Intra-Europe business class stems decade-long air capacity haemorrhage
SAS relaunched its intra-Europe business class cabin on 1-Oct-2025. This fits in with its closer ties to Air France-KLM and its growing role in feeding its partners' long haul hubs.
However, business class capacity on European short/medium haul routes is at historically low levels: intra-Western Europe business class seat numbers are down by 81% over the past 10 years.
Nevertheless, the decline has levelled off, and may even be rising very slowly.
This report examines the development of intra-Western Europe business class capacity over the past decade, and ranks European airlines in this segment.
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.