frills airlines, Ryanair is a strictly point-to-point carrier and does not offer connecting flights. Passengers who purchase an onward flight from their destination, intending to make a connection, are held responsible for making it to the airport on time for each flight.

 

 

Scandanavian Airlines

Norway

ICAO (Airline) Code: CNO

Website: www.braathens.no

Alliance: None

Hubs: OSL

Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia. Part of the SAS Group and headquartered in the Scandinavian Airlines head office in Solna, Sweden, the airline operates 198 aircraft to 176 destinations in more than 30 countries. The airline's main hubs are Copenhagen Airport, which is the main European and intercontinental hub, Stockholm-Arlanda Airport and Oslo Airport, Gardermoen.

In 2006, SAS carried 25.4 million passengers, making a revenue of SEK 42 billion. This makes it the ninth-largest airline in Europe. SAS' fleet consists of Airbus A319, A321, A330 and A340, Boeing 737 Classic and Next Generation, Bombardier CRJ900, Fokker 50 and McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and MD-87. It is a founding member of the Star Alliance. The company has its head office in Solna, near Stockholm, Sweden.

 

 

TAP Portugal

Portugal

ICAO (Airline) Code: TAP

Website: www.flytap.com

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: LIS

 

TAP Portugal, commonly known as TAP, is the national airline of Portugal. It has its head office in Building 25 on the grounds of Portela Airport in Lisbon,[1] and has been a member of the Star Alliance since 14 March 2005, the same day on which the company celebrated its 60th anniversary. Its hub in Lisbon is a key European gateway at the crossroads of Africa, South America and North America. TAP's route network comprises 75 destinations in 33 countries across Europe, Africa, North America and South America. Some domestic, European and African destinations are operated by Portugalia Airlines or PGA Express.

In 2011, several new European and intercontinental destinations will be added to the TAP network, with direct flights from its Lisbon hub: Athens, Bordeaux, Dubrovnik, Düsseldorf, Manchester, Miami and Vienna, as announced by the airline in December 2010. TAP Portugal has been rumored to be in consultation for new intercontinental destinations, which could result in the following destinations being added to the route network as soon as 2014: Washington D.C., Toronto, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, New Delhi, Mumbai, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Lagos, Conakry, Cairo, Accra, Bamako, Kinshasa, Abidjan, Tripoli, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Porto Seguro, Curitiba, Lima, Mexico City and/or Buenos Aires. Expansion in the intercontinental route network has been strained by the lack of space experienced at Lisbon's Portela International Airport combined with lack of adequate long-haul aircraft and no recent re-capitalizations – the last of which took place nearly 10 years ago by the Portuguese government.

TAP operates almost 2,000 weekly flights with a fleet of 55 Airbus aircraft, and 16 further aircraft servicing regional subsidiary carrier Portugalia.

 

 

Turkish Airlines

Turkey

ICAO (Airline) Code: THY

Website: www.thy.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: IST

Turkish Airlines, Inc. (THY) is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Istanbul. It operates scheduled services to 128 international and 39 domestic cities (38 domestic airports), serving a total of 167 airports, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The airline's main base is at Atatürk International Airport, with secondary hubs at Esenboğa International Airport, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, and Adnan Menderes Airport. In 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, THY carried 17 million, 19.7 million, 22.5 million, and 25.1 million passengers with total revenues of US $2.23, US $3.0, US $4.5, and US $4 billion, respectively. The airline has more than 15,000 employees. THY has been selected by Skytrax as providing the best economy class food services in the world and as Europe's  Fastest Growing Airline. According to 2010 data, Turkish Airlines is Europe's 3rd best and Southern Europe's best airline. THY has been a member of the Star Alliance network since 1 April 2008.

 

 

Virgin Atlantic Airways

United Kingdom

ICAO (Airline) Code: VIR

Website: www.virginatlantic.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: LHR, LGW

Virgin Atlantic Airways, usually referred to as Virgin Atlantic, is one of several airlines belonging to Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. However, Singapore Airlines enjoy a 49 % stake in the carrier. It is headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex, England, near London. Virgin Atlantic operates long-haul routes between London and North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia using a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft. The airline operates main bases at London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW), with a smaller base at Manchester International Airport (MAN). In 2009 Virgin Atlantic carried 5.42 million passengers and in the year to February 2010 made an annual operating loss of £132 million on turnover of £2,357 million. In June 2002, Virgin Atlantic became the first airline to use the Airbus A340-600.

