FX.co ★ Forbes: Top-8 External Airlines of 2017

The Azerbaijan AZAL Airlines is on the eighth position. Forbes awarded 55 points to the carrier. AZAL was founded in 1992. During the period of January-November the company carried 1.8 million passengers.

The seventh place was given to the well-known Turkish Airlines (56 points), founded in 1933. 49.12% of the carrier belongs to the state, just over 50% is in private persons' pockets. During the period of January-November of 2016 the company transported 58.3 million people.

KLM Dutch Airlines (58 points) is on the sixth position. The airline is one of the oldest one in the world, that was founded in 1919. Today the carrier's owner is the Air France-KLM group. During the last year (January-November 2016) the planes of KLM carried 28 million passengers.

The fifth place was given to the no less famous and old European airline company Lufthansa (61 points). During nine months of the last year (January-September) 84 million people employed German Airlines' services.

Air France takes the fourth place (64 points). The airline company was founded in 1933. During the period of January-November of 2016 the volume of passenger traffic achieved the rate of 45.7 million people.

LOT Polish Airlines takes the third place of honor (73 points). 99.82% of the carrier, which was founded in 1929, belongs to the state. During 11 months of the last year LOT transported 5 million people.

Belavia Belarusian Airlines located on the second position (75 points) – the youngest company in the list, founded in 1996. 100% of the carrier's securities are in possession of the state. During the period of January 1, 2016 – December 20, 2016 2.3 million people employed Belavia's services.

Emirates Airlines, founded in 1985, takes the lead in the list (76 points). The Arab carrier, a subsidiary of the Emirates Group, is wholly owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates. During the period from April 2015 to March 2016 the volume of passenger traffic amounted to 51.9 million people.