AirAsia continues to dominate the Southeast Asian aviation landscape, maintaining its position as the region’s largest carrier with a robust 2.9 million seats scheduled for May, according to OAG data. Lion Air follows closely in second place with 2.7 million seats.
The latest OAG data reveals impressive growth among several key players in the Top 10 airlines. Vietjet and Cebu Pacific Air are experiencing the most significant year-over-year increases in capacity, demonstrating strong market momentum. Vietjet has expanded its capacity by a remarkable 28.3%, adding 577,500 more seats compared to May 2024. Cebu Pacific Air has also shown substantial growth, increasing its capacity by 25%, translating to an additional 459,300 seats.
Conversely, Lion Air is the only carrier within the Top 10 to have reduced its capacity, experiencing a 10% decline compared to the same period last year, continuing a downward trend from the previous month.
Across the region, a dynamic network of 178 airlines operates scheduled traffic through 292 airports. Singapore Changi Airport remains the region’s largest hub, handling 3.6 million seats this month, marking a healthy 5.2% increase in capacity compared to last year.
Kuala Lumpur (3.2 million seats), Jakarta (3.1 million seats), and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (3.1 million seats) rank as the next busiest airports in Southeast Asia, underscoring their crucial roles in regional connectivity.
Within the Top 10 airports, Vietnam’s Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are exhibiting the most rapid expansion. Hanoi has seen a substantial capacity growth of 15.8%, while Ho Chi Minh City has experienced a significant 13.9% increase compared to May 2024. In contrast, Indonesian airports Makassar and Jakarta have seen reductions in capacity of 5.2% and 4.9%, respectively.
Analysis of international markets reveals that Southeast Asia’s capacity to the rest of the Asia Pacific region is the largest, accounting for 8.1 million seats and showing a solid 6.1% growth, equating to an additional 461,900 seats year-on-year. International capacity within Southeast Asia itself is the second-largest market, with 6.7 million seats and a notable 8.4% increase, representing 521,700 more seats compared to May 2024.
Notably, the European market is experiencing the fastest rate of growth in capacity to Southeast Asia this month, with a significant 15% increase compared to last year, reaching 760,200 seats.
