Air France
France
EU
Air France is the French flag carrier and, together with KLM and Transavia, part of the Air France-KLM Group. Its main hub is Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Air France is a founding member...
European Airlines
British Airways
United Kingdom
British Airways is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom and part of International Airlines Group (IAG), whose head office is in London. IAG was formed in 2011 and also owns Iberia,...
easyJet
United Kingdom
easyJet is a British low-cost airline based at London Luton. It was founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, and the first flights took off from Luton to Glasgow and Edinburgh in November 1995....
Finnair
Finland
EU
Finnair is the flag carrier of Finland, founded in 1923 and based in Vantaa at Helsinki Airport. It has been a member of the oneworld alliance since 1999. The Finnish state is...
Iberia
Spain
EU
Iberia is the Spanish flag carrier, based in Madrid, with its hub at Madrid-Barajas. Since the merger with British Airways in 2011 it belongs to International Airlines Group (IAG). Iberia is a...
KLM
Netherlands
EU
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was founded in 1919 and is the flag carrier of the Netherlands. The company is based in Amstelveen near Amsterdam and flies from its hub at Schiphol Airport....
Lufthansa
Germany
EU
Lufthansa is the largest German airline and the flagship of the Lufthansa Group, which is headquartered in Cologne. The group also includes SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and ITA Airways. Lufthansa...
Norwegian
Norway
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA is a Scandinavian low-cost airline with headquarters at Fornebu near Oslo. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and had 77,343 shareholders at 30 June 2026....
Ryanair
Ireland
EU
Ryanair is the largest low-cost airline in Europe. The group, Ryanair Holdings plc, is Irish and based in Dublin. According to its corporate website it connects more than 220 airports in 35...
SAS Scandinavian Airlines
Sweden
EU
SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) is the leading airline of Scandinavia, with main hubs in Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm. It joined the SkyTeam alliance in September 2024. SAS flies to more than 125 destinations...
SWISS
Switzerland
SWISS (Swiss International Air Lines) is the Swiss flag carrier. The company is registered in Basel, operates its main hub at Zurich Airport and a second base in Geneva. It has belonged...
TAP Air Portugal
Portugal
EU
TAP Air Portugal is the Portuguese flag carrier with its hub at Lisbon Airport and is a member of the Star Alliance. The state owns the airline. In July 2026 Portugal relaunched...
Turkish Airlines
Turkey
Turkish Airlines was founded in 1933 with five aircraft and is the flag carrier of Türkiye, based in Istanbul. According to its own company story, it flies to 130 countries from Istanbul...
Wizz Air
Hungary
EU
Wizz Air is an ultra-low-cost airline with operational headquarters in Budapest. The parent company, Wizz Air Holdings Plc, is incorporated in Jersey and listed on the London Stock Exchange. Founded in 2003,...
Did we miss one? Feel free to submit a suggestion!
Submit SuggestionEuropean airlines range from state-backed network carriers with worldwide alliances to low-cost operators that fly point to point between secondary airports. The 14 airlines below all have their headquarters in Europe and cover the big groups behind most air travel on the continent. The list is a starting point for anyone who wants to fly with European airlines instead of American carriers.
European airlines compared
| Airline | Country | Group or owner | Type | Alliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lufthansa | Germany | Lufthansa Group | Network | Star Alliance |
| SWISS | Switzerland | Lufthansa Group | Network | Star Alliance |
| Air France | France | Air France-KLM | Network | SkyTeam |
| KLM | Netherlands | Air France-KLM | Network | SkyTeam |
| British Airways | United Kingdom | IAG | Network | oneworld |
| Iberia | Spain | IAG | Network | oneworld |
| Finnair | Finland | Finnish state (majority) | Network | oneworld |
| SAS | Sweden | Castlelake, Danish state, Air France-KLM and others | Network | SkyTeam |
| TAP Air Portugal | Portugal | Portuguese state | Network | Star Alliance |
| Turkish Airlines | Türkiye | Turkey Wealth Fund (49 %) and listed shares | Network | Star Alliance |
| Ryanair | Ireland | Listed (Ryanair Holdings) | Low-cost | none |
| easyJet | United Kingdom | Listed (easyJet plc) | Low-cost | none |
| Wizz Air | Hungary | Listed (Wizz Air Holdings) | Low-cost | none |
| Norwegian | Norway | Listed (Oslo) | Low-cost | none |
Network airlines or low-cost carriers
Network airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France, KLM or British Airways connect hubs and offer long-haul flights, loyalty programmes and alliance partners. Low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air and Norwegian sell a cheap base fare and charge extra for baggage and seats. They fly mostly short and medium routes and do not belong to an alliance.
Who owns which airline
Several well-known names belong to one group. The Lufthansa Group also owns Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and ITA Airways. Air France-KLM includes Transavia. IAG, the parent of British Airways and Iberia, also owns Vueling and Aer Lingus. These subsidiaries are not listed separately. At SAS the US investor Castlelake holds 32 percent, which is a minority, and Air France-KLM has announced that it wants to raise its stake to 60.5 percent. TAP Air Portugal is state-owned and is currently being partly privatised.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the biggest European airline?
By its own description Ryanair is Europe's largest airline group. Among network carriers, Air France-KLM reports 103 million passengers, and the Lufthansa Group is the other very large group.
Which European airlines are in the same alliance?
Lufthansa, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal and Turkish Airlines belong to Star Alliance. Air France, KLM and SAS are SkyTeam members. British Airways, Iberia and Finnair fly in oneworld.
Where can flights be booked besides the airline websites?
Package holidays and flight bundles are sold by European travel booking portals. Rental cars at the destination are covered under car rental companies, hotels under hotel chains.