For this month's aviation industry webinar, Deirdre Fulton and John Grant were joined by Courtney Miller (Founder and Managing Director, Visual Approach Analytics) and Ignacio Ottati (Manager, Air Service Development, Calgary Airport Authority to discuss how the North American aviation market is performing amid ongoing disruption.

The panel discussed:

• How carriers are maintaining demand despite economic and geopolitical volatility
• Where networks are expanding and which routes are driving yield growth
• What profitability will look like for airlines in 2026 and beyond 

Below are just some highlights, with the full recording ready to view at the bottom of the page.

A l00k at global capacity growth trends 

Before diving into the topic of this week's webinar, the panel reviewed Q1 global capacity growth data:

• Capacity growth for Q1 remains 3.7% ahead of 2025, however when we stretch that out to H1 2026, this falls to 2.5%.

Which markets are driving growth?

• In the first half of 2026, global domestic capacity is almost flat, just 0.8% above 2025, with sluggish demand in Asia and Europe offset by stronger growth in other regions, including North America.
• International capacity is forecast to rise 5% year on year in H1 2026, led by strongest growth in the Southwest Pacific and Africa, with Asia, Europe and the Middle East broadly in line with the global trend.
• North America international capacity is lagging, with growth of just 1.1% expected at this point.

A closer look at passenger demand in the U.S.

Next we take a closer look at the U.S., with Courtney giving an overview of economic trends post-COVID, highlighting the initial downturn, recovery, and current stabilization. How are human behaviors as a result of the economic whiplash influencing current market dynamics?

how have transborder traffic trends shifted?

Despite shifts in global travel trends, the Canada remains an attractive outlier due to its picturesque landscapes and year-round activities:

Why Your Airfare Isn’t The Real Cost Anymore 

The panel explored how other travel-related costs, such as hotel accommodations, Disney tickets, and ski lift tickets, have increased, impacting travel decisions more than airfare alone:

Watch the full webinar:

There's so much more to discover in the full panel discussion - for more insights, watch below:

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