Europe aviation: it's the economy, not COVID, weighing on the recovery

With Europe's seat capacity recovery continuing to plateau, there is at least the consolation that the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer the main factor holding it back.

Economic concerns have taken over, as illustrated in falling PMI data for both the Eurozone and the UK.

Europe's airlines face slower 2023 GDP growth than in other regions (according to the latest IMF forecasts), and the strength of the USD provides additional cost pressure.

Europe's seat capacity remains in the narrow range of 86%-87% of 2019 levels that it has occupied almost every week since late May-2022.

In the week of 17-Oct-2022 seat numbers are at 86.5%, which represents a shortfall of 13.5% against the equivalent week in 2019.