Global scheduled flying capacity 4.3% higher on week on ramp up in W Europe

London — Global flying capacity increased 4.3% on the week to 60 million seats for the week starting August 3, but this is still 49.6% less than a year earlier, aviation information provider OAG said August 3.

"There are undoubtedly some markets where capacity is returning to previous year levels and others where further growth remains out of reach pending lockdowns being eased but with demand continuing to lag the outlook remains worrying from so many angles for both the industry and wider travel sector," OAG said.

According to OAG, Western Europe benefited from the strongest weekly growth with a 14.6% increase and the addition of 1.524 million seats, bringing to the total capacity for the current week to around 12 million seats. However, worries around potential new lockdowns and quarantine measures due to an increase in coronavirus cases in Europe threaten further growth next week.

Overall, not only in Northeast Asia but also in Central, Eastern and Western Europe has capacity ramped up to more than 60% of that reported in mid-January. At the other end of the spectrum, the regional markets operating at the lowest capacity are still Lower South America, with airlines operating there at only 18.9% of January levels, Southwest Pacific at only 25.6%, South Asia at 37%, South East Asia at 38.5% and the Middle East at 38.6%.

With a 4.5% increase in seats capacity to 12.6 million seats, the North American airline market is now flying at 55.8% of January capacity.

Looking at China, OAG notes that 99% of all current Chinese capacity is being purely operated on domestic services

Amongst aircraft types, the medium range single aisle Airbus and Boeing aircraft dominate. Looking at bigger aircrafts typically used for long-haul travel and thus the most fuel-thirsty, the B777 is only operating at some 29% of its January levels but scheduled operations have increased by nearly 18% this week. Meanwhile, the A380 is scheduled to operate some 64 flights this week, in mid-January the schedule was for some 2,205 flights, according to OAG data.