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Asia-Pacific international passengers fall for fourth straight month in August
September 29th 2026
Asia-Pacific carriers flew 33.5 million customers on their international networks last month, down 0.6% from 33.7 million air travellers in August last year. Read More » It was the fourth straight month airlines in the region have experienced a year-on-year decline in international passengers. Despite the performance of the past four months, passenger numbers for the first eight months of this year were up 2.1% from the corresponding period in 2025 at 259.3 million, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said. "The operating environment remains challenging," AAPA director general, Wong Hong, said. "Elevated jet fuel prices, airspace restrictions and weaker Asian currencies are raising costs, while higher fares weigh on price-sensitive travellers. Regional economic growth and trade activity should continue to support demand for air travel and cargo, although growth is likely to remain uneven across markets. Geopolitical developments and changes in trade policies add some uncertainty to the outlook for the remainder of the year." Capacity, or available seat kilometres, on Asia-Pacific carriers’ international routes was 1.5% higher in August, and demand, measured by revenue passenger kilometres, rose 1.8%. Passenger load factor increased 0.2 of a percentage point to 83.2%, the airline lobby group said.
