Air passenger demand fell 1.7% in June: IATA

Global air passenger demand declined in June 2026, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) pointing to the impact of disruptions in the Middle East on industry performance.

According to IATA's latest monthly data, total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), fell 1.7 per cent compared with June 2025.

When Middle East traffic is excluded, however, global demand was down by a more modest 0.6 per cent.

Airline capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), decreased 1.3 per cent year over year, while the global load factor slipped 0.4 percentage points to 84.2 per cent.

International markets proved more resilient than domestic travel.

International passenger demand declined 0.9 per cent from June 2025, but increased 1.1 per cent when Middle East traffic is excluded. International capacity was down 0.6% year over year, and the load factor eased 0.2 percentage points to 84.2 per cent.

Domestic traffic saw a steeper decline, with demand falling 3.0 per cent year over year. Capacity decreased 2.4 per cent, while the domestic load factor dropped 0.5 percentage points to 84.0 per cent.

North American carriers, for one, saw a decrease in demand of 1.0 per cent year-on-year.

Capacity that market decreased 0.7 per cent year-on-year, and the load factor was 86.9 per cent (-0.3 ppt compared to June 2025), IATA says.

“Global demand for air travel was down 1.7% in June compared to 2025. This is largely due to domestic market declines in China, the U.S., and Japan, and weak but improving international demand for Middle East carriers. While Middle East performance improved, renewed tensions will not help the region’s recovery and the knock-on impact of rising fuel prices will continue to burden travellers with higher airfares,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, in a statement.

“People continue to travel, which is an important contributor to global economic growth. There is no doubt, however, that stabilizing the situation in the Middle East and normalizing oil supplies would improve prospects for airlines, economies, and societies the world over.”

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