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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
United Airlines.

United Airlines, following its merger with Continental has emerged as the world's biggest airline measured by available seat kilometers (capacity).

The biggest movers in the overall World Top 50 list include Turkish Airlines, which jumped seven places to rank 15th globally, while Indonesian carrier Lion Air vaulted 8 places to enter the global Top 40 for the first time.

Jet Airways has slipped seven places to the 46th rank, while IndiGo has emerged as one of the fastest growing airlines in the list of biggest airlines of 2012 compiled by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA).

Here's a look at the 25 biggest airlines based on deployed capacity...

United Airlines (Rank 1)

Capacity Dec 2012: 6.14 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 3.67 billion

Percentage change: 67.3%

(United and Continental has been combined for 2012 but not 2011. Available seat kilometers/Capacity-- Representative sample week in December of each year )

World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
Delta Air Lines.

Delta Air Lines (Rank 2)

Capacity Dec 2012: 5.64 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 5.65 billion

Percentage change: -0.3% 

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST

Emirates (Rank 3)

Capacity Dec 2012: 4.99 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 4.21 billion

Percentage change: 18.4%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST

American Airlines (Rank 4)

Capacity Dec 2012: 4.80 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 4.74 billion

Percentage change: 1.3%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
Southwest Airlines.

Southwest Airlines (Rank 5)

Capacity Dec 2012:   3.27 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 3.05 billion

Percentage change: 7.3%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST

Lufthansa (Rank 6)

Capacity Dec 2012: 3.15 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 3.23 billion

Percentage change: -2.3%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
British Airways.

British Airways (Rank 7)

Capacity Dec 2012: 3.04 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 2.96 billion

Percentage change: 2.7%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
Air France.

Air France (Rank 8)

Capacity Dec 2012: 2.82 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 2.94 billion

Percentage change: -4.2% 

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
China Southern Airlines.

China Southern (Rank 9)

Capacity Dec 2012: 2.59 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 2.33 billion

Percentage change: 11%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
Singapore Airlines.

Singapore Airlines (Rank 10)

Capacity Dec 2012: 2.37 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 2.28 billion

Percentage change: 4.0% 

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
Passengers wait in line at a Cathay Pacific Airways check-in counter at the Hong Kong international airport.

Cathay Pacific (Rank 11)

Capacity Dec 2012: 2.31 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 2.51 billion

Percentage change: -8.2%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST

Air China (Rank 12)

Capacity Dec 2012: 2.19 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.97 billion

Percentage change: 11.0% 

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
A worker is seen loading luggage on a plane from US Airways at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey.

US Airways (Rank 13)

Capacity Dec 2012:   2.01 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 2.14 billion

Percentage change: -6.1%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
China Eastern.

China Eastern (Rank 14)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.98 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.80 billion

Percentage change: 10.2% 

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
Turkish Airlines.

Turkish Airlines (Rank 15)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.91 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.54 billion

Percentage change: 24.0%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST

Qantas Airways (Rank 16)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.86 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.96 billion

Percentage change: -5.3% 

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST

Qatar Airways (Rank 17)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.79 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.65 billion

Percentage change: 8.7% 

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
KLM.

KLM (Rank 18)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.78 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.74 billion

Percentage change: 2.4% 

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
Korean Air Lines.

Korean Air Lines (Rank 19)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.73 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.69 billion

Percentage change: 2.1% 

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
Thai Airways.

Thai Airways (Rank 20)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.70 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.60 billion

Percentage change: 6.3% 

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST

Air Canada (Rank 21)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.67 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.69 billion

Percentage change: -1.6%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST
All Nippon Airways.

All Nippon Airways (Rank 22)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.54 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.24 billion

Percentage change: 24.3%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST

TAM (Rank 23)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.49 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.48 billion

Percentage change: 0.7% 

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST

Ryanair (Rank 24)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.47 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.59 billion

Percentage change: -7.2%

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World's 25 biggest airlines

Last updated on: January 3, 2013 10:27 IST

Japan Airlines (Rank 25)

Capacity Dec 2012: 1.37 billion

Capacity Dec 2011: 1.39 billion

Percentage change: -1.2%