According to consultant OAG, air traffic continues to recover in the world, even if it is uneven from one continent or region to another. In the three largest air markets by region - Western Europe, North America and North-East Asia - trends differ. At 15 August, these three markets each offered between 21 and 23.5 million weekly seats.
If North America and Europe have an average capacity of 10% below the figures for the same week in August 2019, Seat supply in North-East Asia is still 18.9% lower than in the rest of Europe.. Indeed, the constraints that remain on most of the countries in this region (China, Japan and Taiwan in particular) continue to weigh on demand and therefore on supply. While seating capacity in China is only 8.4% below its August 2019 levelThis is due solely to the good performance of domestic traffic. In Japan, for example, seat capacity is still 26.8% below 2019 levels, notes OAG.
Visit North AmericaSupply was buoyed by the excellent performance of the Mexican market, which rose by 6.9%, while in the United States, sales were up by 2.8TP3T. In the United States, seat capacity is only 8.7% lower than in Europe. in the equivalent week of 2019. On the other hand, supply in Canada remains depressed, down 15.2% between August 2019 and 2022.
Europe driven by Mediterranean destinations
In Europe, it has to be said that the supply of seats is being driven by demand in the western part of the continent. Annual holidays being the order of the day, Greece, Italy and Spain posted the best performances on the continent. Air capacity for Italy rose by 13.4% between the week of 15 August 2022 and the week of 12 August 2019. Capacity for Italy and Spain is down moderately by 4.5% and 5.5% respectively.
Mixed markets - business and leisure - such as Germany, France and the UK show more mixed results. Seating capacity, France is in line with the Western European average. Its supply is down 10.3% in August 2019.
On the other hand, seat capacity in the UK is still 16.7% lower than in 2019, and even 24.8% lower in Germany. In Germany, we are seeing a collapse in capacity on domestic routes and certain short-haul routes in particular.
Central and Eastern Europe, seat capacity is down by more than 18% to that of 2019. But the war in Ukraine is a major contributory factor...
Africa resists, South-East Asia and the Pacific still a long way from 2019
Elsewhere in the world, seat capacity remains 13.3% lower in the Middle East, while Africa shows resilience. Central and West Africa recorded an increase in seat capacity of 11.4%, North Africa a slight decline of 4.9% and East Africa 7.4%. On the other hand, seat capacity in Southern Africa collapses. Compared with August 2019, it is down by 37%. This situation is due to the continuing difficulties at South African Airways, which is in the midst of restructuring. And above all to the liquidation of South Africa's oldest carrier, Comair.
In South-East Asia and the Pacific, capacity is still well below pre-pandemic levels. Seat supply remains 31.3% lower than in the same period of 2019, and nearly 22% lower on the Pacific.
