Passenger Air Traffic Down 0.5% in September
October 30, 2026 (Geneva) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global passenger demand in September 2026.
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Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), was down 0.5% compared to September 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand increased by 0.3%. Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASKs), decreased by 0.2% year-on-year. The passenger load factor (PLF) was 83.2% (-0.3 percentage points [pp] compared to September 2025).
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International demand increased by 0.4% compared to September 2025. Excluding the Middle East, demand grew by 1.7%. Capacity was up 0.5% year-on-year, and the load factor was 83.6% (-0.1 pp compared to September 2025).
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Domestic demand decreased by 2.2% compared to September 2025. Capacity decreased by 1.3% year-on-year. The load factor was 82.5% (-0.7 pp for the same reference period).
“Air traffic decreased by 0.5% in September, reflecting weakness in the Middle East and North America. However, there is an improvement compared to August, with a welcome return to growth in most international markets. These patterns have more or less repeated throughout the year, and this is expected to continue amid geopolitical uncertainty and fuel price volatility. Regular seat capacity is expected to remain above 2025 levels in October and November, but growth rates remain low and highly variable across regions,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Sustainability.
Passenger Markets Detail – September 2026
| World Share¹ | September 2026 (% year-on-year) | ||||
| RPK | ASK | PLF (pp) | PLF (Level) | ||
| TOTAL MARKET | 100.0% | -0.5% | -0.2% | -0.3 | 83.2% |
| Africa | 2.2% | 5.0% | 7.7% | -1.9 | 73.5% |
| Asia-Pacific | 34.4% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.3 | 83.4% |
| Europe | 26.7% | 0.3% | -0.1% | 0.3 | 86.6% |
| Latin America and Caribbean | 5.4% | 4.3% | 5.1% | -0.6 | 82.9% |
| Middle East | 9.5% | -8.0% | -3.8% | -3.6 | 78.2% |
| North America | 21.8% | -1.6% | -1.3% | -0.2 | 81.8% |
¹ % of industry RPKs in 2025
Regional Results – International Passenger Markets
International RPKs increased by 0.4%, while capacity rose by 0.5%. A general improvement is observed compared to August across most major routes, with some returning to growth while others experienced a moderation in the rate of decline.
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Asia-Pacific carriers recorded a 0.7% increase in demand year-on-year. Capacity increased by 0.4% year-on-year, and the passenger load factor was 83.1% (+0.3 pp compared to September 2025). Traffic increased in four of the six major international route areas serving Asia-Pacific. On intra-Asian routes, traffic decreased by 0.9%, although this represented a lower rate of decline than in August.
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European carriers reported a 1.8% increase in demand year-on-year. Capacity increased by 1.2% year-on-year, and the load factor was 86.1% (+0.5 pp compared to September 2025). Traffic in the transatlantic corridor decreased by 0.6%, an improvement from the 2.5% contraction in August.
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North American carriers reported flat demand year-on-year. Capacity decreased by 1.9% year-on-year, and the load factor was 84.9% (+1.6 pp compared to September 2025). Traffic declined in three of the four major international route areas serving North America, although the decline was less severe than in August.
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Middle Eastern carriers recorded a 7.5% decrease in demand year-on-year. Capacity fell by 3.3% year-on-year, and the passenger load factor was 78.3% (-3.6 pp compared to September 2025). Traffic in the Middle East–Asia corridor decreased by 8.8%, a contraction larger than the 7.9% decline observed in August. By contrast, the 3.0% decline in the Middle East–North America corridor represented a smaller decrease than the previous month.
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Latin American carriers posted an 8.2% increase in demand year-on-year. Capacity increased by 7.6% year-on-year. The load factor was 83.9% (+0.5 pp compared to September 2025).
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African carriers recorded an 8.0% increase in demand year-on-year. Capacity was up 8.8% year-on-year. The passenger load factor was 74.8% (-0.6 pp compared to September 2025).
Domestic Passenger Markets
Domestic RPKs decreased by 2.2% in September 2026 compared to the same month of the previous year. Resilience in Australia, Brazil, and China was overshadowed by persistent weakness in the United States (-2.7%), where demand was likely affected by low consumer confidence. India experienced the steepest drop this year (-8.3%). Domestic traffic in Japan decreased by 0.8%, largely due to weather-related flight disruptions that affected the “Silver Week” travel period in September.
Passenger Markets Detail – September 2026
| World Share¹ | September 2026 (% year-on-year) | ||||
| RPK | ASK | PLF (pp) | PLF (Level) | ||
| Domestic | 37.2% | -2.2% | -1.3% | -0.7 | 82.5% |
| Australia (dom.) | 0.8% | 4.5% | -0.9% | 4.5 | 86.5% |
| Brazil (dom.) | 1.2% | 2.0% | 7.1% | -4.0 | 80.2% |
| China (dom.) | 11.3% | 3.1% | 3.2% | -0.1 | 84.1% |
| India (dom.) | 1.7% | -8.3% | -7.9% | -0.3 | 81.0% |
| Japan (dom.) | 1.0% | -0.8% | -0.2% | -0.5 | 85.5% |
| United States (dom.) | 13.6% | -2.7% | -1.0% | -1.4 | 79.8% |
¹ % of industry RPKs in 2025
Note: The six domestic markets for which disaggregated data is available account for approximately 29.6% of total global RPKs and 79.4% of total domestic RPKs.
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Notes for Editors:
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IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 370 airlines comprising approximately 85% of global air traffic.
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All data is provisional and reflects information available at the time of publication, alongside estimates for missing data. Past statistics may be revised.
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Domestic RPKs accounted for approximately 37.2% of the total market in 2025. The six domestic markets mentioned in this report account for 29.6% of global RPKs.
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Explanation of Measurements:
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RPK: Revenue Passenger Kilometers – measures actual passenger traffic.
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ASK: Available Seat Kilometers – measures carrier capacity.
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PLF: Passenger Load Factor – the percentage of ASKs utilized.
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IATA statistics cover scheduled international and domestic passenger traffic for both IATA member and non-member airlines.
