Global air passenger demand slips 0.5 per cent in September
Asia-Pacific airlines recorded a 0.7 per cent increase in international demand, while global capacity declined 0.2 per cent.
Worldwide passenger demand for air travel fell 0.5 per cent year-on-year in September 2026, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The decline, tracked through revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), reflected weakness in the Middle East and North America.
Without the Middle East, global demand rose 0.3 per cent, IATA said. Overall capacity, tracked through available seat kilometres (ASK), contracted 0.2 per cent. The global load factor stood at 83.2 per cent, a reduction of 0.3 percentage points from a year earlier.
International passenger demand increased 0.4 per cent, or 1.7 per cent when the Middle East was excluded. International capacity expanded 0.5 per cent, with a load factor of 83.6 per cent.
For Asia-Pacific airlines, international demand rose 0.7 per cent and capacity expanded 0.4 per cent. Their load factor reached 83.1 per cent, gaining 0.3 percentage points against September 2025. Traffic grew in four of the six biggest international route areas serving Asia-Pacific. Within Asia, traffic fell 0.9 per cent, although the contraction was less steep than in August.
Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s senior vice president (sustainability) and chief economist, said conditions had improved from August as most international markets returned to growth. She said scheduled seat capacity globally was expected to exceed 2025 levels in October and November, but growth remained weak and uneven across regions.
