2025 State of Mobile is Live!
Sensor Tower · Seema Shah · May 2023
International Airline Trends
Demand for travel is strong but slowing down due to a tougher economy, with consumers shifting their spending towards experiences, according to reports from Expedia Group and Deloitte/Trip.com Group. The number of international overnight flight arrivals is expected to double in 2022 compared to 2021, reaching 62% of 2019 volumes. Forward flight bookings for Q1 2023 were just 5% below 2019 levels in the Middle East, 8% below in Africa, 13% below in the Americas, and 17% below in Europe. ST data shows strong download growth for airlines, with Emirates and British Airways seeing the largest surge.
Key Takeaways:
Across the travel sector demand is strong, but decelerating, amidst a toughening economy, driven by a shift in spending to experiences
“1 in 2 consumers are likely to travel internationally in the next 12 months or have already have a trip booked, compared to only 12% in mid-2020” - Expedia Group, “Top Air Travel Industry Insights for 2023”
Mobile app and browser bookings for flights in 2022 were up 20% YoY and is expected to accelerate in 2023
“In 2022, for instance, the number of international overnight flight arrivals is expected to have doubled (109% annual growth) compared to 2021 - reaching 62% of 2019 volumes.” - Deloitte/Trip.com Group, “A World in Motion: Shifting Consumer Travel Trends in 2022 and Beyond.”
“By the end of December, for instance, forward flight bookings for the three months to March 2023 were just 5% below 2019 levels in the Middle East, just 8% below the same period in 2019 in Africa, 13% below in the Americas, and just 17% below in Europe”
US
Downloads the ST airline cohort were strong across the board in 1Q23, with Emirates and British Airlines seeing the largest surge in download growth, up 230% and 79% YoY, respectively, per ST data
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