The North Atlantic aviation market just got a whole lot more interesting. Jetblue’s arrival to the cluster of airlines on Dublin’s north Atlantic routes, third to serve Dublin-Boston and fourth to serve Dublin-New York, is just the latest of a series of develepments that indicate the shape of competition on the corridor post pandemic.
Europe to North America is the first international route region worldwide to surpass 2019 levels in terms of revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) in January 2023.
Throughout 2023, it has consistently remained above 2019 levels, making it the only traffic region to do so.
Weekly capacity data from CAPA – Centre for Aviation and OAG suggests that the recovery in the North Atlantic aviation market has continued into October 2023.
The North Atlantic is the only major long-haul region to/from Europe with capacity exceeding 2019 levels.
Immunised joint ventures (JVs) dominate the North Atlantic market, with their seat share increasing from 73.7% in 2019 to 78.6% in 2023.
However, low-cost carriers (LCCs) have taken some share from the JVs in 2023 compared to 2022. European airlines have a larger overall seat share on the North Atlantic, even though North American airlines occupy four out of the top five spots in the capacity ranking.
This recovery in the North Atlantic market is particularly important for European airlines, as it represents their most vital long-haul region.
