With the low cost sector now accounting for 16% of all flights worldwide and one in five of all airline seats, the global airline industry continues with its remarkable growth, according to figures released by OAG. The Dunstable (England) based global flight information and data solutions company, issues quarterly air travel statistics.
OAG says that there was a 5% increase for May in the number of scheduled flights compared with the same month last year. This represents an additional 113,827 flights and an astonishing 17.7m extra seats available to travellers. A total of 2.51m flights are timetabled, topping the previous industry high of 2.49m reported for August 2006.
Managing director, Duncan Alexander, commented: ”From an industry perspective this healthy growth bodes very well for the future. We are witnessing a step change in the way airlines are differentiating their product. On the one hand we have seen the low cost sector grow from 6% of all flights in 2001 to 16% today ” this is 1 in 5 of all airline seats. On the other hand, network carriers are investing on the high-yield end of the market and upgrading their premium products. This is great news from a traveller”s viewpoint, with much more competition and choice.”
”With the imminent start of Open Skies across the Atlantic, it is interesting to note that transatlantic traffic for May 2007 shows one of the highest increases of all the major routes: up by 6%, or 1,400 more flights a month involving more than 420,000 more seats.”
Regionally, this month there are more than 29,000 more flights within Europe offering 5.5m more seats, an increase of 5% and 8% respectively compared to May 2006. Asia/Pacific continues to show strong growth within the region, with 38,000 more flights and 6.2m more seats, increases of 8% and 9% respectively.
North America, while showing a relatively modest growth in percentage terms for flights and seats at 3% for both, represents an additional 2.5m seats on 26,000 more domestic flights.