Leading airline data platform OAG has run the annual aviation data for 2023 with the inside scoop on the most popular travel locations, the airlines going furthest, the airports expanding their routes and much more.
In 2023, the busiest day for airlines was Friday August 11th, when airlines operated 18,586,233 seats. For context, the average daily capacity over the year was 16,582,222, making this peak summer day 12% busier than the average travel day.
Singapore's strong results this year are reflected in the fact that London Heathrow - Singapore Changi Airport is the second ranked route on the list, while the recovery of the USA market means that 6/10 of the routes include at least one US destination.
The largest airline in the world in 2023 was Southwest, with 619 billion ASKs. The carrier operated 9% more ASKs than its closest rival for the top spot, American Airlines.
The fastest growing airline is Cathay Pacific, which saw the highest percentage increase in flights 2023 v 2022. The number of flights is up by 137% from 31,661 flights in 2022 to 75,161 in 2023. That said, there is still some way to go toward recovery and by the end of 2023, Cathay's flights are still 28% below 2019 levels.
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