What is a flag carrier? Well, there is no official definition, but it generally means that this particular airline is the most representative of its country along with the most international routes out of said country. For example, Air France is France's flag carrier, Lufthansa is Germany's flag carrier, and British Airways is the United Kingdom's flag carrier. There are many flag carriers across the world, but some are so small you may have never even heard of them. Here are the 10 smallest flag carriers globally based on fleet size, aircraft types, and routes served.

10: Air Albania - Fleet Size 3

Serving as the flag carrier of Albania, they run an all-Airbus fleet with one A319 and two A320s. Founded in 2018, Turkish Airways actually owns a 49% stake in the airline. They serve 5 routes from their small hub in Tirana.

9: Air Burkina - Fleet Size 3

Flying since 1967, Air Burkina has been serving the landlocked country of Burkina and providing routes to surrounding African countries. They currently operate two E195s and one E175, all made by Embraer.

8: Surinam Airways - Fleet Size 3

Founded in 1953, this is one of the few carriers on this list that can be seen in the United States, with service from the country's capital in Paramaribo to Miami a few times weekly. They operate two Boeing 737-800s for their U.S. and South America services, along with a leased A340-600 for transatlantic service to Amsterdam.