The global airline industry this week crossed the halfway
point in capacity recovery, according to OAG analysis. Airlines have 60 million
seats scheduled this week, an increase of 4 per cent compared with last week
and representing 50.4 per cent of the capacity scheduled this time last year.
Recovery rates continue to vary widely across global
regions, however. Western Europe had the highest growth rate this week,
increasing 15 per cent, or about 1.5 million seats, week over week, and now is
just under two-thirds of its capacity levels from January. Most other regions
showed growth this week, though some remain at a small fraction of their
pre-Covid-19 levels. Upper South America, for example, is operating only 13 per
cent of its January capacity levels this week, according to OAG.
Southeast Asia is the only region to report a decline – 11
per cent week over week – in capacity this week, as some countries in the
region saw a spike in Covid-19 cases, OAG indicated.