OAG (www.oag.com) reports that the 2010 summer travel season will open with positive growth in worldwide seat capacity and frequency in June. In the monthly FACTS report on trends in the supply of airline seats and flights, worldwide seat capacity shows an increase of 7% to a total of 318.2 million seats in June from 297.5 in 2009. The total number of flights will increase 6%, over the same month last year, increasing to 2.6 million from 2.4 million. June’s schedule growth is consistent with May’s, which showed year-to-year increases of 6% for seats and 5% for flights.

Airline schedules show increases in June for all regions of the world except for routes within North America, where a 0.5% decrease in flight departures is planned and seat capacity is expected to be virtually flat. 

Worldwide seat capacity and flights.

Capacity restraint is led by the United States, where a 0.2% drop in domestic seats is scheduled for June. When comparing June 2010 to June 2007, the last year of growth for U.S. domestic capacity, the cumulative drop in capacity is 8.6%. U.S. international capacity, however, grew 5.1%, year-over-year, with the cumulative change from 2007 to 2010 of 0.3% decrease in seat capacity.  Over the same 3-year interval, worldwide flights grew by 2.8% and seats by 7.7%.

 “Airlines are scheduling for strong demand in air travel throughout most of the world this summer, with the exception of travel within North America, which remains flat. U.S. carriers are being cautious not to increase capacity too aggressively, having learned a lesson from the past when over-capacity was a key contributor to their economic woes,” said Peter von Moltke, Chief Executive Officer, UBM Aviation.

All other large regions show healthy capacity increases including seats within Central and South America, where seats are expected to rise by 16.8% to 21.4 million; within the Middle East increasing 12.8% to 6.7 million; and within the Asia Pacific region expecting an increase of 10.1% to 87.2 million.

Although growth drops below the double-digits, it is still strong to and from Asia Pacific, which is expected to rise by 9.9% to 14.4 million. Seats within Europe are scheduled to increase by 6.7% to 76.9 million, and seats to and from Europe to rise by 7.4% to 24.2 million. 

“The largest percentage increases are scheduled for routes to and from Africa, where both seat capacity and flights are expected to rise by 18%, to a total of 7.4 million seats, and 38,177 flights. This large increase could be due in part to South Africa hosting the World Cup, beginning June 11 and going into July. Johannesburg airport alone will see an increase in capacity of 14%, or an additional 282,200 seats and a total of 2.3 million seats, during the month,” said von Moltke.

The number of flights scheduled in all regions other than North America will grow, with an increase to and from Europe of 9.2% to 108,010 in June 2010. Total flights to and from Asia Pacific will increase 11.3% to 60,030; to and from the Middle East by 12.3% to 51,662; and to and from Central and South America by 9.3% to 57,661.

OAG June FACTS
Executive Summary

Global Traffic

• June 2010 OAG (Official Airline Guide) schedules database indicates that airlines, worldwide, will operate 7% more seats in June 2010, as compared to the same month a year ago. In June 2010 there will be 318.2 million seats offered, worldwide. The number of flights will increase 6%, the total number of scheduled flights operating in June 2010 is 2.6 million.

Europe

• The total number of seats to/from Europe shows considerable growth with a 7% increase in seat capacity and 9% in number of flights, resulting in a total of 24.2 million seats and 108,010 flights.
  
  
• Seat capacity within Europe increased 7% to a total of 76.9 million seats, and flight operations grew to 615,104, an increase of 5%.

Seat capacity to/from Europe

Africa

• The number of seats and flights to/from Africa reflect an increase of 18% each. As compared to June 2009, there will be a total of 7.4 million seats and 38,177 flights this month.
  
  
• Traffic within Africa also reflects strong growth, with an increase in seats of 10% and 9% in flight operations. Within this region there will be a total of 6.4 million seats and 62,701 flights.

Total flights to/from Africa

North America

• The number of seats and flights to/from North America has increased by 5% and 6%, respectively. There will be 18.1 million seats available and 90,080 flights.
  
  
• Traffic within North America, again this month, will experience a marginal decline. The total number of seats available will be 77.3 million, or 36,851 fewer than in June 2009; and 853,876 flights, a decline of 4,336 from June 2009, both representing less than a 1% reduction.

Total flights within North America

Central and South America

• Traffic to/from Central & South America has increased by 9% both in seat offerings and frequency with a total of 9.2 million seats and 57,661 flights.
  
  
• This month within Central & South America there will be a total of 211,297 flights, an increase of 17%. Also with a 17% increase, seats grew to  21.4 million.

Total flights within Central and South America

Asia Pacific

• The number of seats offered to/from Asia Pacific will increase by 10% to 14.4 million; and flights will increase by 11% to a total of 60,030.

• Within Asia Pacific there will an increase of 10% more seats and 11% more flights, bringing total seat capacity to 87.2 million and 577,991 flights.

Seat Capacity within Asia Pacific

Middle East

• The number of seats and flights to/from the Middle East reflects an increase of 11% and 12%, respectively, with total seat capacity of 11.2 million and 51,662 flights.

• The number of seats and flights within the Middle East is scheduled to rise by 13% and 14%, respectively. The total seat capacity is 6.7 million, and 43,917 flights scheduled to operate.

Seat Capacity to/from the Middle East

Routes and Airport Capacity & Frequency
Noteworthy changes in major routes and airport capacity and frequency in June include:
In terms of seat capacity, traffic from Western Europe to/from Asia Pacific is strong:

• 39% increase to/from Madrid (MAD)
• 21% increase to/from Shanghai (PVG)
• 19% increase to/from Milan (MXP)

Capacity from Asia Pacific to from US & Canada:

• Beijing (PEK) To/From USA & Canada increased 20%
• Vancouver (YVR) To/From Asia Pacific increased 14%
• Singapore (SIN) To/From USA & Canada is the only route to decline in capacity, by 34%

A close look at airports shows significant changes in the following:

• Jakarta (CGK) grew 45% in capacity to a total of 4.3 million; flights increased 42% to 25,188.
  
  
• Shanghai (PVG) grew 16% in seat capacity to a total of 4.3 million seats; and 17% growth in flights to 23,350.
  
  
• Dubai (DXB) grew 13% in capacity to 5.1 million, and by 16% in frequency to 21,097.
  
  
• Singapore Changi (SIN) grew 11% in seat capacity to 4.7 million seats; and the number of flights increased 14% to 20,482.
  
  
• Beijing (PEK) grew 9% in seat capacity to 7.9 million and 9% in flights to 42,459.
  
  
• Munich (MUC) grew 8% in seat capacity to 4.3 million; and 2% in frequency to 32,997.
  
  
• Hong Kong (HKG) grew 7% in capacity and frequency to 5.2 million seats and 20,242 flights.
  
  
• Los Angeles (LAX) grew 5% in seat capacity and flights to 6.4 million seats and 44,945 flights.
  
  
• Heathrow (LHR) grew 4% in capacity to 7.9 million; and the number of flights increased by 2% to 39,758.
  
  
• Minneapolis (MSP) lost 6% capacity to a total of 3.5 million; and 3% of its flights to a total of 34,875.
  
  
• Philadelphia (PHL) lost 3% seat capacity to a total of 3.5 million; frequency declined to 36,102.

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OAG FACTS enables you to see trends at-a-glance. An easy to use tool providing the latest data on current airline activity around the world. Updated monthly, it uses interactive graphs to display a visual trend of the performance of a specific airport, route, country or region from 2001 - 2010.