Global air traffic slowed down in September.
Demand for passenger transport declined by 0.5% compared with September 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in a press release. Excluding the Middle East, it rose by 0.3%.
Capacity, measured in available-seat kilometers (ASK), decreased by 0.2%. The load factor stood at 83.2% (-0.3 percentage point).
Internationally, demand rose by 0.4% (+1.7% outside the Middle East), with capacity up by 0.5% and a load factor of 83.6%. The domestic market fell by 2.2%, with a load factor of 82.5%.
Demand for passenger transport declined by 0.5% compared with September 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in a press release. Excluding the Middle East, it rose by 0.3%.
Capacity, measured in available-seat kilometers (ASK), decreased by 0.2%. The load factor stood at 83.2% (-0.3 percentage point).
Internationally, demand rose by 0.4% (+1.7% outside the Middle East), with capacity up by 0.5% and a load factor of 83.6%. The domestic market fell by 2.2%, with a load factor of 82.5%.
Middle East carriers report a 7.5% drop in their international traffic. The Middle East–Asia corridor falls by 8.8%, after -7.9% in August.
European carriers show a 1.8% increase, with a load factor of 86.1%. Across the North Atlantic, traffic decreases by 0.6%, versus -2.5% in August.
The international demand of North American carriers remains stable. The strongest gains go to Latin American carriers (+8.2%) and Africa (+8%), ahead of Asia-Pacific (+0.7%).
On domestic markets, the United States declined by 2.7% and India by 8.3%, the year’s sharpest fall according to IATA. Australia, Brazil and China are increasing. In Japan (-0.8%), weather-related disruptions affected the “Silver Week.”
“Regular-seat capacity is expected to stay above 2025 levels in October and November, but growth rates remain weak and highly variable by region“, said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s chief economist.
European carriers show a 1.8% increase, with a load factor of 86.1%. Across the North Atlantic, traffic decreases by 0.6%, versus -2.5% in August.
The international demand of North American carriers remains stable. The strongest gains go to Latin American carriers (+8.2%) and Africa (+8%), ahead of Asia-Pacific (+0.7%).
On domestic markets, the United States declined by 2.7% and India by 8.3%, the year’s sharpest fall according to IATA. Australia, Brazil and China are increasing. In Japan (-0.8%), weather-related disruptions affected the “Silver Week.”
“Regular-seat capacity is expected to stay above 2025 levels in October and November, but growth rates remain weak and highly variable by region“, said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s chief economist.