 

 

Central/South America

 

Aerolineas Argentinas

Argentina

ICAO (Airline) Code: ARG

Website: www.aerolineas.com.ar

Alliance: None

Hubs: EZE

General Airline Overview/Information:

Aerolineas Argentinas is Argentina's largest domestic and international airline. It is the national airline and carries around 80% of Argentina's domestic traffic and 40% of international flights from Ministro Pistarini International Airport, which is located in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires. Aerolineas Argentinas and LAN Airlines are the only Latin American airlines that fly to Oceania.

 

Aeromexico

Mexico

ICAO (Airline) Code: AMX

Website: www.aeromexico.com

Alliance: SkyTeam Alliance

Hubs: MEX

AeroMexico is Mexico's largest airline, largest in Latin America by number of destinations and also by fleet. It has been considered for more than 11 consecutive years as the most on-time airline worldwide. It operates more than 400 daily flights, or 750 together with Aerolitoral to 58 destinations, 39 in Mexico, 14 in North America, 3 in South America, 2 in Europe and 1 in Asia.

 

 

 

Aeropostal

Venezuela

ICAO (Airline) Code: LAV

Website: www.aeropostal.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: CCS

Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela, normally referred to as just Aeropostal, is an airline based in Torre Polar Oeste in Caracas, Venezuela.[1] It operates domestic services and international services in the Caribbean. Its main base is Simón Bolívar International Airport, Caracas.

 

 

Avianca Colombia

Colombia

ICAO (Airline) Code: AVA

Website: www.avianca.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: BOG

Avianca (acronym for Aerovias del Continente Americano, formerly Aerovias Nacionales de Colombia) is a commercial airline headquartered in Barranquilla, Colombia. It is the sixth largest air carrier in Latin America and the largest airline in Colombia, holding the title of flag carrier since its founding in 1919.

 

LAN Airlines

Chile

ICAO (Airline) Code: LAN

Website: www.lan.com

Alliance: Oneworld Alliance

Hubs: SCL

LAN Airlines S.A. NYSE: LFL is an airline based in Santiago, Chile. As the principal Chilean airline, it is also Chile's flag carrier. LAN is one of the largest airlines in Latin America, with flights to Latin America, United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Europe. It is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance.

Its main hub is Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, Santiago, with hubs/focus cities at Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Buenos Aires, Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito, Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil, Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Barajas International Airport in Madrid and at Miami International Airport.

 

 

TACA (Grupo TACA)

El Salvador

ICAO (Airline) Code: TAI

Website: www.taca.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: LIM, SJO, SAL

TACA is the trade name "brand" comprising a group of five independently IATA-coded and -owned Central American airlines, whose operations are combined to function as one and a number of other independently owned and IATA-coded regional airlines which code-share and feed the TACA brand system.

The airlines are:

TACA International (TA) (El Salvador)

Aviateca (GU) (Guatemala)

Regional (GU) – Formerly Inter, it operates under Aviateca's code.

Lacsa (LR) (Costa Rica)

SANSA (RZ)

Islena Airlines (WC).

Nicaragüense de Aviación (6Y) (Nicaragua)

Regional – La Costeña

TACA Perú (T0) (Peru) is now an important part of Grupo TACA.

Lacsa is the only airline of the group that still operates international flights with its own flight numbers. Its hub is at Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, Costa Rica.

TACA stands for Transportes Aéreos del Continente Americano (Air Transport of the American Continent), reflecting its expansion to North, Central, South America and the Caribbean. It flies to 44 destinations in 22 different countries. In 2009 TACA received three Skytrax World Airline Awards crowning the airline as "Best Airline in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean", "Best Crew in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean", "Best Regional Airline in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean". TACA is also El Salvador's flag carrier.

In October 2009 it was announced that TACA would merge its assets in a strategic alliance with Colombian airline Avianca, in which case each will maintain their own trademark and operations. Avianca and TACA currently operate a combined fleet of 129 aircraft, serving over 100 destinations in the Americas and Europe. Ecuadorian airline Aerogal and Brazil-based OceanAir are also incorporated to the alliance.

