Global air passenger demand falls 3.4 per cent amid Middle East war

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.