The airline industry is a tough business. Profit margins are narrow, airplanes are expensive to run and maintain, and government regulation and taxation can be onerous and unpredictable.
In addition, demand can stall by the outbreak of disease, recession, war, or terrorism. So when a company has a winning airline route, it makes all the difference to a company’s bottom line.
Today’s visualization uses data from OAG Aviation Worldwide, which tracked the airline routes that generated the most revenue from April 2018 to March 2019.
Top 10 Highest Revenue Routes by Airline
North American routes dominate the global rankings. However, it is the connections from the U.S Northeast and Europe that generate the most revenue and often the most delays.
Only one route breaks the billion dollar barrier: British Airways’ service between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK).
| Airline | Airport Pair | Countries | Total Revenue US$ 2018/19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways | JFK-LHR | 🇺🇸🇬🇧 | $1,159,126,794 |
| Qantas Airlines | MEL-SYD | 🇦🇺 | $849,260,322 |
| Emirates | LHR-DXB | 🇬🇧🇦🇪 | $796,201,645 |
| Singapore Airlines | LHR-SIN | 🇬🇧🇸🇬 | $735,597,614 |
| United Airlines | SFO-EWR | 🇺🇸 | $689,371,368 |
| American Airlines | LAX-JFK | 🇺🇸 | $661,739,368 |
| Qatar Airways | LHR-DOH | 🇬🇧🇶🇦 | $639,122,609 |
| Cathay Pacific Airways | HKG-LHR | 🇭🇰🇬🇧 | $604,595,063 |
| Singapore Airlines | SYD-SIN | 🇦🇺🇸🇬 | $549,711,946 |
| Air Canada | YVR-YYZ | 🇨🇦 | $541,122,509 |
Air Canada’s route between Vancouver and Toronto bottoms out the list with $541 million of revenue in 2019. Low population density, high infrastructure costs, and an aviation industry that is essentially an oligopoly, are all factors driving up ticket costs in Canada.
North America, Top 10 Highest Revenue Routes by Airline
Here’s a look at only the top-grossing routes connected to North America, including the prior ones that made the global list.
| Airline | Airport Pair | Countries | Total Revenue US$ 2018/19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways | JFK-LHR | 🇺🇸🇬🇧 | $1,159,126,794 |
| United Airlines | SFO-EWR | 🇺🇸 | $689,371,368 |
| American Airlines | LAX-JFK | 🇺🇸 | $661,739,788 |
| Air Canada | YVR-YYZ | 🇨🇦 | $541,122,509 |
| British Airways | BOS-LHR | 🇺🇸🇬🇧 | $523,527,241 |
| Air France | JFK-CDG | 🇺🇸🇫🇷 | $486,378,698 |
| United Airlines | LAX-EWR | 🇺🇸 | $479,908,312 |
| Cathay Pacific Airways | JFK-HKG | 🇺🇸🇭🇰 | $475,514,451 |
| Delta Air Lines | LAX-JFK | 🇺🇸 | $465,130,366 |
| British Airways | LAX-LHR | 🇺🇸🇬🇧 | $452,136,502 |
Transcontinental routes dominate the domestic market with LAX–JFK appearing twice in the ranking for both American and Delta Air Lines.
Asia, Top 10 Highest Revenue Routes by Airline
Despite Asia’s rise as an economic superpower, there are no routes that break the billion dollar barrier. Singapore Airlines’ Singapore (SIN) to London’s Heathrow (LHR) tops the list, generating $736 million in 2019.
| Airline | Airport Pair | Countries | Total Revenue US$ 2018/19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Airlines | SIN-LHR | 🇸🇬🇬🇧 | $735,597,614 |
| Cathay Pacific Airlines | HKG-LHR | 🇭🇰🇬🇧 | $604,595,063 |
| Singapore Airlines | SIN-SYD | 🇸🇬🇦🇺 | $549,711,946 |
| Vietnam Airlines | SGN-HAN | 🇻🇳 | $488,487,259 |
| Cathay Pacific Airlines | HKG-JFK | 🇭🇰🇺🇸 | $475,514,451 |
| Japan Airlines | OKA-HND | 🇯🇵 | $447,224,346 |
| Singapore Airlines | CGK-SIN | 🇮🇩🇸🇬 | $436,905,694 |
| Japan Airlines | FUK-HND | 🇯🇵 | $431,457,469 |
| Singapore Airlines | SIN-MEL | 🇸🇬🇦🇺 | $414,276,407 |
| Cathay Pacific Airlines | HKG-SIN | 🇭🇰🇸🇬 | $389,910,239 |
The routes that dominate Asia connect the financial hubs of London, New York, Singapore, and Hong Kong. There are also two domestic routes in Japan, connecting both Fukuoka (FUK) and Okinawa (OKA) to Tokyo’s Haneda (HND) airport.
Africa, Top 10 Highest Revenue Routes by Airline
At the top of the ranking in Africa is Johannesburg (JNB) to Dubai International Airport (DXB) with revenues of $315 million. Dubai has become an important hub for high value flights arriving and departing Africa, a position that may prove profitable as air traffic on the continent increases in coming years.
| Airline | Airport Pair | Countries | Total Revenue US$ 2018/19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates | JNB-DXB | 🇿🇦🇦🇪 | $315,678,326 |
| British Airways | JNB-LHR | 🇿🇦🇬🇧 | $295,167,492 |
| Saudi Arabian Airlines | CAI-JED | 🇪🇬🇸🇦 | $242,155,949 |
| TAAG Angola Airlines | LAD-LIS | 🇦🇴🇵🇹 | $231,155,949 |
| South African Airlines | JNB-CPT | 🇿🇦 | $184,944,128 |
| Emirates | CAI-DXB | 🇪🇬🇦🇪 | $181,392,011 |
| Emirates | CPT-DXB | 🇿🇦🇦🇪 | $176,743,498 |
| Air France | ABJ-CDG | 🇨🇮🇫🇷 | $174,986,272 |
| British Airways | CPT-LHR | 🇿🇦🇬🇧 | $174,605,201 |
| Emirates | MRU-DXB | 🇲🇺🇦🇪 | $163,952,609 |
Despite the smaller earnings compared to larger markets, some airline companies see the potential for growth in Africa. Virgin Atlantic will fly a route between London’s Heathrow and Cape Town in South Africa, while Qatar Airlines acquired a stake in RwandAir.
Financial Hubs
The cities that appear in the top revenue ranking are revealing. Since business and first class travelers are such an important revenue driver, it makes sense that connections between the world’s financial hubs are delivering big value to airlines.
As Asian and African economies continue to evolve, what route could be the next billion dollar route for airlines?