Global airline capacity this week dropped back from the 60
million seat threshold it crossed last week as six of the ten largest regional
markets lowered capacity, according to OAG.
The largest capacity reduction this week was in Central
America, down about 160,000 seats or 14.7 per cent week over week, with most of
those cuts in Mexico, OAG reported. Capacity in Southwest Asia is down 7.2 per cent
week over week, and South Asia capacity is down 4.8 per cent.
Eastern and Central Europe is now the closest regional
market to its January capacity levels, according to OAG. Capacity from Russia
is at 99 per cent of the January base, while Ukraine is reporting growth,
though OAG said this could be down to the conversion of previous charter capacity
into scheduled services.
OAG analyst John Grant noted that "the data looks grim",
as last week's capacity might have marked a peak as the Covid-19 crisis
endures. "It may be the traditional peak demand weeks of the year, but the
data would suggest that if this is as good as it will get, then the winter will
be challenging for everybody," he said.