Last year’s data snapshot #54 and 2024’s data snapshot #46 provided insights into the average IFR flight in the EUROCONTROL area. With the addition of 2025 data, what new aviation trends can we discern?
The average distance per flight in the NM area has risen by 18 km compared to 2024 – reaching 1,175 km in 2025. Flights passed through an average of 3.7 countries in the EUROCONTROL Network Manager (NM) area, with nearly one-third crossing French airspace. This continues the upward trend observed since 2018.
In terms of fleet mix, there has been a consistent decline in the share of regional jets (from 9% in 2018 to 6% in 2025), which reflects a reduction in regional and domestic (short-haul) flights. Environmental factors and the higher cost per available seat kilometre (CASK) for short-haul flights compared to medium/long-haul flights have contributed to this trend, with their share decreasing from 64% to 58% over the same period.
In 2025, the average maximum take-off weight (MTOW) was 90.9 tonnes, an increase of 0.5 tonnes compared with 2024 and 4.5 tonnes compared with 2018. The two most common types of aircraft flown in the EUROCONTROL area throughout the 2018-2025 period have consistently been the Boeing 737-800 and the Airbus A320, both narrow-body aircraft with MTOWs between 70-80 tonnes.
The increase in average weight reflects a shift from commuter aircraft and regional jets (17% to 12% of traffic between 2018 and 2025) towards more efficient narrow and wide-body aircraft (69% to 74%). In 2025, the Airbus321neo (MTOW: 97 tonnes) was the fourth most common aircraft type, marking the first appearance of the highest MTOW aircraft in the top four over the eight-year period.
The average flight level (FL) has largely stabilised after 2021, when reduced traffic and fewer flow management measures led to the highest average FL. It is noticeable, however, that it slightly increased to FL 351 in 2025. The slight change could be attributed to changes in the fleet mix, with commuter aircraft and regional jets typically reaching lower maximum altitudes than narrow-body and wide-body aircraft.
Unsurprisingly, the average number of seats per flight has also been increasing since 2018, reaching 184 seats per flight in 2025, up by one seat from 2024. With the increasing average MTOW and newer aircraft offering more cabin flexibility, airlines are able to provide more seats per aircraft more cost-effectively.