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Middle East war led to fall in air passenger demand in April, global airlines association reported
May 29th 2026
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data on global passenger demand for April 2026, showing that total demand (RPK) was down 3.4% compared to April 2025. Read More » Excluding the Middle East, demand increased by 1.2%. Total capacity (ASK) decreased 2.9% year-on-year. The load factor was 83.1% (-0.4 ppt compared to April 2025). International demand fell 5.3% compared to April 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 1.9%. Capacity was down 5.1% year-on-year, and the load factor was 83.9% (-0.2 ppt compared to April 2025). Domestic demand was flat compared to April 2025. Capacity increased 0.8% year-on-year. The load factor was 81.9% (-0.7 ppt compared to April 2025). The 46.6% fall in demand for carriers in the Middle East due to war in the region was so acute that it dragged overall demand down 3.4%.
Asia-Pacific airlines achieved a 3.0% year-on-year increase in international passenger demand in April. Capacity increased 0.7% year-on-year, and the load factor was 87.5% (+1.9 ppt compared to April 2025), a record high for April. There was a notable slowdown in traffic on the Japan-China corridor, due to ongoing political tensions, the IATA said.
“The situation for air transport remains highly volatile. The cost of jet fuel more than doubled in April, which is pushing airfares up. Forward schedule data is showing a reduced offering in the coming months, indicating that airlines are balancing high fuel costs and weaker demand,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
