Capacity and demand grows on Asia routes from Spain
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International outbound flights from Spain were up by 2.7% last year with the biggest increase seen from countries in Asia Pacific; a trend that looks like it will continue in 2017, says travel analyst ForwardKeys.
Passengers to Asia Pacific destinations were up by 15.7% on the previous year with many countries seeing double-digit growth, including China (up 13%), Japan (+16%), India (+17%) and Vietnam (+32%). This is clearly good news for the dominant travel retailer at Spanish airports, Dufry (World Duty Free).
Much of the increase can be attributed to certain airlines dramatically increasing their capacity to the region (up 38%) in 2016.
“The growth in capacity is partly due to the Chinese seeing Spain as a safe and attractive destination and as a result creating capacity on return flights, creating the opportunity for Spanish consumers to travel on new direct routes to Asia,” says the travel analyst.
Growth started in the second half of last year helped by Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong – Madrid), Iberia (connecting Madrid with Shanghai and Tokyo) and China Eastern (Madrid –Shanghai). However, it is important to note that Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways dropped routes.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which airlines significantly contributed to the growth in capacity to Asia from Spain in the second half of last year?
Which airlines significantly contributed to the growth in capacity to Asia from Spain in the second half of last year?
Cathay Pacific, connecting Hong Kong with Madrid, Iberia, with new routes between Madrid, Shanghai and Tokyo, and China Eastern, which also links Madrid and Shanghai, all helped to boost capacity.
Q.What was the overall increase in international outbound flights from Spain last year?
What was the overall increase in international outbound flights from Spain last year?
International outbound flights from Spain saw an increase of 2.7% last year. The travel analyst ForwardKeys predicts this trend will continue into 2017, especially for routes to Asia Pacific destinations.
Q.What is driving the increased capacity on flights from Spain to Asia?
What is driving the increased capacity on flights from Spain to Asia?
The growth in capacity is partly attributed to Chinese travellers viewing Spain as a safe and appealing destination. This demand for return flights has created opportunities for Spanish consumers to access new direct routes to Asia.
Q.Which specific Asian destinations saw the highest growth in passenger numbers from Spain?
Which specific Asian destinations saw the highest growth in passenger numbers from Spain?
Vietnam experienced the highest growth at 32%, followed by India at 17%. Japan also saw a significant increase of 16%, and China's passenger numbers rose by 13%.