Top 10: The biggest Asia-Pacific airlines by fleet size in 2025
August 29, 2025
As commercial aviation grows exponentially worldwide, the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) is seeing the fastest rise in passengers of any region, solidifying its status as a cornerstone of global air travel.
With growing domestic economies, affluent middle classes, and substantial infrastructure investments, the region completed its post-pandemic recovery in 2024 and is now undergoing a period of unparalleled growth.
Consumer demand for air travel is on the rise, with legacy and budget carriers struggling to keep up.
New aircraft delivery delays caused by supply chain problems, combined with a worldwide shortage of wet-lease capacity, make it increasingly difficult for airlines to match capacity to demand.
Carriers are extending the service life of older aircraft to ensure adequate capacity, but the benefit is offset by the higher costs of operating these aircraft.
As the order books at Boeing and Airbus bulge, any airline ordering a new aircraft in 2025 is unlikely to see it hit their fleet this decade.
APAC traffic is booming
Airlines in the APAC region continue to plan for the future, with the region’s airlines placing new aircraft orders. Undeterred by a longer delivery timeline, Korean Air placed a sizeable order for 103 new Boeing planes on August 26. The $36bn order includes 50 Boeing 737 MAX 10s, 20 of the yet-to-be-certified 777-9s, eight Boeing 777-8 Freighters, and 25 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners.
While domestic travel in APAC is booming, international traffic continues to face challenges. The region’s aviation market is operating within a shifting economic and geopolitical landscape, causing a divergence between domestic and international recovery across the region.
According to the International Air Transport Association, the outlook for 2025 remains optimistic. Passenger numbers in APAC are expected to grow by 7.9%, the highest rate globally. This growth stems from improving economic conditions, competitive airfare, and government-driven tourism campaigns.
Equally, the APAC region’s long-term growth prospects appear robust, with passenger numbers projected to double by 2043, driven by demographic and economic trends.
APAC’s average 5.1% annual growth rate between 2025 and 2043 significantly outpaces Europe and North America. Emerging economies in the region, such as Vietnam and Indonesia, alongside the established giants like China and India, will be the key drivers of this expansion.
The ten largest airlines in Asia-Pacific 2025
Diving into the APAC region’s top ten airlines shows that China (the most populous country on the planet and one of the fastest-growing economies in the world) will continue to dominate the global aviation landscape. Four of its largest carriers appear on the list, with three dominating the top.
The balance includes a range of flag carriers, such as Japan Airlines and Korean Air. The pan-APAC low-cost giant AirAsia Group also features, taking up the sixth slot of the top ten.
All data used to compile this ranking comes from ch-aviation’s commercial aircraft database and is correct as of 29 August 2025. The figures reflected in the list do not include aircraft operated by affiliated airlines, dedicated freighters, or those operated by low-cost sister airlines.
1. China Southern – 677 aircraft
With 677 aircraft, Guangzhou-based China Southern operates the largest fleet in the APAC region.
Along with a varied assortment of narrowbody and widebody Western types, the airline also operates several domestically-built COMAC C909s (30) and C919 (5). Its expansive route network covers 841 routes to 235 destinations across 46 countries.
The carrier also has an expansive future order book, which will see 225 aircraft joining the fleet in the coming years. New additions will include 56 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, seven A350-900s, 66 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, plus 95 more C919 twinjets.
2. China Eastern – 671 aircraft
Challenging China Southern for the top spot (with only a handful of aircraft separating the two), China Eastern is the region’s second-largest carrier.
Based in Shanghai, like its larger competitor, China Eastern operates a mixed fleet of aircraft ranging from the COMAC C909 up to the A350-900 and the Boeing 777-300ER. Like China Southern, China Eastern operates both the C909 (27) and C919 (11) Chinese-built airliners, with another eight and 95 examples on order, respectively.
The airline, which launched in 1988, now flies 1047 routes serving 234 destinations across 39 countries. Speculation has been rife in recent weeks that (thanks in part to a warming of rhetoric between the US and Chinese governments) a large order from China for around 500 Boeing jets is imminent. China Eastern is one of the three domestic carriers that is likely to benefit the most from such an order, alongside Air China, Xiamen Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines.
The airline currently has almost 200 new aircraft on order, which includes 95 COMAC C919s, 49 Airbus A321neos, and 24 A320neos.
3. Air China – 528 aircraft
Rounding out the top three spots among APAC carriers, Beijing-based Air China is just behind the other two nationally-owned carriers: China Southern and China Eastern.
Its current fleet of 528 aircraft features the whole range of Airbus commercial twinjet models (except the A220) plus Boeing and COMAC aeroplanes. The airline operates its long-haul routes on Airbus A330-200/300s and 312-seat A350-900s. It has a network of 646 routes serving 214 destinations across 49 countries.
Looking ahead, Air China has 166 new aircraft on order. This figure includes 100 more C919s and 49 Airbus A321neos, with the balance made up of other Boeing and Airbus narrowbody types.
4. All Nippon Airways – 407 aircraft
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is Japan’s largest carrier by fleet size with 407 aircraft. It is one of the handful of airlines worldwide still operating the Airbus A380 (with a high-density 520-seat four-class configuration). Its three examples returned to service post-pandemic. The airline’s short-haul fleet is dominated by Airbus narrowbody types, although it also has 39 Boeing 737-800s.
Beyond the A380s, the bulk of ANA’s long-haul fleet is made up of Boeing 767s, 777s, and 787s.
The airline also has 24 De Havilland Canada DHC-8-Q400s used for regional routes.
ANA operates on 171 routes, serving 94 destinations across 24 countries.
