An Encouraging Week for Many Airlines – Then A Bubble Burst and an Outbreak Occurs
This week’s data highlights once again just how frustrating and different every market is in their recovery journey with some notable ups and downs taking place.
The headline data looks encouraging, another 3.1 million more seats operating than last week, 4.1% growth week-on-week and global capacity now at 78.6 million. For context that is “only” 40 million fewer than the same week in 2019 although some 29 million ahead of the same week last year so that is positive.
In line with continued lockdowns and confusion over travel requirements, a further 8 million seats have been removed by airlines for sale during the rest of July and a further 6.7 million for August. The chances of saving the summer for the airline industry have all but disappeared. Major markets remain closed; Independence Day in the US may have been celebrated but independence to travel remains off the agenda. In January 2020 around 60% of all seats were operated on domestic services, this week nearly three-quarters of all seats will be operated domestic flights; with 57.7 million domestic seats and staycations for the lucky few.