A passenger airline is an airline dedicated to the transport of passengers.
There are several types of passenger airlines, mainly
- Mainline airlines operate flights by the airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional affiliates or subsidiaries
- Regional airlines, non-"mainline" airlines that operate regional aircraft; regionals typically operate over shorter non-intercontinental distances, often as feeder services for legacy mainline networks
- Low-cost carriers, giving a "basic", "no-frills" and perceived inexpensive service
- Business class airline, an airline aimed at the business traveler, featuring all business class seating and amenities
- Charter airlines, operating outside regular schedule intervals
- Flag carriers, the historically nationally owned airlines that were considered representative of the country overseas.
- Legacy carriers, US carriers that predate the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978
- Major airlines of the United States, airlines with at least $1 billion in revenues