As we step into the final quarter of 2023, it's an opportune moment to take a closer look at the airports around the world experiencing the most significant growth. When we compare this year to the last, it's evident that airports in East Asia are dominating the rankings. This shift can be attributed to the fact that around this time last year, many markets in the region were still heavily restricted due to efforts to contain the Covid pandemic or were just beginning to reopen.
To compile our list, we turned to Cirium, a specialized aviation sector analysis firm, which examined the 100 most heavily trafficked airports globally in terms of seat capacity. In fact, almost all of these airports are expected to witness higher traffic in this fourth quarter compared to the previous one. There are, however, a few exceptions.
For instance, Mexico City is seeing a shift in capacity to an alternative airport due to government initiatives. Another exception is Oslo, where Norwegian is reducing capacity outside peak hours as part of its strategy.
Given that year-over-year comparisons are heavily influenced by the recent reopening of Asia, it's still intriguing to observe how airport capacity has evolved since before the pandemic. Focusing solely on the top 100 busiest airports, Cancun stands out as the fastest-growing airport globally since the fourth quarter of 2019 (excluding the new airports in Beijing and Chengdu, which weren't fully operational four years ago).
However, it's important to note that many airports are still smaller than they were before Covid. Some have experienced double-digit declines in seat capacity, including Moscow's two main airports, as well as Hong Kong in Asia and Munich in Europe. Among the major U.S. airports with double-digit declines are Chicago O'Hare, Philadelphia, Detroit, and San Francisco.
The dynamic landscape of airport growth and decline reflects the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global travel patterns. As we continue to navigate these changes, AviaPOS remains committed to providing cutting-edge solutions and insights to support the aviation industry.
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