Europe aviation: air traffic recovery outpaces capacity as load factor rises
In the week of 6-Mar-2023 Europe's airline seat numbers are at 88.8% of the equivalent week of 2019, which is a shortfall of 11.2%. This has risen from 85.5% in the first week of Feb-2023 and is Europe's strongest level apart from the fortnight around Christmas 2022.
However, Europe is still in last place in the regional ranking, albeit jointly with Asia Pacific. North America and Middle East are down by low single digit percentages compared with the equivalent week of 2019, while capacity in Latin America and Africa is up by low single digit percentages.
Of greater importance to Europe's airlines than the exact position in the recovery towards 2019 capacity levels is the demand recovery, and its performance relative to capacity.
In this respect, there is good news, according to the most recently available data. Passenger traffic at Europe's airports is now recovering ahead of capacity and European airline load factor was ahead of 2019 levels in the final two months of 2022.
Become a CAPA Member to access Analysis Reports
Our Analysis Reports are only available to CAPA Members. CAPA Membership provides exclusive access to in-depth insights on the latest developments in the aviation and travel industry, developed by our team of dedicated analysts located in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.
Each report offers a fresh perspective on the latest industry trends and is available online or via the CAPA mobile app, with customisable alerts to help you stay informed and identify new business opportunities.
CAPA Membership also provides access to our full suite of tools, including a tailored selection of more than 1,000 News Briefs every week and comprehensive data and analysis on thousands of companies around the world.