Asia Leads the World in Aviation Growth

July 6, 2011
Asia Leads the World in Aviation Growth

Asia Leads the World in Aviation Growth

Just one million seats short of the 100 million mark in July, says OAG

PR Newswire

CHICAGO, July 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Published seat capacity figures for July on flights within the Asia Pacific region will reach 99,044,360, according to the latest statistics from OAG, a UBM Aviation brand. The OAG FACTS (Frequency and Capacity Trend Statistics) report for July reveals a 6% rise in capacity year on year with an additional 5.5 million seats and an 11% increase in the number of flights operating within the region.  For comparison, capacity within the intra Europe and intra North America regions are 82.8 million and 81.8 million seats respectively. Asia Pacific is also outperforming on frequencies and seat capacity to and from the region, with 11% more flights and 9% more seats than in July 2010.

Globally, the world's airlines have scheduled 2.76 million flights this month with a total capacity of 351.4 million seats, representing increases of 3% and 5% respectively on July 2010 figures, the same percentage increases as last month.  Increases in aircraft size continue to be a key driver of seat capacity growth and the average number of seats per flight is now 127 compared to 125 this time last year.

Domestic capacity in China grew by 5% year on year and maintains its status as the number two domestic market in the world (behind the United States) and some way ahead of Brazil in third. China's international capacity has seen an even sharper increase with an additional 1.1 million seats compared to July 2010. Delhi continues to be the fastest growing hub in the Asia Pacific region with frequencies up 20% and available seats increasing by 22% with Hanoi one stop below on the global table. Year on year Hanoi has seen frequencies increase by 28% and capacity by 21% to 1.33 million seats. A significant proportion of this capacity has come from Qatar Airways' four times a week Doha to Hanoi service which operates via Bangkok.

"This steady growth, led largely by Asia, is encouraging for global trade and tourism which depends heavily on a buoyant aviation industry," said Peter von Moltke, Chief Executive Officer, UBM Aviation. "The Northern hemisphere is entering the busy summer holiday period and any nervousness about some Eurozone countries doesn't appear to be affecting airline expectations of passenger demand. Low cost and traditional carriers alike have scheduled around 5% more European capacity this month."

A more detailed review of OAG FACTS statistics for July 2011 – including information, commentary and charts about specific airports, routes, countries and regions worldwide – is available to download now at http://www.oagaviation.com/OAG-FACTS/2011/July-Executive-Summary.  OAG FACTS provides a visual snapshot of airline activity around the world, updated monthly. It uses interactive graphs to display 10-year performance trends, sourced from OAG's consolidated database of global airline schedules.

Notes to Editors:

About OAG

OAG, a UBM Aviation brand, is the trusted source for aviation information and analytical services, with data sourced from OAG's comprehensive and proprietary airline schedules, flight status, fleet, MRO and cargo logistics databases.  Our airline schedules database holds future and historical flight details for over 1,000 airlines and more than 4,000 airports. Our aggregated data feeds the world's global distribution systems and travel portals, and drives the internal systems of many airlines, airports, air traffic control systems, aircraft manufacturers, and government agencies around the world.  For more information, visit www.oag.com.

About UBM Aviation

UBM Aviation, a UBM company, brings together buyers and sellers of air travel and transport through our portfolio of products and services.  We specialize in the supply of data, analytics, consulting services, events and media related to the global aviation industry. Our leading brands include the official provider of aviation data and analytics, OAG;  a leading provider of solutions for the air freight industry, OAG Cargo; the world-renowned provider of airport route development forums, marketing and networking events, Routes; the leading route development consultancy firm, Airport Strategy & Marketing (ASM); an international program of aviation exhibitions and conferences including the Airline Purchasing & Maintenance Expo and Conferences; and must-read aviation publications such as Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance and Airline Fleet Management.  For more information, visit www.ubmaviation.com.  

SOURCE UBM Aviation