OAG, the world’s leading data platform for the global travel industry, released its capacity report for April 2026, revealing a market in transition.
Total global capacity is projected to reach 504 million seats this month, representing a modest 1% increase over April 2025.
The data indicates a significant deceleration from the rolling year-on-year growth rate of 3% seen previously. This cooling is largely attributed to ongoing global instability, which has disproportionately affected specific regions and major international carriers.
The international market continues to see shifting dominance. The Spain–UK corridor has reclaimed its position as the world’s number one international country pair for the summer season. Driven by robust leisure demand, the market grew by 8.7% year-on-year, reaching a total of 5.1 million seats.
In domestic markets, China leads the world in growth, with capacity increasing by 4.1% compared to April 2025. Other notable domestic performers include:
- Australia: Up 3.8% year-on-year.
- India: Returning to positive territory with 3.4% growth.
- Japan and Indonesia: Facing contractions of 2.2% and 0.8%, respectively.
Performance among the world’s largest airlines remains mixed, reflecting varied regional economic conditions and operational challenges:
- The Americas: Carriers in North and South America are focused on increasing flight frequency. Major U.S. airlines reported growth between 2–4%. LATAM Airlines Group led the region with a substantial 6.6% increase in flights.
- Asia-Pacific: Cathay Pacific recorded a 15.3% surge in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs), driven by new frequencies to Europe and the U.S., as well as longer flight paths necessitated by restricted airspace. Singapore Airlines also saw a steady ASK increase of 4.3%.
- Contracting Carriers: Several major players have reduced frequencies this month, including Air Canada (-7.8%), Qantas (-5.1%), and British Airways (-1.2%).
The most pronounced impact of geopolitical tension is visible in the Middle East. Capacity metrics for the region’s largest hub carriers have seen sharp declines as schedules are adjusted to account for regional instability. Emirates saw scheduled ASKs drop by nearly 40% year-on-year, while Qatar Airways recorded a 31% decrease.
“While the global aviation industry continues to grow, the pace is undeniably slowing as airlines navigate a complex web of geopolitical risks and restricted airspaces,” said an OAG spokesperson.
“The resilience of the Spain-UK market and the domestic recovery in India provide bright spots, but the significant capacity reductions in the Middle East underscore how quickly global events can reshape the aviation landscape.”
