Global air passenger demand falls 3.4 per cent amid Middle East war
Global air passenger demand declined 3.4 per cent in April 2026 due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, IATA said. Middle Eastern carriers saw the sharpest fall in traffic, while rising jet fuel prices and weak demand forced airlines to cut planned services
New Delhi: Global air passenger demand fell 3.4 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in April 2026 — marking a sharp slowdown primarily driven by the impact of the ongoing war in the Middle East, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Friday.
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), declined 3.4 per cent compared to April 2025, while total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), dropped 2.9 per cent.
Global load factor stood at 83.1 per cent, down 0.4 percentage points from the year-ago period.
IATA said the downturn was largely caused by a steep collapse in travel demand for Middle Eastern carriers.
Excluding the Middle East region, global passenger demand would have recorded a 1.2 per cent increase during the month.
“Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was down 3.4 per cent compared to April 2025,” IATA said.
“Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), decreased 2.9 per cent year-on-year. The load factor was 83.1 per cent (-0.4 ppt compared to April 2025),” it added.
International passenger traffic fell 5.3 per cent year-on-year in April, with capacity declining 5.1 per cent.
However, excluding Middle Eastern airlines, international demand grew 1.9 per cent.
“The 46.6 per cent 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 per cent. The situation for air transport remains highly volatile. The cost of jet fuel more than doubled in April, which is pushing airfares up,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
Walsh added that forward schedule data indicates airlines are reducing planned services in the coming months as they respond to weaker demand and rising fuel costs.
Middle Eastern airlines recorded the steepest decline among all regions, with passenger demand plunging 48.1 per cent year-on-year in April.
Capacity fell 38.4 per cent, while load factor dropped sharply to 70.1 per cent, down 13.1 percentage points from a year earlier.
IATA said traffic in the region continued to be affected by the Iran war, although the pace of decline moderated slightly after an uneasy ceasefire came into effect.
