As the fastest growing economy of the world, India is seeing an unprecedented number of travellers flying to outbound destinations in the recent years, especially after the Covid lockdown lifted. The aviation sector in India is thriving, with countless people looking for an easy option to travel abroad. Air travel, undoubtedly, is the fastest and most convenient mode of travel for domestic as well as international trips.
In the last few years, the travel culture in India has gone through a major boost. While people are keen to travel within the country, an increasing number of people are also booking international holidays. This has led to many major international airlines to enter the Indian aviation market. While many Indian airlines do provide affordable outbound flights, many people are also opting for these international airlines which are often more luxurious.
Here is a list of some prominent international airlines operating in India:
1- Emirates Airlines
- Hub: Dubai International Airport (DXB)
- Founded: 1985
- Fleet: Primarily Airbus A380 and Boeing 777
- Destinations: Over 150 worldwide
- Notable: Renowned for luxury services and in-flight entertainment.
This Dubai-based airline is primarily known for its luxurious in-flight services, like impressive cuisines and courteous and well trained crew. Founded in 1985 by Dubai’s government, Emirates Airline has emerged as one of the world’s largest airlines, and has earned the title of “Largest Airline in the Middle East”. Connecting more than 150 destinations across the world and with a fleet of over 250 aircrafts, including the Airbus A380, Emirates has also won many awards, including “World’s Best Airline” at the Skytrax World Airline Awards.
2- Qatar Airways
- Hub: Hamad International Airport (DOH)
- Founded: 1993
- Fleet: Diverse fleet including Airbus A350 and Boeing 787
- Destinations: Over 160 global destinations
- Notable: Awarded multiple “Airline of the Year” titles.
Qatar Airways has rightly earned a reputation amongst international airlines for its unbeatable service standards in its flights. Known for providing premium experience in business class, it was the first airline to introduce sliding doors in business class to make it feel even more private. It has won the “World’s Best Airline” award for the eighth time at the 2024 World Airline Awards by Skytrax and also the “World’s Best Business Class” award multiple times.
Founded by the state of Qatar in 1993, it has been operational since 1994 and has expanded to a network of more than 150 destinations with a fleet of over 200 aircrafts. It is also the first airline to operate Airbus A350 and serves every single continent in the world.
3- Lufthansa
- Hub: Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Munich Airport (MUC)
- Founded: 1917
- Fleet: Includes Airbus A320 family and Boeing 747
- Destinations: More than 200 worldwide
- Notable: Largest airline in Germany and a founding member of Star Alliance.
Lufthansa is a Germany based airline that happens to be the most prominent airlines in Germany and the largest Airline in Europe from revenue perspective. It was founded in 1953 and began operating in 1955, making it one of the oldest airlines in the world. It connects India to its extensive European network via its primary hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. As of today, Lufthansa is serving more than 190 destinations across over 70 countries and has more than 300 aircrafts in its fleet.
4- Etihad Airways
- Hub: Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH)
- Founded: 2003
- Fleet: Features Airbus A380 and Boeing 787
- Destinations: Around 90 international destinations
- Notable: Focuses on luxury and comfort in travel.
Etihad Airways is the national airline of the UAE and is also one of the flag carriers of the UAE alongside Emirates. With its primary base in Abu Dhabi, at the Zayed International Airport, it is currently serving more than 70 destinations with it fleet of around 85 aircrafts including Airbus and Boeing.
It was founded in July 2003 by the UAE government and in the past two decades, Etihad has built a reputation for groundbreaking luxury travel with its premium cabins and smart seats. They have also introduced an upgraded private suite called The Residence that is truly remarkable.
5- British Airways
- Hub: London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- Founded: 1974 (merger of several airlines)
- Fleet: Mix of Boeing and Airbus aircraft
- Destinations: Over 180 global destinations
- Notable: Flag carrier of the UK, known for premium services.
This flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom is the largest UK based airline based on its fleet size of 280 aircrafts and remains the most popular airline in the UK. It was founded by the state in 1974 as a result of a merger between British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways but we can trace its history back to 1919 when parent company Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited started its first flights.
British Airways is currently flying to more than 170 destinations across 80 countries via its major hubs, Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport in London. With an award winning frequent flyer program, its Gold and Silver Executive Club members get countless benefits like access to its global network of premium lounges and priority boarding.
