Summary Air France serves 177 international destinations in 83 countries, with recent expansions to Brazil and the Maldives. Lufthansa connects 197 international destinations across 73 countries, with significant growth plans and expanded routes. Turkish Airlines tops the list with 266 international destinations in 130 countries, recently adding Denver and Melbourne to its network.
A few years ago, when we were all told to stay at home and ride out the COVID-19 Pandemic , many of us wondered if we would ever get to travel the world again. Most airlines around the globe saw their flights slashed and aircraft grounded, and we wondered if our flag carriers would even survive being stripped of millions of dollars in revenue. However, fast-forward to 2024, the aviation scene is humming again, and we are all eager to take flight.
International travel is more accessible now than it ever was. With the introduction and popularity of suitable mid- to long-range aircraft, most cities can be connected in one or two flights. The world's largest airlines connect over 200 cities from their home base.
With growing fleets, ambitious orders, and eager expansion plans, some of our most popular and largest airlines will only get bigger. Throughout this article, we will compare the best five international destinations, but the number of airports served is counted on current routes. While you may be quick to think the United States 'Big Three' would feature, and while United Airlines , American Airlines , and Delta Air Lines serve over 300 destinations, a high percentage of these are domestic.
So let's get into the best airlines by international connectivity: 5 Air France 177 international destinations Countries served 83 Domestic destinations 21 Fleet size 275 aircraft Air France will start flights to Salvador (SSA) on October 28, 2024, with three weekly flights on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The airline will deploy its fleet of Airbus A350-900 widebody aircraft for this route. These widebodies can accommodate 324 passengers in a three-class cabin configuration.
By the end of 2024, Air France will operate up to 30 weekly flights to and from Brazil. This route marks the fifth destination in Brazil after Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Fortaleza, and Bélem. In addition to the Brazilian route, Air France has introduced a new seasonal route to Malé in the Maldives.
Starting December 20, 2024, the airline will offer up to two weekly flights on Fridays and Sundays. The French airline will cease operations on this route between CDG and Malé's Velana International Airport (MLE) at the end of the season on January 5, 2025. Flights will be operated on Airbus A350-900s, which are equipped to accommodate 292 passengers.
Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today. Part of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, the French flag carrier is the fifth most internationally connected airline in the world. Already with a robust domestic network, it serves 177 international destinations in 83 countries.
This includes Madagascar and Senegal in Africa, Beijing and New Delhi in Asia, Rome and Stockholm in Europe, Mexico, and Denver in North America, as well as Lima and Buenos Aires in South America. With its base at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) , the airline's domestic network includes Toulouse, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, and Bordeaux, to mention a few. According to data from Cirium , an aviation analytics company, its longest international flight from Charles de Gaulle is to Santiago (SCL) at approximately 6,291 NM (11,650 km).
This is followed by Buenos Aires (EZE) at 5,980 NM (11,074 km) and Singapore (SIN) at 5,792 NM (10,726 km). 4 Lufthansa 197 international destinations Countries served 73 Domestic destinations 17 Fleet size 310 aircraft Lufthansa is one of Europe's largest airlines in terms of fleet size, passengers carried, and number of destinations. With Frankfurt Airport (FRA) as its primary hub, the German national carrier flies to 211 destinations, including 194 international and 17 domestic.
Combined with its subsidiaries like Discover Airlines , Austrian, and Swiss, the group would rank much higher on our list. The airline flies to Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Unsurprisingly, it has most of its routes in Europe, connecting the continent's major cities, including London, Paris, Madrid, and Amsterdam.
The carrier also serves about 20 destinations in the US. Its domestic destinations include Munich (MUC), Hamburg (HAM), Berlin (BER), and Düsseldorf (DUS). According to Cirium, Lufthansa's most connected city from Frankfurt this month is Berlin, with 356 scheduled flights (one-way).
Outside Germany, London is the most connected, with 348 flights. Lufthansa currently has a fleet of 313 aircraft. With 216 more on order, it is set to grow even bigger over the next few years.
Lufthansa began Munich-Seattle on May 31, 2024, followed swiftly by Frankfurt-Minneapolis, which started on June 4, and Frankfurt-Raleigh Durham, which began on June 6. Munich-Seattle runs three times weekly year-round on the Airbus A350-900. In the summer, the Pacific Northwest airport is one of 11 US airports Lufthansa serves from its Bavarian hub.
It joins Boston, Charlotte, Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Los Angeles, Newark, New York JFK, San Diego (started in March 2022), San Francisco, and Washington Dulles (which has just switched to the A380). 3 British Airways 196 international destinations Countries served 76 Domestic destinations 13 Fleet size 297 aircraft Although it has a slightly smaller fleet than its German counterpart , British Airways is the world's third-most internationally connected airline. With its base at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), it flies to over 200 destinations in 77 countries, including the UK and over 25 destinations in the US , making it one of the largest international operators in the country.
