Flight has been part of the human imagination for centuries. Not even a global pandemic could keep people’s feet on the ground for long. This is important to remember as President Donald Trump’s tariffs are causing a rapid descent for many airline stocks.
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While such price declines may seem alarming, long-term investors know near-term turbulence is nothing to be feared. Airlines can and likely will bounce back. For those willing to wait, the recent downturn may actually be a boon as it opens up new buying opportunities.
If you’re willing to endure a bit of a bumpy ride, these are five of the best airline stocks to buy now based on analyst opinions:
| Stock | Market Capitalization* | Analysts’ Forecasts |
| Delta Air Lines Inc. (ticker: DAL) | $24.8 billion | +22.6% |
| SkyWest Inc. (SKYW) | $3.3 billion | +30.0% |
| Sun Country Airlines Holdings Inc. (SNCY) | $517 million | +82.3% |
| Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK) | $5.1 billion | +28.1% |
| Copa Holdings SA (CPA) | $3.5 billion | +42.7% |
*As of April 8 close.
Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL)
With 23 out of 25 analysts giving Delta a “buy” or “overweight” rating, it’s a natural choice to kick off this list of best airline stocks for 2025. The company’s latest earnings report exceeded analyst earnings per share, or EPS, estimates by $0.09 per share thanks to record revenue last year.
“Delta surpassed 2019 levels of capacity in 2024, and we expect revenue passenger miles will be approximately 20% higher in 2028, our midcycle year, than in 2019,” writes Nicolas Owens, an equity analyst for Morningstar.
As of January, Morningstar analysts raised DAL’s fair market value to $44 per share.
SkyWest Inc. (SKYW)
The holding company for SkyWest Airlines operates through partnerships with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
SkyWest operates nearly 500 aircraft that travel to 255 destinations around North America. Together these planes transported more than 42 million passengers in 2024. With a market cap of $3.5 billion, it’s a smaller name in the industry (although not the smallest airline to make this list).
SKYW ranked as an “earnings gainer” by U.S. News after reporting a 26% revenue boost year over year for fourth quarter 2024. This allowed the stock to exceed analyst EPS estimates for that quarter by $0.55 per share. Analysts covering the stock give it an evenly mixed “buy,” “overweight” or “hold” rating.
Morningstar analysts increased SKYW’s fair market value for the stock to $103.20 in late March, up from $75 this time last year.
[Read: 7 Up-and-Coming Stocks to Buy in 2025]
Sun Country Airlines Holdings Inc. (SNCY)
Sun Country may be the smallest airline on this list by market cap at under $519 million, but this could work in its favor. Smaller stocks have more room to grow, or so the theory goes.
Calling itself a “new breed of hybrid low-cost carrier,” SNCY focuses on leisure travelers and people flying to visit family or friends in North or Central America and the Caribbean. It offers both passenger and chartered flights, as well as business cargo services. The vast majority of its revenue comes from its scheduled passenger service, with charter services representing 20% and cargo 10%.
It posted the highest fourth quarter results of any year in Q4 2024 with $260.4 million in revenue. This led to an EPS $0.06 higher than anticipated. But the airline’s peak typically occurs during winter vacations and spring break.
Morningstar gave the stock a fair market value of $17.46 in late March. And seven of the nine analysts covering the stock rate it a “buy” or “overweight.” The remaining two analysts consider it a “hold.”
Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK)
ALK is another “earnings gainer,” according to U.S. News. Like many on this list, it reported record revenue in 2024. This enabled the stock to beat analyst EPS estimates by $0.50 in the fourth quarter. And it pulled this off on top of acquiring Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion last year. The two airlines continue to operate separately, but travelers will be able to transfer their miles between accounts and shop both airlines on either carrier’s website.
ALK handles nearly 1,500 flights each day to 141 destinations across the Americas, Asia, Australia and the South Pacific. It recently announced new nonstop flights between Seattle, its largest hub, and Seoul will begin in September 2025. The airline expects to see increased capacity in 2025.
Morningstar gave ALK a fair value estimate of $52.52 as of late March. The majority of analysts covering the stock give it a “buy” rating, with the remainder considering it either an “overweight” or “hold.”
Copa Holdings SA (CPA)
Panama-based Copa is an interesting case. It had a rough year in 2024 with a partial grounding of its 737 MAX 9 fleet in January and a weakening of currencies in some of its top markets. Unlike some other airlines, it saw a decrease in revenue year over year for the fourth quarter of 2024. However, it still posted a net profit of $166.2 million that quarter and exceeded analysts’ estimates by $0.21 per share.
As a result, CPA ranked as an “earnings gainer” by U.S. News. It was also featured in U.S. News’s “safe(er) stocks” list. Morningstar analysts give it a fair market value of $118.60 as of late March. Nearly all the analysts covering the stock give it a “buy” rating.
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5 Best Airline Stocks to Buy This Year originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 04/09/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
