Originally Posted by mbsob

I think there are many different factors contributing to many flights currently being very full, while others not so much. Some of it is obviously load management by airlines. Additionally, however, during Covid, many airlines mothballed or retired aircraft presuming that demand would not rebound as quickly as it did, so had insufficient capacity. Some intentionally brought back capacity only slowly to keep loadings high, but it is not an instantaneous thing to unmothball an aircraft. Then there are/were the engine issues with both Rolls Royce and Pratt and Whitney, and the time it has taken to address them, which have grounded a lot of planes. And finally Boeing's problems with the 737 max and delays with deliveries in general post covid.