 

 

TAM Linhas Aereas

Brazil

ICAO (Airline) Code: BLC

Website: www.tam.com.br

Alliance: None

Hubs: GRU, CGH

TAM Linhas Aereas is Brazil's and Latin America's largest airline. It is headquartered in the city of São Paulo and operates scheduled services to destinations within Brazil, as well as international flights to Europe and other parts of North and South America.

According to the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC), between January and December 2009, TAM had 45.60% of the domestic and 86.47% of the international market shares in terms of passengers per kilometer flown. Starting September 2010, statistics refer to the totality of TAM Group, comprising TAM Airlines and Pantanal Linhas Aéreas. In November 2010, its shares were42.66% of the domestic and 87.64% for the international markets. On August 13, 2010, TAM signed a non-binding agreement with Chilean airline LAN Airlines to merge and create LATAM Airlines Group.

 

 

 

Volaris

Mexico

ICAO (Airline) Code: VOI

website: www.volaris.com.mx

Concesionaria Vuela Compañía de Aviación, S.A. de C.V., operating as Volaris, is a low-cost airline from Mexico, and the country's second largest airline after Aeroméxico. This distinction makes it a leading competitor in the Mexican domestic market, with a market share of around 13-14% of domestic traffic.  Volaris' headquarters are located in Santa Fe, Álvaro Obregón, Mexico City and its operational base is located at the Lic. Adolfo López Mateos International Airport (TLC) in Toluca.Major shareholders of the company are Grupo Televisa (the world's biggest Spanish language media conglomerate), Inbursa (an insurance company owned by billionaire Carlos Slim), TACA and the Protego Discovery Fund. Each of these partners invested 25% of the initial cost of activities, or 100 million USD.

In November 2008, Volaris announced a codeshare agreement with US-based low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines. In April 2009, Volaris announced the start of US-bound flights out of Toluca and Guadalajara (initially to Los Angeles and Oakland) to feed into the hubs of Southwest Airlines. Later on, US-flights were also offered from Zacatecas and Morelia, with Monterrey-Los Angeles (and further routes, especially to Fresno Yosemite International Airport) in planning. On December 13, 2010, Volaris started services to Chicago Midway International Airport to Guadalajara. It is Volaris fourth international destination and first international service to a secondary airport. After Mexicana's close-down, Volaris will take over many Mexicana international destinations and fly from its focus city, Guadalajara.

 

It will serve Fresno, California in Mid-2011. Volaris hopes to initiate more international destinations, partnered by Southwest Airlines.The airline signed an order for 18 new A319 aircraft for delivery between 2009 and 2012 with an option for an additional 26 A319 jets.

 

 

 

North America

 

Air Canada

Canada

 ICAO (Airline) Code: ACA

Website: www.aircanada.com

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: YYZ, YUL, YVR

 Air Canada is Canada's largest airline and flag carrier. The airline, founded in 1937, has its corporate headquarters in Montreal, Quebec. The airline provides scheduled and charter air transportation for passengers and cargo to over 240 destinations and vacation packages to over 90 destinations via Air Canada Vacations. Air Canada is currently the world's 11th largest airline and its largest hub is Toronto Pearson International Airport.

 

 

Air Transat

Canada

 ICAO (Airline) Code: TSC

Website: www.airtransat.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: YYZ, YUL

Air Transat is an airline based in Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, operating scheduled and charter flights, serving 60 destinations in 25 countries. The airline is owned and operated by Transat A.T. Inc. During the summer season its main destinations are Europe and in the winter season the Caribbean, Mexico, USA and Central America. Its main Canadian gateways are Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport and Vancouver International Airport. The airline also has operations at Calgary International Airport, Québec/Jean Lesage International Airport and others.

 

 

AirTran Airways

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: TRS

Website: www.airtran.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: ATL

AirTran Airways, is a low-cost airline based in Orlando, Florida, USA and is a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings. AirTran operates over 650 daily flights throughout the eastern USA and the Midwest, including over 200 daily departures from Atlanta. It is the world's largest Boeing 717 operator. Its main base is Orlando International Airport, with a principal hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

 

 

 

 

Alaska Airlines

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: ASA

Website: www.alaskaair.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: ANC, SEA, PDX

 Alaska Airlines, based in Seattle, Washington, USA, has grown from a small regional airline to one carrying more than 12 million customers per year. It has its hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, as well as large operations at Los Angeles International Airport, Portland International Airport, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport.

