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

Mabrian, a global travel intelligence platform, has analyzed the top 10 countries for international air connectivity in 2024, highlighting a significant recovery in outbound air seat availability in two major Asian hubs: China and Japan. The United States and the United Kingdom lead the ranking, followed by Spain, while the United Arab Emirates strengthens its position as a key connectivity hub for the Middle East.

According to the 2024 air connectivity data, China is experiencing a remarkable 75.8 percent increase in international air seats compared to last year, reaching over 75.6 million seats. Japan also sees significant growth, with a 35.1 percent increase, providing more than 60.8 million outbound seats to international markets.

Mabrian, part of The Data Appeal Company – Almawave Group, based this ranking on scheduled international one-way direct flights for 2024. Collectively, the total air seats from these top 10 countries account for 43 percent of global outbound air capacity.

Among European nations, five countries — United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy — are showing steady growth. Italy reports a 13.7 percent increase in international air seats, while Spain, a crucial hub for connections with Latin America, grows by 11.5 percent. Germany’s outbound capacity increases by 8.2 percent, followed by France with a 5 percent rise.

Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are notable in this context. Turkey enhances its outbound air seats availability by 8.9 percent, solidifying its role as a key connector between Europe and Asia. The United Arab Emirates ranks sixth, with 85.6 million seats available for international flights and a 10.2 percent year-over-year increase.

“The performance of GCC countries’ airports warrants attention, as 8 percent of international air seats are concentrated in outbound flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, despite uneven growth across these markets,” explains Carlos Cendra, Partner and Director of Marketing and Communications at Mabrian.

Mabrian’s data indicates that Qatar (plus 13 percent year-over-year growth with close to 31 million outbound seats) and Saudi Arabia (plus 11.8 percent growth with over 40.6 million seats) are among the region’s top performers, alongside Bahrain (plus 7.6 percent growth). Oman remains stable, while Kuwait experiences a slight decline of 1.6 percent in outbound seats.