IATA data shows global air travel demand falls 1.7% in June

Dhaka: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its global passenger demand data for June 2026, showing an overall decline compared to the same month last year.

Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), fell by 1.7% year-on-year. Excluding the Middle East, the decline was only 0.6%. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), dropped 1.3%, while the load factor stood at 84.2%, down 0.4 percentage points from June 2025.

International demand slipped 0.9% compared to June 2025, though it rose 1.1% when the Middle East was excluded. Capacity fell 0.6% year-on-year, with the load factor holding at 84.2%, down 0.2 percentage points.

Domestic demand contracted by 3.0% year-on-year, with capacity down 2.4%. The domestic load factor came in at 84.0%, a decrease of 0.5 percentage points from June 2025.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh said global demand for air travel fell 1.7% in June, largely due to domestic market declines in China, the US, and Japan, along with weak but improving international demand for Middle East carriers.

Walsh added that renewed regional tensions would hinder the Middle East's recovery, and rising fuel prices would continue burdening travelers with higher airfares, though air travel remains a key contributor to global economic growth.

Regional performance

Asia-Pacific carriers, holding a 34.4% world share, saw RPK fall 2.0% and ASK decline 2.1%, with the load factor at 83.1%, up 0.1 percentage points.

European carriers, with a 26.7% share, recorded 0.8% RPK growth and 1.4% ASK growth, with the load factor at 87.5%, down 0.5 percentage points.

Middle Eastern carriers suffered the steepest decline, with RPK down 13.9% and ASK down 11.3%. The load factor fell to 76.1%, a drop of 2.3 percentage points.

North American carriers, accounting for 21.8% of the market, saw RPK dip 1.1% and ASK fall 1.1%, with the load factor flat at 86.1%.

Latin American and Caribbean carriers posted 1.5% RPK growth and 3.9% ASK growth, though the load factor fell 2.0 percentage points to 81.2%.

African carriers led growth with RPK up 3.8% and ASK up 4.7%, while the load factor eased 0.6 percentage points to 73.9%.

International markets

On international routes, Asia-Pacific carriers posted 0.4% demand growth, with capacity down 1.1% and load factor at 84.0%, up 1.3 percentage points, as some carriers scaled back short-haul routes amid higher fuel prices.

European carriers saw international demand climb 1.5%, with capacity up 2.0% and load factor at 87.1%, down 0.5 percentage points. The Europe-Asia corridor posted 11.0% growth, the fastest among major international routes.

North American international demand fell 1.0%, with capacity down 0.7% and load factor at 86.9%, down 0.3 percentage points.

Middle Eastern international demand dropped 14%, with capacity down 11% and load factor at 76.3%, down 2.6 percentage points, reflecting continued fallout from the Iran war, though the pace of decline has eased since April.

Latin American international demand rose 3.5%, with capacity up 6.3% and load factor at 81.6%, down 2.2 percentage points.

African international demand grew 6.7%, with capacity up 7.0% and load factor at 74.2%, down 0.3 percentage points.

Domestic markets

Domestic RPK fell 3.0% in June compared to a year earlier. Brazil's domestic traffic rose 0.9%, while Australia remained flat. All other major domestic markets declined, with China and Japan posting the steepest drops at 5.2% and 3.8%, respectively, driven by higher fuel prices. Brazil recorded the largest load factor decline, down 2.5 percentage points.