An airline's route network dictates what it has, does, and generates. The following five carriers have the highest number of routes this August-December. Based on the latest information from Cirium and OAG, it includes all scheduled offerings.
5 Delta Air Lines
The world's second-largest airline by flights in August, Delta, ranks fifth globally by total number of routes. It has 921, with 714 domestic and 207 international.
Atlanta-Orlando has more flights than any other route, with a maximum of 108 departures (216 roundtrips) until the end of the year. The route is especially interesting because it revolves around the ever-rare Boeing 757 and 767. In the present week, virtually all departures are by the 757-200 and -300, with 18 by the 767-300.
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4 United Airlines
In fourth place is United. It has 987 routes this August-December, 688 domestic and 299 international. Not surprisingly, the Star Alliance member is the US' largest long-haul operator, defined here as covering 3,000 miles (4,828 km) or more.
The shuttle-like operation from United's East Coast hub of Newark to Washington Reagan has more flights than any other route. Covering 199 miles (320 km), it is the only airline on it. Flights rise to a maximum of 117 weekly departures later this year. Exclusively served by regional jets, the three-class, 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-550 is by far the most used equipment.
3 easyJet
The first non-US operator in the top five is easyJet. With 1,023 routes, the low-cost carrier ranks third globally by this measure. Its network comprises 111 domestic routes in the UK, France, Italy, and Portugal, together with 912 international.
With 541 routes, the UK (its birthplace) remains heavily essential. However, Paris Orly to Nice has more flights than any other route across its entire network, with up to 49 weekly services each way. London Luton to Amsterdam, which I will again be flying soon, is in second place.
2 American Airlines
While American is the world's largest airline by multiple measures, including flights, it is not first for the total amount of routes. Cirium informs that it has 1,206 in the last few months of 2023, the only US operator to break the 1,000 threshold.
American has 915 domestic routes (more than any other carrier globally) and 291 international, the latter not quite surpassing United. Still, the oneworld airline has more international flights from the US, mainly thanks to its big short-haul Mexico and Caribbean operations.
Across American's whole network, its Austin-Dallas Fort Worth hub-feeder route has the greatest number of services. There are up to 106 weekly departures before the end of the year, with the 737-800 being the most deployed type.
1 Ryanair
Continuing to take the routes crown is the pan-European Ryanair. With 2,567 routes, it has more than twice as many as second-placed American. Ryanair's low average frequency helps drive its sheer expansiveness.
The ultra-low-cost-carrier's network comprises 239 domestic routes in Bulgaria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.
But it is, of course, very much about international services, with 2,328 routes involving 37 countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Despite Ryanair's ever-growing nature, its top route remains the same: London Stansted to Dublin. It has up to 57 departures a week.
What do you make of it all? Let us know in the comments.
Sources of information: Cirium, OAG