How the Skies Changed: A Comparative Look at Airline OEM Performance between 2019 & 2023

By Aditya M

In this blog post, we delve into the intriguing realm of aviation to examine the performance of OEMs between 2019 & 2023 through meticulous analysis. From the rise of new players to the evolution of established giants, we uncover the narratives behind the numbers, offering a comprehensive perspective on how the landscape of aviation manufacturing.

Graphic 1:

• This graphic compares the scheduled passenger flights in 2019 & 2023 in terms of the OEMs. From that it can be clearly observed that only 34 million flights were scheduled in 2023 which is 17% less than that of compared to scheduled flights in 2019.
• On deeper segregation and comparing the two major giant OEMs of aviation industry i.e., Airbus & Boeing, the trend is the same with decreased scheduled flights by 13% in 2023 compared to 2019.
• These analysations indicate that the industry has not reached the pre-covid levels till by the end of 2023 and also the 13% negative growth of Airbus & Boeing compared to negative 17% that of industry demonstrates that the two major giants are recovering better after pandemic and also there might be an other reason of these giants capturing more market share.

Graphic 2:

• This graphic compares the Average seats operated per flight in 2019 & 2023 in terms of the OEMs. It can be visualized that the average number of seats operated per flight have increased by 5% between 2019 & 2023.
• The two major giants also project the same trend with 2% increase in 2023.
• These analysations indicate that the average number of seats operated per flight has increased between 2019 & 2023. There are several reasons for this phenomena which are, airlines going for a fleet optimization, aircrafts re-configurations and increased focus on cost efficiency by operating more seats in with less frequency.

Graphic 3:

The graphic shows the average seats operated per flight in 2019 and 2023, for various regions and OEMs.

• Year-over-Year Comparison: For all the manufacturers (Airbus, Boeing and Other OEMs) and across all regions (Asia, Africa, Europe, America, Middle East and Oceania) on an average, the average number of seats operated per flight in 2023 is higher than in 2019. The difference in seat capacity ranges between -4 and 7 seats per flight, with the highest negative rate seen in Boeing OEMs flights in Middle East (250seats in 2019 vs 246 seats in 2023) and the biggest positive difference seen in Other OEMs flights in Middle East (107 seats in 2019 vs 1116 seats in 2023).

• OEMs comparison: On comparing the performance of all the highlighted OEMs on the basis of Average seats per flight, region wise we get,

1. Airbus: Airbus has performed well in almost every region with increase in capacity per flight in 2023 expect for the Oceania region.

2. Boeing: Boeing's performance is not that good as of its major competitor, but it has performed well in Africa, Europe and American regions.

3. Other OEMs: Other OEMs has relatively performed well in Middle East, Asia, Africa and Oceania regions.

• Possible Reasons for the Increase in Capacity Rate:

  • Fleet Optimization: As mentioned before, airlines might be deploying larger aircraft on certain routes to meet passenger demand more efficiently. This could be due to:

  • Recovery from Pandemic: Passenger numbers might be surpassing pre-pandemic levels on some routes, justifying the use of larger aircraft.
  • Retirement of Smaller Aircraft: Airlines strategically retiring older, smaller airplanes and replacing them with newer, more fuel-efficient models with higher seating capacity.

  • Focus on Cost Efficiency: While the graph seems to contradict this notion, it's possible that airlines are strategically increasing capacity on specific routes where it makes sense financially. Filling more seats can improve profitability, especially on routes with high fuel costs. This trend could be due to:

  • Economies of Scale: Airlines might be consolidating flights onto larger aircraft to reduce operational costs per passenger.

While the graph suggests an increase in average seats operated per flight in 2023 compared to 2019, a more comprehensive analysis would require additional data to pinpoint the exact reasons and identify potential variations within the data set.

On an overall note, it is important to note that the graphics only shows the average number of seats operated per flight. This does not necessarily reflect the number of seats that were actually filled. And also important to note that Airbus & Boeing are recovering a good rate compared to the other OEMs .