Ryanair and Wizz Air lead adding seats for summer

Ryanair and Wizz Air continue to lead European aviation’s recovery, but other leading groups are becoming more bullish. In the week commencing 21-Feb-2022 Ryanair had 104% of its 2019 seats. It is the only European top 10 airline group by seats that is ahead of 2019 capacity. Wizz Air, on 83%, had the second highest percentage. Europe as a whole is on 69%; the top 10 groups are collectively at 72%.

Europe’s 31.1% capacity shortfall to 2019 levels keeps it at the bottom of the regional ranking, but it is very close to Asia Pacific, where capacity is down by 30.6%. Middle East capacity is down by 26.9%, Africa by 20.3%, Latin America by 12.8%, and North America by 12.3%.

Schedules for the last week of Jul-2022 project total Europe capacity at 93% of 2019 levels, with the top 10 groups collectively at 103%. Wizz Air plans to surge to 159%, and Ryanair is projected at 117%. Turkish Airlines, SAS, Air France-KLM and easyJet also plan 100% or more of their 2019 capacity levels by late Jul-2022. Lufthansa Group, at 89%, is most cautious among the leading groups.

President Putin’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine will not help in any regrowth. And the cost impact of fuel prices with oil now over USD100 per barrel is also unwelcome.