Europe's low cost carriers continue to drive region's capacity recovery

Europe's low cost airlines have seized the opportunity presented by the coronavirus pandemic to take market share from legacy airlines.

After long periods of volatility and fluctuating seat share during the pandemic, LCC seat share on intra-European routes has grown throughout 2022 so far. It is almost 50% in the week of 18-Apr-2022, compared with 44% in the equivalent week of 2019.

Europe's overall capacity recovery has been led by LCCs on intra-Europe, taking the continent's total seat numbers to 81.9% of the equivalent week of 2019 in the week of 18-Apr-2022. Many leading European LCCs are well above 100% of their 2019 capacity levels.

Europe's seat capacity shortfall of 18.1% versus 2019 levels is its second best week on this measure since before COVID-19. Europe remains fourth in the regional ranking, well above Asia Pacific, where capacity is down by 35.7%, abut only just above Middle East, where capacity is down by 18.5%. Africa capacity is down by 14.8%, North America by 11.1%, and Latin America by 8.4%.