Global Jun air travel demand dipped by 1.7%, year-on-year, due to domestic market declines in China, the US and Japan, and weak demand for Middle East carriers.
This is therefore the third consecutive month of contraction for commercial aviation.
While Middle East performance improved, renewed tensions will not help the region’s recovery and the knock-on impact of rising fuel prices will continue to burden travellers with higher airfares, show the latest International Air Transport Association (IATA) figures.
“Stabilising the situation in the Middle East and normalising oil supplies would improve prospects for airlines, economies and societies the world over,” says Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general. But the airline body is upbeat, and says Jul global seat capacity is expected to increase 1.3%, year-on-year.
. . . The Breakdown
Total Jun demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), was down 1.7% compared to Jun last year. Excluding the Middle East, demand declined by 0.6%.
Passenger traffic continued to drop across both international and domestic markets. “While international performance improved as disruptions in the Middle East eased, domestic market conditions weakened further,” says Walsh.
Total capacity for the month, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), decreased 1.3% year-on-year. The load factor was 84.2%. International demand fell 0.9%—but
excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 1.1%.
Capacity was down 0.6% year-on-year, and the load factor was 84.2%. Domestic demand for the month under review contracted 3.0%.
. . . Regional Picture
Asia-Pacific airlines achieved a 0.4% increase in Jun demand. Capacity decreased 1.1% year-on-year, and the load factor was 84.0% (+1.3 compared to June 2025).
Slower growth was a result of some carriers cutting back on short-haul routes due to higher fuel prices, and capacity on international routes within Asia was down 4.8%.
European carriers reported a 1.5% year-on-year increase in Jun demand. Capacity increased 2.0% year-on-year.
Growth on the Europe-Asia corridor was 11.0%, the fastest growth among all major international route corridors for the month. North American carrier demand fell 1.0%, while Middle Eastern carriers had a 14% year-on-year decrease in demand and capacity fell 11%.
