Leading brand valuation consultant Brand Finance evaluates 5,000 of the most well-known brands each year and releases over 100 studies that rate brands across all industries and nations. The annual Brand Finance Airlines 50 2023 rating includes the top 50 most valuable and powerful airline brands in the world.
Several important choices, including a 20% interest in LATAM Airlines Group receiving conditional clearance from authorities, contributed to Delta’s brand value rise this year. With the acquisition, Delta will have a strong footprint in South America, and it will be able to grow its network and provide consumers with more affordable rates.
“The pandemic may have grounded aeroplanes, but it couldn’t stop people from dreaming of travel,” said Savio D’Souza, Director of Brand Finance. Airlines are ready to take flight when the world reopens, with their brand values on track to make up lost ground by 2024.
Ethiopian Airlines is the airline with the fastest growth (79%).
The fastest-growing airline brand internationally is Ethiopian Airlines, which has increased its brand value by 79% to US$498 million and is currently the largest airline brand on the African continent. Other rapidly expanding brands include China Southern (brand value increased 39% to US$3.2 billion), United Airlines (brand value increased 42% to US$7.8 billion), and Vueling (brand value increased 44% to US$527 million).
The strongest airline brand is ANA, with a AAA rating.
Through a balanced scorecard of criteria assessing marketing spend, stakeholder equity, and business performance, Brand Finance not only calculates brand value but also assesses the relative strength of brands. Brand Finance’s evaluation of stakeholder equity complies with ISO 20671 and combines actual market research data from more than 100,000 respondents in 38 countries and 31 industries.
The strongest airline brand this year is ANA (brand value up 5% to US$2.4 billion), which received a AAA brand strength grade. In 2022, ANA’s global network resumed operations following a two-year break brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Flights to a number of well-known locations, including New York, London, and Paris, were restarted by the airline.
Middle Eastern Airlines: Qatar and Saudia are expanding quickly, with Emirates leading the area in size and strength.
The most valuable airline brand in the Middle East and the fourth most valuable airline brand worldwide is Emirates (brand value up 2% to US$5.1 billion).
The first FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East was hosted by Qatar Airways, which saw a 23% increase in brand value to US$2.5 billion. The airline won praise for its successful sponsorship of the FIFA World CupTM and fulfilment of its pledge to provide travellers with an improved experience during the mega-event.
In order to meet the Kingdom’s ambitious tourist aim for 2030, Saudia (brand value up 14% to US$651 million) is likewise expanding quickly. The brand has made significant investments in streamlining its business processes to enhance customer satisfaction in order to reflect its unique position as the Kingdom’s flag carrier and the crucial role it must play in shaping the world’s opinions of the Kingdom. As shown by its involvement in Formula 1 (Official Airline of the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team) and Formula E (Official Airline Partner), the brand is also making an investment to increase its visibility and familiarity in important foreign markets.
Eva Airways is in first place on the Sustainability Perception Score, whereas Delta has the best Sustainability Perception Value.
Brand Finance evaluates the contribution that particular brand characteristics make to generating overall brand value as part of its study. Sustainability is one such quality whose importance is expanding quickly.
Delta not only has the highest Sustainability Perceptions Value (SPV) of any brand in the Airline 50 200 ranking—USD544 million—but it is also the most valuable airline brand in the whole globe. Although Delta has made efforts to improve its sustainability, its top spot in the SPV table does not represent an evaluation of its total performance. Instead, it shows how closely its brand value is linked to public opinions of sustainability.
With a score of 5.0 out of 10, Eva Airways has the highest Sustainability Perceptions Score among the 50 Airlines in 2023. The airline has a long-term vision for a cleaner future and has set a specific goal to attain Net-Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050. This entails actively putting numerous energy-saving techniques into practise.