Capacity Increases Could Mean Air Transport Industry Upturn, Says OAG.

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. -- OAG:

--Intercontinental flights up three per cent

--Trans-Pacific frequencies up six per cent

--Airlines cut US domestic capacity

--Global timetables show zero growth

Small but significant airline capacity increases on routes to and from the USA and Canada could mean the start of a gradual recovery in North America's air transport industry, according to figures just released from OAG.

While the volume of worldwide flights remains the same as in April 2005, there has been a modest three per cent increase in flights to and from North America.

"The North American aviation industry has been languishing in the doldrums for some years now," says Joe Laughlin, VP Sales and Service for OAG, "and although a three per cent increase - an additional 3,305 flights - is only a small beginning, it is at least a beginning."

There are significant regional variations, too. The number of transatlantic flights timetabled for this month is four per cent up over last April's figure, while there is a five per cent increase in flights between the USA and Canada and the rest of the Americas.

On trans-Pacific routes, the additional 483 flights scheduled this month represent a six per cent increase over the April 2005 total.

The figures are revealed in OAG's latest Quarterly Airline Traffic Statistics, a regular snapshot of airline activity around the world. OAG reviews data from more than 1000 scheduled airlines to give an overview of anticipated travel demand.

The US domestic market continues to disappoint, although there is a positive side to the six per cent decrease in the number of flights on offer. "Airlines are taking a pragmatic approach to market conditions;" says Laughlin. "balancing revenue and capacity."

Regional figures show that the Middle East's aviation industry is outperforming the rest of the world by a significant margin. The number of flights to and from the region this month is 16 per cent higher than in April 2005, while the intra-regional figure is 13 per cent up. The number of Middle East low-cost flights has doubled since last year.

April 2006 sees a 13 per cent increase in flights to and from the Asia-Pacific region, while intercontinental services to and from both Europe and Africa are up ten per cent. Central and South America is showing a five per cent increase in intercontinental flying.

About OAG

OAG is an information management and distribution company specializing in travel and transportation.

OAG's expertise is in managing large amounts of data and building applications and products to get that information into the hands of people who need it.

OAG holds a breadth of travel related content. It is best known for its airline schedules database, which holds flight details for 1,000 airlines and more than 3,500 airports. Every ten seconds a flight is updated on the OAG system.

OAG provides a broad range of products for business and consumer customers, available in virtually any way the customer wants it: Internet, PDA, mobile, digital and print.

OAG is a private company supported by over 400 staff with presence in Europe, America and Asia. To view OAG services visit www.oag.com, www.oagdata.com and www.oagcargo.com