The number of people taking flight is falling, says IATA, attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East—and there’s dramatic traffic drops in this region.
And, with the cost of jet fuel having more than doubled over the month, things aren’t exactly looking up. The IATA data shows that overall Apr demand was down 3.4% year-on-year, driven by a 46.6% fall in demand for carriers in the Middle East due to war in the region. However, if you take the Middle East out of the equation, total demand actually rose 1.2%.
. . . Uncertain Outlook
IATA director general Willie Walsh admits that the situation for air transport remains highly volatile. “Forward schedule data is showing a reduced offering in the coming months, indicating that airlines are balancing high fuel costs and weaker demand,” he says.
International demand fell 5.3% on Apr 2025, though IATA adds that excluding the Middle East, it did rise 1.9%. Most regions experienced demand increases, with the obvious exception of the Middle East, and interestingly America, which was flat.
Further south there was some notable growth. Latin American airlines achieved an 8.9% year on-year increase in Apr demand and Asia-Pacific airlines a 3% increase. African and European carriers were also up, 2.2% and 0.9% respectively for Apr.
Direct traffic between Europe and Asia increased 15.3% as it replaced traffic transiting through the Middle East, and Asia Pacific had a record high load factor for Apr, at 87.5%.
