The percentage of occupancy defines the profitability of airlines. Most often than not, flights go empty if there are direct flights connecting places in different continents. One solution to increase the occupancy rate is to have connecting flights based on forecasting demand over a time period.
Understanding traveler demand for specific city pairs and pricing flights are among the main problems airlines solve to survive. To do that carriers must consider thousands of factors when analyzing data. While analysts still can use traditional statistical approaches.

Data science allows for more sophisticated ways to accomplish demand analysis. IATA suggests that airlines can use traveler behavioral data, abandon searches on the online travel agents, and metasearch sites or social media chatter can help define leisure demand.