The analyst OAG made a little calculation. The group of consultants and analysts of the air transport industry has taken into account the total number of flight hours as well as the revenues generated on all the airlines' routes over the year and on an hourly basis. These revenues include both point-to-point and connecting traffic. OAG has divided the two figures and listed what can be considered as the most important revenues. the world's most profitable airlines. The calculation criteria include the total number of frequencies, the effect of competition, the percentage represented by the high-contribution classes and the economic characteristics of the market analysed.
Another important element is the market saturation. The more congested the airport, the less competition there is and the more likely it is that prices will rise as monopolies are created. This is particularly true of alliances and other joint ventures, which enable certain markets to be controlled. A route like London-New York JFK for example, is better placed to generate high revenues than a Madrid-Havana route, the former being the busiest route in the world for the finance while the second is essentially tourist-oriented.
Although most of the routes saw a drop in revenue between 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 - these figures being calculated on a fiscal year starting in April - the ranking of these routes is not in question from one year to the next. Not surprisingly, it is British Airways on the London Heathrow-New York JFK which operates the most lucrative line in the world, the only one that exceeds one billion dollars in 2018/2019. According to OAG, over 30% of seats sold by British Airways on this route are in Business and First Class.
London Heathrow is the jackpot destination for airlines, with five of the top 10 routes including the British airport. Looking only at the most lucrative routes from Europe, nine out of ten originate or terminate in London Heathrow.
The exception is in fact France, with the New York JFK-Paris CDG operated by Air France. It actually generated nearly $486.2 million in the 2018/2019 fiscal year. It should be noted that no routes to or fromGermany does not feature in the top 10, despite its role as the leading economic power within the European Union. Among the top revenue destinations, Singapore, New York JFK and Sydney each appear twice in the top 10.
