The Middle East aviation market has seen significant expansion, growing by 5% since 2019, according to a new report from OAG titled “Middle East Skies: A New Era of Competition, Capacity and Growth.” This growth positions the region as the second-fastest growing globally, surpassed only by South Asia, which experienced a 12% increase. The report attributes this rise to a strong combination of low-cost carrier (LCC) growth and the capacity of legacy carriers.

Emirates and Qatar Airways are featured prominently in the report, ranking among the top 20 global airlines by capacity and within the top 10 for available seat kilometers. Together, the Emirates Group, Saudia Group, and Qatar Airways operated a total of 127 million departing seats in 2024, solidifying their status as the top three carriers in the region.

The report highlights flynas as the standout performer, achieving a remarkable 63% increase in capacity for 2024 compared to 2019. This growth makes it the fastest-growing airline in the region, closely followed by flydubai, which experienced a 56% increase. Both airlines operated nearly 14.4 million departing seats each, with flynas surpassing flydubai by just 25 000 seats.

Low-cost carriers now account for 29% of all Middle East aviation capacity, a significant increase from 13% in 2014. Over the past decade, LCC capacity has seen an annual growth rate of 11.5%, outpacing traditional carriers. Notably, Egypt has emerged as a key destination for LCC routes, with 96% of flyadeal’s African capacity directed to Egypt and similar trends seen with flynas and Air Arabia.

Full-service and legacy carriers in the region heavily rely on connecting traffic, with 84% of Qatar Airways passengers, 77% of Etihad Airways passengers, and 66% of Emirates passengers being connecting travelers. The Cairo–Riyadh route remains extremely competitive, featuring eight active carriers, while routes like Dubai-Riyadh and Cairo-Jeddah also see high levels of competition.

Filip Filipov, COO of OAG, emphasized the strategic importance of the Middle East as a global hub. He noted that the growth of both low-cost and network carriers is creating unprecedented opportunities in the aviation industry. He stated, “This vibrant market is setting the stage for future advancements in aviation technology and passenger experience.”