| TOP 1997 PROFIT-MAKERS... | ||
| Rank | Airline group | Net profit $m |
| 1 | AMR/American Airlines | 985 |
| 2 | United Airlines | 949 |
| 3 | Delta Air Lines | 934 |
| 4 | British Airways | 754 |
| 5 | Singapore Airlines Group | 670 |
| 6 | Northwest Airlines | 597 |
| 7 | US Airways Group* | 494 |
| 8 | Lufthansa | 482 |
| 9 | Continental Airlines | 385 |
| 10 | Southwest Airlines | 318 |
| NOTE *US Airways excludes gain on taxes and disposals | ||
| ...AND LOSS MAKERS | ||
| Rank | Airline group | Net loss $m |
| 8 | Japan Airlines | -767 |
| 41 | Asiana | -425 |
| 18 | Korean Air Lines | -423 |
| 23 | Trans World Airlines | -111 |
| 28 | Saudi Arabian Airlines | -97 |
| 30 | Malaysian Airline System | -81 |
| 32 | Sabena | -70 |
| 43 | South African Airways | -64 |
| 27 | Ansett Australia Holdings | -27 |
| NOTE Loss-makers not in the Top 50 include: Pakistan, Philippine Airlines and Air India. See Near Misses on ratings | ||
| 1997 TOP TEN - SCHEDULED PASSENGERS | |||
| Passengers | Rank | ||
| Rank | Airline | (000) | 1996 |
| 1 | Delta Air Lines | 103,231 | 1 |
| 2 | United Airlines | 84,203 | 2 |
| 3 | American Airlines | 81,083 | 3 |
| 4 | US Airways | 58,659 | 4 |
| 5 | Northwest Airlines | 54,650 | 5 |
| 6 | Southwest Airlines* | 50,400 | 6 |
| 7 | All Nippon Airways | 40,697 | 7 |
| 8 | Continental Airlines | 38,610 | 8 |
| 9 | Lufthansa | 35,293 | 10 |
| 10 | British Airways | 34,184 | 9 |
| *Southwest not IATA member | |||
| 1997 TOP TEN - SCHEDULED PASSENGER TRAFFIC | |||
| Rank | Airline | RPK | Rank |
| millions | 1996 | ||
| 1 | United Airlines | 195,374 | 1 |
| 2 | American Airlines | 172,205 | 2 |
| 3 | Delta Air Lines | 160,398 | 3 |
| 4 | Northwest Airlines | 115,898 | 4 |
| 5 | British Airways | 105,701 | 5 |
| 6 | Japan Airlines* | 77,229 | 6 |
| 7 | Continental Airlines | 77,081 | 8 |
| 8 | Lufthansa | 71,353 | 7 |
| 9 | Air France | 69,987 | 10 |
| 10 | US Airways | 66,901 | 9 |
| NOTE *Japan Airlines for 1997/8 financial year RPK= revenue passenger kilometre. 1 mile = 1.609km | |||
| 1997 TOP TEN* - SCHEDULED FREIGHT TONNES | |||
| Rank | Airline | Freight | Rank |
| (000t) | 1996 | ||
| 1 | Lufthansa | 1,059 | 1 |
| 2 | Korean Air Lines | 994 | 2 |
| 3 | Japan Airlines | 909 | 3 |
| 4 | Air France | 739 | 5 |
| 5 | Singapore Airlines | 736 | 6 |
| 6 | Northwest Airlines | 681 | 4 |
| 7 | Cathay Pacific | 635 | 9 |
| 8 | United | 635 | 11 |
| 9 | British Airways | 624 | 10 |
| 10 | American Airlines | 586 | 7 |
| NOTE Excludes pure freight carriers: FedEx 4,337t and UPS 2,950t | |||
Source IATA World Air Transport Statistics 98 and Company reports
Source: Flight International
