Scheduled global airline capacity grew about 1.5 million seats week over week this week to 57.5 million, though further growth might be limited over the coming months, according to analysis by OAG.
Global capacity still is under half of what it was this time last year, and recent industry assessments indicate that "is likely to be around where we will remain for the remainder of the year unless some dramatic development occurs," according to OAG analyst John Grant. "Passenger demand continues to be much weaker, with traveler confidence drained by spikes of Covid-19 activity in both Asia and Europe."
The United Kingdom's announcement over the weekend of quarantine requirements for travelers arriving from Spain, for example, "will be the final nail in the coffin for some tour operators over the winter," he added.
Northeast Asia and Eastern Europe currently are operating at the highest capacity levels relative to pre-pandemic levels, each at about 80 percent of their January capacity. For Northeast Asia, most of that is in the domestic markets of China, Japan and South Korea and is unlikely to go much higher until international capacity restrictions, particularly in China, are lifted, according to OAG. Eastern Europe, meanwhile, is likely to see some additional recovery as restrictions on international capacity in Russia are eased.