British Airways is one of the few carriers flying to all six inhabited continents—Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, and South America. Its focus is Europe, with more than 50% of its destinations in the region. Its intercontinental destinations include Atlanta, São Paulo, Cape Town, Sydney, and Tokyo.
With another hub at London Gatwick Airport (LGA), its domestic destinations include Manchester (MAN), Newcastle (NCL), and Southampton (SOU). The British flag carrier also serves some of Europe's longest non-stop routes. As of August 2024, its top three longest non-stop flights are as follows: London (Heathrow)-Santiago: 6,280 NM (11,630 km) London (Heathrow)-Singapore: 5,878 NM (10,886 km) London (Gatwick)-Mauritius: 5,253 NM (9,726 km) Two routes are set to join the carrier's route map this year: Thailand's capital, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport , will resume operations in October, and neighboring Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia will take off this November.
Want answers to more key questions in aviation? Check out the rest of our guides here . 2 Ryanair 229 international destinations Countries served 37 Domestic destinations 5 Fleet size 583 aircraft Ryanair 's headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, but it has established multiple hubs across Europe. It is among the world's largest operators by the number of destinations served, fleet size, passengers carried, and other metrics.
While the carrier doesn't fly to as many countries as other airlines, it comes second due to its 229 international destinations. It only flies to three continents - Africa, Europe, and Asia, with Europe being its primary focus. The airline constantly opens new routes around the continent, flying passengers to major cities like London and Paris and smaller islands like Gran Canaria and Ponta Delgada.
While Ryanair is known for its network consistently changing subject to market demand and relationships with destination airports, one of its latest investments is doubling down on the Adriatic country of Albania . Ryanair utilizes Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza as a focus city to serve these routes from the airport: Bari, Beauvais, Bergamo, Birmingham, Bologna, Bristol, Bucharest–Otopeni, Budapest, Catania, Charleroi, Edinburgh, Kraków, Lamezia Terme (beginning October 29, 2024), London–Stansted, Manchester, Marseille, Pisa, Prague, Rome–Ciampino, Stockholm–Arlanda, Treviso, Vienna, Warsaw–Modlin, Weeze, and seasonally to Reggio Calabria. Africa-Europe has some of the shortest intercontinental flights.
Interestingly, Ryanair is the second-biggest intercontinental carrier to Africa , despite only serving one country - Morocco. Ryanair expanded its service to, from, and within Morocco this summer by launching 35 new routes. It will operate over 1,100 weekly flights across a total of 175 routes.
This record summer schedule will boost connectivity between Morocco and several new destinations and is expected to deliver over 5 million passengers, representing a 33% increase in traffic. 1 Turkish Airlines 266 international destinations Countries served 130 Domestic destinations 52 Fleet size 428 aircraft As of July 2024, Turkish Airlines is the world's most internationally connected scheduled passenger carrier. It flies to 130 out of 195 recognized countries worldwide, making it the largest carrier by countries served.
Its primary hub is Istanbul international airport (IST), with destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Turkish Airlines flies to 14 destinations in the US, including New York, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Houston, and Miami. Its domestic destinations include Istanbul (Sabiha), Antalya, Adana, and Ankara.
Melbourne Airport , Australia, and Denver, Colorado, are two memorable additions to the airline's network this year. Australia was added on March 2, and the route is served with one stop via Singapore. The airline currently serves the route three days a week but has aspirations to increase this daily and add Sydney as its second Australian destination.
The carrier follows this schedule: Istanbul to Singapore : TK168, 17:30-08:50+1 (10h 20m) Singapore to Melbourne : TK168, 10:20-20:40 (7h 20m) Melbourne to Singapore : TK169, 22:30-03:00+1 (7h 30m) Singapore to Istanbul : TK169, 04:30-11:15 (11h 45m) On June 11, Turkish was welcomed to Denver, Colorado, with a thrice weekly service. The airline had promised its investors that the service would start in 2021. However, in 2024, the airline's dreams became a reality.
At 6,130 miles, the flight from Istanbul Airport is now the longest to serve Denver International Airport. The new route is scheduled to operate thrice weekly and, in June, was served by two aircraft types, the Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 777-300ER. The new route will bring about 350 new jobs to the local economy in Denver and about $54 million annually.
Another route expected to launch soon for Turkish Airlines is Santiago, Chile, which the carrier revealed in the public disclosure area of its investor relations website, where the carrier must legally disclose coming routes. More broadly, Santiago has been repeatedly disclosed in various presentations . While not yet confirmed, the Star Alliance member will arrive in Chile on December 12 .
This will be during the Southern Hemisphere's peak summer and timed to capitalize on Christmas demand. Its current longest non-stop route from Istanbul is to South America (Istanbul-Mexico), covering a distance of 6,160 NM (11,408 km) . Istanbul-Los Angeles follows this at 5,953 NM (11,024 km) and Istanbul-Panama City at 5,790 NM (10,723 km) .
According to ch-aviation , the Turkish national carrier currently has a fleet of 428 aircraft, with over 300 on order..
