Global airline capacity expanded by 1.5% year-on-year in July 2026, driven by solid performance in Europe and North East Asia, according to the latest market data released by OAG.
Despite net global growth, international aviation performance remains sharply split across regions and carriers.
Europe and North East Asia added the largest absolute capacity, expanding by 6.0 million and 3.4 million seats, respectively. On a percentage basis, Central/Western Africa led global growth with a 16.9% jump to 3.3 million seats, followed by North Africa (+8.0%) and Eastern/Central Europe (+6.8%).
Conversely, five global regions experienced year-on-year contractions:
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Middle East: −7.0%
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Caribbean: −4.2%
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South Asia: −3.7%
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South East Asia: −1.4%
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North America: −0.3%
Flight frequency for Alaska Airlines jumped 19.4% year-on-year, primarily reflecting its ongoing integration with Hawaiian Airlines. In Europe, low-cost carriers maintained steady upward momentum, with Ryanair capacity rising 6.2%, while easyJet (+2.1%) and Turkish Airlines (+1.5%) also recorded gains.
Among major international carriers measured by Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs):
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Top Growth: Etihad Airways (+15.5%), Air China (+11.0%), and LATAM Airlines Group (+10.9%) led long-haul capacity expansion.
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Middle East Stabilization: Emirates and Qatar Airways recorded capacity drops between 6% and 7%—a notable moderation from the 15% to 16% contractions reported last month, indicating gradual regional stabilization.
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Reductions: Capacity cuts were led by Deutsche Lufthansa AG (−9.9%), All Nippon Airways (−5.5%), IndiGo (−3.9%), United Airlines (−1.5%), and Delta Air Lines (−0.2%).
Domestic market results remained split. China surged by 3.69 million seats (+4.7%)—a sharp rebound from the near-flat 0.5% growth seen in June. Mexico (+7.2%) and Türkiye (+7.1%) logged the highest domestic growth rates.
Meanwhile, domestic markets contracted in the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, with India recording the steepest decline at −4.6%.
