Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat crunch the big numbers to reveal which U.S. carriers are in expansion mode in the first quarter of 2025 and which operators are shrinking year-on-year. 

Takeaways

• The US airline industry is seeing a modest capacity increase of 1% for Q1 2025.


• Delta Airlines is focusing growth on mid-continent hubs like Atlanta and Minneapolis.


• United Airlines is experiencing the fastest growth among major carriers, with a 5% increase in capacity.


• American Airlines is slowing down growth, particularly at major hubs like LAX and JFK.


• Southwest Airlines is reducing capacity by 4% as part of a strategy to return to profitability.


• Alaska Airlines is growing modestly at 2%, focusing on secondary markets.


• JetBlue is shrinking overall by 3%, with significant cuts in Los Angeles and Newark.


• Spirit Airlines is undergoing restructuring due to bankruptcy, leading to drastic capacity cuts.


• Frontier Airlines is capitalizing on Spirit's struggles, with a 9% increase in capacity.


• The competitive landscape is shifting, with low-cost carriers facing challenges while major airlines adapt to market demands.

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