Global demand for passenger air travel declined by 0.5% in September 2026 compared to the same month last year, while air cargo traffic recorded a 7.7% increase.
According to Report, citing the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the passenger load factor (PLF) stood at 83.2%, down 0.3 percentage points from the same period in 2025.
According to IATA data, international passenger traffic increased by 0.4% compared to August 2025. Capacity rose by 0.5%, while the load factor stood at 83.6%, down 0.1 percentage points. Domestic passenger traffic declined by 2.2% year-on-year, available capacity fell by 1.3%, and the load factor dropped to 82.5%, down 0.7 percentage points.
"Global demand for air passenger transport declined by 0.5% in September, driven by weak performance in the Middle East and North America. However, there was an improvement compared to August, with demand beginning to pick up again on most international routes. A similar pattern has been observed throughout much of the current year. Given geopolitical instability and fuel price volatility, we expect this trend to continue. Based on current schedules, airlines worldwide will offer more seats in October and November than in the corresponding months of 2025. However, growth remains moderate and varies significantly across regions," said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA's Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Chief Economist.
The regional breakdown of the global passenger air transport market during the reporting period was as follows: Africa accounted for 2.2%, Asia-Pacific for 34.4%, Europe for 26.7%, Latin America and the Caribbean for 5.4%, the Middle East for 9.5%, and North America for 21.8%.
"In September, demand for air cargo increased across all regions, exceeding the previous year's level by 7.7% globally. This was supported by a recovery in international trade and industrial production. Cargo volumes on transpacific routes recorded double-digit growth for another consecutive month, partly driven by shipments of products related to the development of artificial intelligence technologies. The main challenge at present is that jet fuel prices have more than doubled year-on-year, while freight rates have failed to keep pace with rising fuel costs. There is sufficient demand for air cargo, but with fuel prices so high, it is becoming increasingly difficult for airlines to maintain profitable operations," Marie Owens Thomsen stressed.
The regional distribution of global air cargo traffic in September 2026 was as follows: Africa accounted for 2.1%, Asia-Pacific for 35.8%, Europe for 21.4%, Latin America and the Caribbean for 2.9%, the Middle East for 13.2%, and North America for 24.6%.
"Year-on-year growth on the Asia–North America route reached 17% (market share: 23.5%), while the Europe–Asia route recorded a 6% increase (21.5%). Cargo traffic on the Middle East–Europe route declined by 18% (5.2%), and on the Middle East–Asia route by 10.2% (7.4%). Intra-Asian cargo traffic increased by 10.2% (7.3%), North America–Europe traffic rose by 9.3% (13.5%), and Africa–Asia traffic grew by 2.6% (1.3%)," the report said.