Global airline capacity has demonstrated continued robust growth, rising 4.2% compared to November 2024, equating to an additional 19.2 million seats being offered worldwide this month, according to the latest data from OAG.
A total of 721 airlines are operating across 3,962 airports worldwide as the industry enters the winter travel season.
The global leaderboard for operational frequency remains firmly in the hands of U.S. carriers. American Airlines (AA) retained its position as the world’s largest airline, scheduled to operate 183,594 flights this month. This represents an increase of 9,017 flights over November 2024, marking the single largest frequency increase among the Top 20 airlines globally.
The dominance of North American aviation is underscored by Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, which follow AA to secure the top four spots in the global rankings.
The United States remains the unchallenged largest domestic market globally, offering 86.5 million seats in November 2025, a significant lead of 20.9 million seats over the second-largest market, China (65.6 million seats).
However, China recorded the highest growth in capacity among the Top 10 domestic markets, adding 2.3 million seats compared to last November. Emerging markets also showed exceptional strength, with India and Mexico recording strong year-over-year seat capacity increases of 8.9% and 7.9%, respectively.
In international market pairings, the Mexico–USA route has now surpassed Spain–UK to become the largest international country pair, reflecting the end of the European peak summer season and the shift in seasonal travel demand.
While global capacity is up, a few major carriers and domestic markets recorded declines. Three airlines showed decreased frequency compared to November last year: Air Canada and Japan Airlines were both down 1.3%, while Deutsche Lufthansa saw the most significant contraction, down 8.5%.
Domestically, Japan, Indonesia, and Spain all reported year-on-year decreases in seat capacity this month, with declines of 1.4%, 4.6%, and 7.1%, respectively.