The airline has been active in the new aircraft marketplace in recent months. In February 2025, ANA ordered 68 new aircraft with nine further options. The order benefitted the three major manufacturers with 18 Boeing 787-9 aircraft, 12 Boeing 737-8 aircraft (eight firm orders and four options), 20 Embraer E190-E2 aircraft (15 firm orders and five options), and 14 Airbus A321neos.
At the same time, ANA announced it had exercised purchase options it secured in 2020 for five Boeing 787-9 aircraft and in 2019 for 10 Boeing 737-8s.
5. Hainan Airlines – 228 aircraft
Haikou-based Hainan Airlines is the fourth Chinese carrier to appear in the top ten APAC airlines for 2025.
Significantly smaller than the top three Chinese carriers, Hainan Airlines was originally part of the huge Chinese conglomerate HNA Holdings until that organisation filed for bankruptcy in 2021. Now owned by private investors, the airline operates a fleet of 228 aircraft on both short, medium, and long-haul routes.
The carrier has a more focused fleet than other Chinese airlines, with a short-haul fleet that consists largely of Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft, with 17 Airbus A320neo family aircraft. The airline operates its medium-haul routes on its 22 Airbus A330s. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner dominates the long-haul fleet. The carrier has 10 787-8s and 28 787-9s.
Unlike its Chinese counterparts, Hainan does not have a large outstanding order book—limited to seven 787 MAX-8s. The airline operates 390 routes serving 118 destinations across 31 countries.
6. AirAsia Group – 227 aircraft
The AirAsia Group of airlines takes sixth place on the list. Made up of five individual airlines based in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines, the carrier is the only low-cost carrier (LCC) on our top 10.
First launched as AirAsia Malaysia in 1996, the airline quickly switched its all-Boeing 737 fleet to Airbus narrowbodies. Today, the Group of five airlines operates 227 aircraft as follows:
- AirAsia Malaysia – 109
- AirAsia Cambodia – 2
- AirAsia Indonesia – 29
- AirAsia Philippines – 25
- Thai AirAsia – 6
The Group holds outstanding orders with Airbus for a further 370 A320neo aircraft, which will include 36 on the long-range A321XLR.
The AirAsia Group is one of the fastest-growing airline groups in APAC. It carried 63 million passengers in 2024, an increase of 11% compared to the previous year.
7. Japan Airlines – 201 aircraft
Smaller than its Japanese rival, ANA, Japan Airlines (JAL) operates 201 aircraft. Although its fleet is more Boeing-centric than its rival, it does have 15 Airbus A350-900s and ten A350-1000s in its fleet.
The balance is made up of Boeing 737-800s for short-haul flying and Boeing 767s, 777s, and 787s for the rest of its widebody network. The airline also operates 32 Embraer Regional jets and 15 ATR-72s for domestic and regional routes.
Japan Airlines currently uses its fleet of 202 aircraft operating on 171 routes serving 92 destinations across 21 countries.
8. Cathay Pacific – 179 aircraft
Although the first airline to fall below the 200-aircraft mark on the list, Cathay Pacific’s fleet is still sizable. Historically, a long-haul airline serving Hong Kong, the airline has taken on a more APAC-focused approach in recent years, with the absorption of Cathay Dragon after the pandemic, supplemented by its low-cost offshoot, HK Express.
The airline’s fleet of 179 aircraft includes 16 A321neos and 43 A330-300s. On the long-haul side, the airline has 48 A350s plus 52 Boeing 777s.
Looking ahead, Cathay expects 35 Boeing 777-9s when that type eventually receives certification. The new aircraft will form the backbone of the carrier’s long-haul fleet in the future.
9. Korean Air – 165 aircraft
As mentioned earlier, Korean Air has just placed an order for new aircraft that is not far short of its current total airliner fleet. Airbus and Boeing types share the split of the present fleet. The carrier is also the second airline on the list that still operates the Airbus A380 superjumbo, with eight units in its fleet.
Based at Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN), Korean Air operates 122 routes to 106 destinations across 36 countries.
With the long-awaited merger with fellow Korean carrier Asiana on the verge of completion, the airline revealed a new livery and corporate identity earlier in 2025. Though the new branding received mixed reviews, Korean Air is now busy rolling out the new corporate colour scheme across its entire operations.
10. Singapore Airlines – 159 aircraft
Rounding off the list of the top ten APAC airlines is Singapore Airlines. Having first flown under its present name in October 1972, the airline is considered to be one of the best both in the region and worldwide.
It is the third airline on our list still flying the A380 (with 12 aircraft in operation). However, the airline’s fleet is almost entirely made up of Boeing aircraft, except for 65 Airbus A350s and the A380s.
Singapore Airlines has eight 737 MAX-8s on order, along with 31 Boeing 777-9s and five additional 787-10s, the carrier already operates 26 Dreamliner aircraft. It flies 112 routes to 83 destinations across 35 countries.
Looking to the future of APAC airlines
Across the ten airlines on this list, there are 3,442 active aircraft with many hundreds more on order. With the growth of air traffic in the region set to reach 7.9%, there will likely be many more large new orders placed in the coming years.
With just four Chinese airlines accounting for 2,104 of those units (61%), domestically produced Chinese aircraft, like the COMAC series of jets could make up a larger share of the fleet. COMAC plans to build a C929 widebody (to compete with the 787), which could change the landscape.
One thing is certain: the APAC region is set to maintain its lead as the world’s fastest-growing market for air passenger travel for years to come.
It will worth tracking how airlines in the region respond to the surge in demand and how that shapes their fleets in future.