6- Singapore Airlines
- Hub: Changi Airport (SIN)
- Founded: 1947
- Fleet: Primarily Airbus A350 and Boeing 777
- Destinations: More than 130 destinations worldwide
- Notable: Highly rated for service quality and innovation.
Singapore Airlines first start operations as Malayan Airways in the year 1947, but after a complicated history of separation and rebranding, it was launched as Singapore Airlines in 1972. Connecting India to international destinations from as many as 15 Indian cities, it is a major airline in Asia.
Having won the title of World’s Best Airline at the Skytrax awards in 2023, it also has been recognised for its first-class flying experience. It was the first airline to operate the Airbus A380 Super Jumbo in 2007 and also the first customer of the ultra-long range version of the A380 that can fly for up to 20 hours non-stop. With its main hub at Changi Airport, it is currently serving over 120 destinations with a modern fleet of around 150 aircrafts.
7- Air France
- Hub: Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
- Founded: 1933
- Fleet: Includes Airbus A380 and Boeing 777
- Destinations: Over 200 destinations globally
- Notable: Part of the SkyTeam alliance and known for French culinary offerings on flights.
Air France was born out of a merger between five airline companies in the year 1933, which means it has been operation for 91 years, making it one of the oldest airlines in the world. After having served for 70 years, it merged with KLM group in 2003 and has emerged as the largest airline in the world in terms of revenue.
With its primary hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Air France flies to over 200 international destinations in more than 90 counties. It has a mixed fleet of more than 220 aircrafts, mostly Airbus and offers a wide range of cabin options including La Premiere, a unique first class experience available on select Boeing aircrafts.
8- Cathay Pacific
- Hub: Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
- Founded: 1946
- Fleet: Primarily Airbus A350 and Boeing 777
- Destinations: Over 190 destinations
- Notable: Known for quality service and premium cabin experiences.
This is Hong Kong based airline is the flag carrier of Hong Kong and has been operation since 1946. It connects India to around 200 destinations worldwide via its main hub, the Hong Kong International Airport. Having won multiple awards from Skytrax including the world’s fifth best airline in 2024, World’s Best Economy Class, Best Economy Class in Asia and World’s Cleanest Airline, it has established itself as a highly sought after airline. Not just that, it is also one of the 10 airlines that have been rated 5 stars by Skytrax.
9- Thai Airways
- Hub: Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)
- Founded: 1960
- Fleet: Mix of Airbus and Boeing aircraft
- Destinations: More than 80 destinations worldwide
- Notable: Flag carrier of Thailand, renowned for hospitality.
Thai Airways is another state-owned airline which is the flag carrier of Thailand. It was formed in 1960 by joint efforts of Thailand’s domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). However, in 1977, the Thai government was able to buy complete ownership of the airlines. Its inaugural flights operated from Bangkok to 9 destinations, all within Asia.
The main hub of Thai Airways is Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, which connects Thailand to over 60 destinations across the world. With a continuously increasing fleet size which comes down to almost 80 aircrafts at present, the airlines is rated 4 star and has won the award for Best Inflight Service by TIG Travel Awards, 2024.
10- Turkish Airlines
This flag carrier, partly state-owned airline of Turkey was established in 1933 as Turkish State Airlines and has its hub in Istanbul, the largest city in the country. As one of the largest airlines in the world, it connects over 300 destinations globally. It flies non-stop to a larger number of destinations than any other airline, and also flies to 130 countries, which is unmatched by any other airline.
Apart from having won the award for Best Airline in Europe in 2024 from Skytrax, they have also won the awards for Best Catering in Business Class as well as Economy Class.
Globalisation has most definitely led to the entire world becoming a global village, where destinations that are thousands of miles apart are easily connected by flights that take just a few hours. These international airlines have gained a name amongst their customers for world-class services and a large network of destinations. Fortunately for Indian flyers, globe-trotting is becoming increasingly convenient as airlines operate more and more flights from an ever growing list of Indian cities. With a wide range of options to choose from based on affordability, in-flight services, connectivity and comfort, Indian travellers will never find themselves short of options when it comes to international air travel.
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