AIRLINE NATION Every airline, operating and defunct

Oldest Airlines Still Operating

Carriers established during the early decades of commercial aviation that remain in continuous or restructured operation today.

Key Facts: Aviation Longevity

  • The oldest continuously operating airlines were founded between 1919 and the 1930s.
  • KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (1919), Avianca (1919), and Qantas (1920) represent the world's longest-surviving commercial carriers.
  • Survivors navigated global recessions, World War II reallocations, and deregulation shocks through national support or corporate mergers.
Rank Airline Name Country Codes Founded Years Operating Observed Fleet
1 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Netherlands KL 1919 107 yrs 143
2 Qantas Australia QF 1920 106 yrs 135
3 Delta Air Lines United States DL 1925 101 yrs 1,388
4 American Airlines United States AA 1926 100 yrs 1,239
5 United Airlines United States UA 1926 100 yrs 1,016
6 Air France France AF 1933 93 yrs 268
7 Turkish Airlines Turkey TK 1933 93 yrs 393
8 Air Canada Canada AC 1937 89 yrs 236
9 Air New Zealand New Zealand NZ 1940 86 yrs 65
10 Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopia ET 1945 81 yrs 101
11 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong SAR of China CX 1946 80 yrs 173
12 Singapore Airlines Singapore SQ 1947 79 yrs 161
13 All Nippon Airways Japan NH 1952 74 yrs 265
14 Lufthansa Germany LH 1953 73 yrs 400
15 British Airways United Kingdom BA 1974 52 yrs 316
16 Emirates United Arab Emirates EK 1985 41 yrs 289
17 Qatar Airways Qatar QR 1993 33 yrs 261
18 WestJet Canada WS 1996 30 yrs 137