Asia’s Connectivity Rebound: China and Japan Keep Expanding International Seat Availability

Mabrian, the global travel intelligence platform, analysed the top 10 countries with the best international air connectivity during 2024, reflecting a strong recovery of outbound air seats availability in two key Asian hubs, China and Japan. Spain ranks third, after the US and the UK, and United Arab Emirates solidifies its position as connectivity hub for Middle East.

 

Barcelona (Spain), October 21st, 2024.-  According to air connectivity data for 2024, Asia is gaining speed in rebuilding its international air connectivity network, growing strongly during 2024. As Mabrian data shows, China’s international air seats availability increases 75.8% compared to last year, reaching over 75,6 million seats capacity throughout 2024, while Japan adds up +35.1%, offering more than 60,8 million seats in  outbound flights connecting with foreign markets.

 

Mabrian, part of The Data Appeal Company – Almawave Group, built this ranking based on seats availability data on flights scheduled in international, one-way, direct flights throughout 2024. The total air seats for these 10 countries amount to 43% of the global outbound air seats during the 12 months analysed.

 

Five European countries (United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy) are featured in this ranking, all of them growing steadily. Italy adds +13.7% air seats in international flights during 2024, and Spain, third on this ranking and key connectivity hub with Latin America, grows +11.5% interannually. Germany holds the fourth position and grows +8.2%, followed by France, increasing international air seats +5% since 2023.

 

Notably, Turkey and United Arab Emirates deserve a particular mention. Turkey, one of the key connectivity hubs between Europe and Asia, grows outbound air seats availability +8.9% year over year; whereas United Arab Emirates solidifies its position as connectivity hub in the Middle East, ranking on the sixth position, with 85,6 million seats available in international flights and an interannual increase of +10.2%.

 

“The performance of GCC countries’ airports is worth to be monitored: 8% of international air seats availability are concentrated in outbound flights from, mainly, United Arab Emirates, as well as from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, even considering not all these markets grow uniformly”, explains Carlos Cendra, Partner and Director of Marketing and Communications at Mabrian. 

 

As Mabrian data indicates, besides United Arab Emirates, Qatar (+13% YoY growth, and close to 31 million outbound international air seats) and Saudi Arabia (+11.8% YoY growth, and over 40,6 million outbound international air seats) are the markets showing the best performance within this region, along with Bahrain (+7.6% interannual growth), while Oman remains stable and Kuwait international air connectivity decreases, cutting down -1.6% of total outbound seats.

  

About Mabrian

 

Mabrian Technologies (Mabrian), the global travel intelligence platform, is a company specialized in providing travel intelligence services worldwide. Founded in 2013, Mabrian joined The Data Appeal Company – Almawave Group in 2023.

 

Combining Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, simultaneous insights from over 30 global data sources, and the comprehensive travel intelligence expertise of its team of specialists, Mabrian is able to identify and predict tourism dynamics and trends worldwide. Mabrian’s modular dashboard grants access to a holistic monitoring centre that traces, measures and cross-analyses travellers’ full journey: air connectivity and demand, hotels, holiday rentals, travellers’ sentiment and demand drivers, spending patterns and behaviour, mobility, and sustainability. 

 

Currently operating in over 40 countries, Mabrian caters to the needs of travel & tourism industry, companies, entities, and public bodies, ranging from all-levels Destination Management Offices (national, regional, local), hotel companies and chains or transportation, to tourism-related consultancies (marketing, promotion, strategy, investment, etc.), providing up-to-date, contextual, predictive and insightful data intelligence for strategic and business development, as well as for policy and decision-making.

 

Learn more about how to unlock travel intelligence potential at www.mabrian.com