Asia and Latin America now boast world's largest airlines.

[gringo]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20101214/D9K3M3780.html

 

[Cpt. Underpants]

The Italian, who has been at the helm of IATA for nine years, will be succeeded by Cathay Pacific CEO Tony Tyler next year

They are referring to IATA Chief Executive Giovanni Bisignani.

Tony T'liar is finally leaving CX like a bad case of herpes. What implications this has for IATA is uncertain, but whatever it is, it won't be good.

He's arrogant, has an utter hatred of pilots, fancies himself as a rock star (plays mediocre guitar) and was one of the architects of our catastrophic "49 er" debacle, ruining the lives of countless families - maliciously and with forethought.

You (USALPA) have teeth. Bite this man when you can.

 

[WYOMINGPILOT]

The figures he quotes are based upon market capitalization, not a good gauge of size. Remember Value Jet once had a market cap. in excess of $8 billion and exceeded AMR Corporation only to see it wither away very quickly after the Oxygen Generator crash in the Everglades. Air China is actually not even the largest in China.
Air China is world's 10th largest airline by fleet size. The airline carried 41.28 million domestic and international passengers in 2009, which ranked behind its main competitors China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. However, Air China is the most profitable airline in China and world's largest carrier by market value.[1] The airline posted a profit of CNY4.85 billion ($711.5 million) in 2009.[2] As of December 15 2010, Air China was announced by the International Air Transport Association as the world's largest airline by market capitalisation with a worth of 20 billion dollars.
Delta Airlines for example has a fleet size of 734 aircraft almost 3 times the size of Air China.