 

Aloha Airlines

United States of America

 ICAO (Airline) Code: AAH

Website: www.alohaairlines.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: HNL

 Aloha Airlines is an airline headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii USA. It operates extensive scheduled services within the Hawaiian Islands, and between Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States. Its main base is Honolulu International Airport. Aloha also markets some inter-island routes served by partner Island Air, and its frequent flyer program, AlohaPass, is a partner of United Airlines' Mileage Plus program.

 

 

American Airlines

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: AAL

Website: www.aa.com

Alliance: Oneworld Alliance

Hubs: ORD, DFW, STL, MIA, SJU

American Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world in terms of total passengers transported and fleet size, and the second-largest airline in the world (behind Air France-KLM) in terms of total operating revenues. A wholly owned subsidiary of the AMR Corporation, the airline is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, adjacent to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. American operates scheduled flights throughout the United States, as well as flights to Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, Japan, mainland China, and India. The Chairman, President, and CEO of AA is Gerard Arpey. In 2005, the airline netted over US$ 98 million in revenue passenger miles (RPMs).

American serves 157 cities with a fleet of 736 aircraft. American carries more passengers between the US and Latin America (12.1 million in 2004) than any other airline, and is also strong in the transcontinental market.

 

 

Continental Airlines

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: COA

Website: www.continental.com

Alliance: SkyTeam Alliance

Hubs: IAH, CLE, EWR

 Continental Airlines is a major American airline based in Continental Center I in Downtown Houston, Texas. On October 1, 2010, the acquisition of Continental airlines by UAL Corporation (the parent company of United Airlines) was completed and on the same day UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc. These airlines are in the process of merging their operations under the name United Airlines. During the integration period, both airlines will, for a time, run separate operations under direction of a combined leadership team of the new parent company based in Chicago. The merger transaction is estimated to be worth (USD)$3.2 billion.

At the time of its acquisition by United Continental Holdings, Inc., Continental was the fourth-largest airline in the US based on passenger-kilometers flown and the fifth largest in total passengers carried. Continental operates flights to destinations throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific regions. Principal operations are from its four hubs at Newark Liberty International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam.

 

 

Delta Air Lines

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: DAL

Website: www.delta.com

Alliance: SkyTeam Alliance

Hubs: ATL, CVG, SLC, JFK

Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major U.S. airline headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, operating a large domestic and international network that spans North America, South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Delta currently has the largest route network "footprint" of any airline. In terms of passengers carried (approximately 119 million in 2005), Delta is the second-largest airline in the world (behind American Airlines).

 

Effective June 29, 2006, Delta (including its wholly-owned subsidiary Comair, Inc.), served 240 domestic cities and became the only airline to host operations in all 50 U.S. states. The airline also serves Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, in addition to 96 countries.

 

 

Frontier Airlines

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: FFT

Website: www.flyfrontier.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: DEN

Frontier Airlines, Inc. is a major American airline headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.[1] with a major secondary headquarters in Denver, Colorado. The carrier, which is a subsidiary and operating brand of Republic Airways Holdings, operates flights to nearly 80 destinations throughout the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica[1] and maintains hubs at Denver International Airport, Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport, and Kansas City International Airport with a focus city at Omaha's Eppley Airfield. It provides regional service to the surrounding Rocky Mountain States through a code-share agreement with Great Lakes Airlines. Frontier is not a member of an air carrier alliance.

 

Hawaiian Airlines

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: HAL

Website: www.hawaiianair.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: HNL

Hawaiian Airlines is the 11th largest commercial airline in the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i and is commonly referred to by the acronym "HAL". Hawaiian Airlines' hub is located at Honolulu International Airport in Honolulu, Hawai'i and operates a secondary hub out of Kahului Airport.

