Inside The B-2 Spirit Bomber’s Secret Crew Rest Areas
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Airline Nation: 2,463 airlines, 1,113 still flying, 1,350 gone
Identity, historical records, codes, callsigns, and corporate lineages for the world's airlines. One page per carrier.
Key Facts: Global Airline Directory
- The directory catalogs 2,463 total airlines across 244 countries as of 2026-11-07.
- 1,113 carriers maintain active operations or verified fleets.
- 1,350 carriers have ceased operations, entered bankruptcy, or merged into successor airlines.
- Every carrier is indexed by two-letter IATA code, three-letter ICAO code, telephony callsign, founding era, and country of origin.
Type at least 2 characters to filter carriers instantly.
Browse Airlines A to Z
Great-Circle Nav
Flight Distance & Time
Calculate exact distances (NM, km, mi), flight times, and direct carriers.
Sleep & Circadian
Jet Lag Calculator
Time zone shifts, light exposure protocols, and recovery schedules.
Baggage Guide
Carry-On Dimensions
Cabin roller limits, weight rules, and baggage fee matrices.
Infrastructure
Runway Performance
Longest, shortest, alpine altiports, and takeoff field lengths.
Cockpit Tech
Avionics & Automation
PFD, ND, FMS, TCAS, fly-by-wire, and flight deck ergonomics.
Dining Science
In-Flight Catering
High-altitude taste perception, mega flight kitchens, and SPML codes.
Mach 2 Aviation
Supersonic Flight
Concorde, Tu-144, Boom Overture, and quiet boom NASA X-59.
Net-Zero 2050
SAF & Green Aviation
HEFA, e-fuels, hydrogen combustion, and hybrid-electric airframes.
Radio Primer
ICAO Phonetics & ATC
Radiotelephony alphabet, callsign speller, and controller phraseology.
Tail Registry
Aircraft Registrations
Decode civil aviation country prefixes (N, VH, G-, 9V) and fleet codes.
Distance Records
Longest Flights
Top ultra-long-haul scheduled non-stops and shortest commuter hops.
Visual Design
Livery Evolution
Bare metal, cheatlines, Eurowhite, and iconic cultural paint schemes.
Cabin Comfort
Cabins & Seating
First class suites, lie-flat business, pitch guide, and fuselage geometry.
Propulsion Tech
Jet Engine Families
GE90/GE9X, Rolls-Royce Trent, CFM LEAP, and GTF turbofan specs.
Loyalty Perks
Alliance Elite Tiers
Reciprocal lounge access and baggage perks across Star, oneworld, and SkyTeam.
Fleet Guide
Aircraft Families
Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, and ATR specs, ranges, and operating airlines.
Route Matrix
Non-Stop Route Finder
Search direct flight pairs, premier air corridors, and hub connections.
Aviation Law
Freedoms of the Air
Visual explainer of 1st through 9th Freedoms with real-world examples.
Terminology
Aviation Glossary
Searchable decoder for ETOPS, TCAS, METAR, Codeshare, and Cabotage.
Hub Gateways
World Airport Hubs
3,000+ commercial airports, route networks, and operating bases.
Partnerships
Global Alliances
Star Alliance, oneworld, SkyTeam, and regional carrier coalitions.
Comparator
Side-by-Side Tool
Direct fleet, destination, code, and history comparisons.
Chronology
Aviation Timeline
Six historical eras from pioneer mail clippers to modern twinjets.
Interactive Game
Callsigns & Trivia Quiz
Test your knowledge on Speedbird, Cactus, and legendary airlines.
Open Research
Open Data Hub
Direct CSV and JSON downloads of clean aviation datasets.
Browse by Country
View all 244 countries →Largest Carriers by Observed Fleet
Full fleet leaderboard →Oldest Airlines Still Flying
View all →| Carrier | Country | Founded |
|---|---|---|
| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | Netherlands | 1919 |
| Qantas | Australia | 1920 |
| Delta Air Lines | United States | 1925 |
| American Airlines | United States | 1926 |
| United Airlines | United States | 1926 |
| Air France | France | 1933 |
| Turkish Airlines | Turkey | 1933 |
| Air Canada | Canada | 1937 |
Recently Defunct Carriers
Browse archive →| Carrier | Country | Ceased |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit Airlines | United States | 2024 |
| Alitalia | Italy | 2021 |
| Air Berlin | Germany | 2017 |
| 1Time Airline | South Africa | 2012 |
| Swissair | Switzerland | 2002 |
| Braniff International Airways | United States | 1982 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Airline Nation?
Airline Nation is an open reference directory cataloguing the identity, operational history, codes, and corporate lineages of operating and defunct airlines worldwide.
How is operational status verified?
Airlines with observed active airframes or documented active operations are categorized as active. Carriers that filed for bankruptcy, ceased flight schedules, or merged into successor entities are verified as defunct.
What does observed fleet count represent?
Observed fleet counts represent physical airframes recorded in civil registry logs and observation datasets. Live telemetry, radars, and real-time flight tracking are maintained on sister platform Airline Fleet Monitor.
Why are some airline entries marked as stubs?
Airlines with fewer than six verified historical facts are maintained as research stubs to ensure data integrity and prevent thin programmatic content.