MSGID: 2:292/854 0d38471c   
   The growth of airlines in the Middle East reached the lowest level of this   
   decade in 2018. After years of double growth, the capacity increase in 2018   
   was a modest 3.1 percent.   
       
   In the period 2014 - 2016, the seat capacity increased by 10 to 13 percent per   
   year. In 2017 it already dropped to 6 percent and last year there was   
   therefore another halving.   
       
   This decrease is partly due to the misery at Etihad Airways, which is   
   restructuring as a result of billions in losses, and the reintroduction of   
   sanctions against Iran. The number of seats to and from Tehran Khomeini   
   Airport decreased by 7.5 percent.   
       
   But mega airport Dubai Airport is also not doing well. Capacity there declined   
   by 0.1 percent in the past year. A much larger decrease is expected in 2019   
   because one of the two runways will close for months for maintenance.   
       
   Flag carrier Emirates nevertheless remains the largest airline in the region.   
   With 83 million seats, she outnumbered the numbers two (Saudi Arabian   
   Airlines, 74 million) and three (Qatar Airways, 51 million) in 2018.   
      
   --- D'Bridge 3.99 SR41   
    * Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)   
   SEEN-BY: 1/123 15/2 153/757 221/1 226/17 229/354 426 728 1014 240/5832   
   SEEN-BY: 249/317 400 261/38 280/464 292/854 8125 317/3 322/757 335/364   
   SEEN-BY: 342/200 393/68 396/45 633/280 801/188 3828/7   
   PATH: 292/854 229/426