 

 

jetBlue Airways Corporation

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: JBU

Website: www.jetblue.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: JFK, BOS

JetBlue Airways is an American low-cost airline owned by JetBlue Airways Corporation. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Its largest hub is located at John F. Kennedy International Airport. In 2001, JetBlue began a focus city operation at Long Beach Airport in Long Beach, California, and another at Boston's Logan International Airport, in 2004. It also has focus city operations at Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport, Orlando International Airport and at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan. The airline mainly serves destinations in the United States, along with flights to the Caribbean, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Mexico. As of November 19, 2010, JetBlue serves 63 destinations in 22 states (including Puerto Rico), and eleven countries in the Caribbean and Latin

 

America.JetBlue maintains a corporate office in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, a satellite office in Darien, Connecticut, and its Information Technology center in Garden City, New York. JetBlue is a non-union airline.

 

 

Northwest Airlines

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: NWA

Website: www.nwa.com

Alliance: SkyTeam Alliance

Hubs: DTW, MSP, MEM

Northwest Airlines is an airline headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota in the United States of America. It is the fifth-largest U.S. airline. Northwest has three major hubs in the United States: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport,

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, and Memphis International Airport. Northwest also operates flights from a hub in Asia at Narita International Airport near Tokyo and also operates transatlantic and Asian flights in cooperation with partner KLM from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

Northwest is the world's fifth largest airline in terms of RPM (revenue-passenger-miles). In addition to operating one of the largest domestic route networks in the U.S., Northwest carries more passengers across the Pacific (5.1 million in 2004) than any other U.S. carrier, and carries more air cargo than any other passenger airline. The airline, along with its parent company and subsidiaries, is currently operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

 

 

Southwest Airlines

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: SWA

Website: www.southwest.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: LAS, PHX, BWI, MDW, DAL, LAX

Southwest Airlines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is a low-fare airline in the United States. It is the third-largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried and the largest in the United States by number of passengers carried domestically. Southwest operates more than 3,100 flights a day, as of January, 2011, utilizing a fleet of 547 Boeing 737 aircraft. Its reputation for a laid-back atmosphere and low prices has made it an icon of pop culture. Southwest is also known throughout the aviation industry because of its unique business model. The model includes flying one aircraft type, the Boeing 737, on high-density routes throughout the United States. On September 27, 2010, Southwest Airlines announced it would acquire AirTran Airways.

 

Spirit Airlines

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: NKS

Website: www.spiritair.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: FLL, DTW

Spirit Airlines is a United States low-cost carrier operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas. The airline is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit currently maintains bases at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. Over half of the airline's flights are to destinations in the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Latin America. In total, Spirit Airlines currently flies to 41 destinations throughout Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and the United States.

On March 6, 2007, Spirit announced their transition to become the first ultra-low-cost carrier in the United States. Their plan includes charging US$10 per checked bag for the first two bags ($5 if bags are pre-reserved online prior to the flight), in addition to charging $1 for drinks which were previously complimentary. Starting in September 2008, Spirit aircraft became “air billboards.” Plans for advertising on the overhead bins, tray tables, seatback inserts and bulkheads are being rolled out at present. US Airways and Ryan Air are the first airlines to start advertising in the airplane, as well as the now defunct Skybus Airlines that also sold "branded airplanes" as full-body advertisement along the fuselage. On August 1, 2010, Spirit started to charge for carryon bags that passengers wish to place in the overhead bins.

 

 

United Airlines

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: UAL

Website: www.united.com

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: DEN, ORD, IAD, SFO, LAX

United Airlines, the primary subsidiary of the UAL Corporation, is a major airline of the United States headquartered in unincorporated Elk Grove Township, Illinois, near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Chicago O'Hare is the airline's largest traffic hub, with 650 daily departures. Starting in early 2007, United Airlines will move its headquarters to downtown Chicago.

As of July 31, 2006, United was the world's second-largest airline in terms of revenue passenger miles (behind American Airlines), fourth-largest in terms of total operating revenues (behind Air France-KLM, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines), and fourth-largest airline in terms of total passengers transported (behind American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines). United has roughly 54,000 employees and operates approximately 460 aircraft. On February 1, 2006, United emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under which it had operated since December 9, 2002, the largest and longest airline bankruptcy case in history.

