As the in-service fleet grows incrementally, retirements are slowing—in fact, they hit their lowest level in August since April 2018. The in-service fleet is further boosted by new aircraft deliveries. While they are still lower than pre-pandemic levels, August deliveries were 28% higher than last August but 12% lower than in August 2019 and 51% lower than in August 2018.

Recovery still varies greatly by region. Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North America logged higher utilization rates in July and August, but China posted a steep decline, and its available seat kilometers are forecast to be lower the rest of the year.