US Airways

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: USA

Website: www.usairways.com

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: PHL, CLT, LAS, PHX

US Airways is an airline based in Tempe, Arizona, owned by US Airways Group, Inc. As of May 2006, the airline is the sixth largest airline in the United States. Including aircraft operated by its America West Airlines affiliate, US Airways has a fleet of 357 mainline jet aircraft and 352 express aircraft connecting 240 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Europe. US Airways currently employs 35,180 people worldwide and operates 3,860 flights worldwide daily.

The airline was acquired by America West Holdings Corporation in late 2005. Operations are expected to be fully integrated with America West Airlines by 2007 after government approval allowing the airlines to operate under a single operating certificate. Until this happens, the former America West aircraft and destinations are operated under a separate certificate and by separate crews, but the flights are marketed and sold as US Airways. Check-in counters are still maintained for both US Airways and America West.

 

 

Virgin America

United States of America

ICAO (Airline) Code: VRD

Website: www.virginamerica.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: SFO

Virgin America is a U.S. based low-cost airline that began service on 8 August 2007. San Francisco International Airport is Virgin America's principal base of operations. Though it is the brainchild of British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, Virgin America is a U.S. airline, and by law, no more than 25% of a U.S. airline may be owned by foreign interests and must be under the "actual control" of U.S. citizens. Black Canyon Capital LLC owns 75% of the capital stock and is responsible for appointing two-thirds of the voting members of the board of directors. The remaining 25% of the company is owned by Virgin Group, which also licenses the Virgin brand to the airline.

The airline headquartered in Burlingame, California, is separate from Virgin Atlantic and as such is under no obligation to work with Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Blue, Virgin Galactic or any other companies that share the Virgin brand name. However, on June 3, 2009, Virgin America established an interline agreement with Virgin Blue's international subsidiary airline V Australia, which allows Virgin America customers access to V Australia's trans-Pacific long haul network between Australia and the United States, and allows V Australia passengers access to Virgin America's network within the U.S.

 

 

 

Oceania

 

Air New Zealand

New Zealand

ICAO (Airline) Code: ANZ

Website: www.airnewzealand.com

Alliance: Star Alliance

Hubs: AKL, CHC

Air New Zealand is a major scheduled passenger airline based in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the New Zealand flag carrier, focusing on Australasia and the South Pacific, with services to Europe, North America and Asia, and a Star Alliance member. Its main base is Auckland International Airport.

 

Air Pacific

Fiji

ICAO (Airline) Code: FJI

Website: www.airpacific.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: NAN

Air Pacific is the international airline of Fiji and is based in Nadi. It operates scheduled services to Australia, Canada, Japan, Kiribati (Christmas Island), New Zealand, USA, Tonga and Samoa. Its main base is Nadi International Airport.

 

Air Tahiti Nui

Tahiti

 

 

ICAO (Airline) Code: THT

Website: www.airtahitinui.com

Alliance: None

Hubs: PPT

Air Tahiti Nui is French Polynesia's flag carrier airline with its headquarters in Papeete, Tahiti. The airline operates from Faa'a International Airport on the island of Tahiti. The airline was established on 31 October 1996 and commenced flight operations on 20 November 1998. It is the first international airline based in Papeete, Tahiti, formed to develop inbound tourism. The Government of French Polynesia is the major shareholder (61.4%) along with other local investors.

 

 

Qantas Airways

Australia

ICAO (Airline) Code: QFA

Website: www.qantas.com.au

Alliance: Oneworld Alliance

Hubs: SYD

Qantas Airways Limited is the national airline of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an acronym/initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport. It is Australia's largest airline and the world's second oldest continuously operating airline. Qantas headquarters are located in the Qantas Centre in the Mascot suburb of the City of Botany Bay, Sydney, New South Wales.

Currently the airline is considered a four-star airline by research consultancy firm Skytrax. In 2010, Qantas was voted the seventh best airline in the world by the firm, a drop from 2009 (sixth), 2008 (third), 2007 (fifth), 2006 (second), and 2005 (second).

Qantas flies to 18 domestic destinations and 21 international destinations in 14 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania excluding the destinations served by its subsidiaries. Domestically, Qantas offers direct flights between Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney as Qantas CityFlyer. Qantas, along with British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Emirates Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, South African Airways, and United Airlines, is one of only nine airlines that fly to all six inhabited continents.