Global air passenger demand falls 0.5pc in September amid Middle East, North America weakness

KUALA LUMPUR: Global air passenger demand fell 0.5 per cent in September from the same month last year, reflecting weakness in the Middle East and North America.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said demand grew 0.3 per cent when the Middle East was excluded.

In a statement issued in Geneva, Switzerland, the association said total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), declined 0.2 per cent year-on-year, while the passenger load factor stood at 83.2 per cent, down 0.3 percentage points from a year earlier.

IATA senior vice-president (sustainability) and chief economist Marie Owens Thomsen said the figures nevertheless marked an improvement from August, with most international markets returning to growth.

"These patterns have more-or-less repeated themselves throughout much of the year, and we can expect this to continue amid geopolitical uncertainty and volatile fuel prices.

"Global scheduled seat capacity is expected to remain above 2025 levels in October and November, but the rates of growth remain weak and highly unbalanced between regions," she added.

IATA said international passenger demand grew 0.4 per cent in September compared with the same month last year, rising to 1.7 per cent when the Middle East was excluded.

International capacity increased 0.5 per cent year-on-year, while the load factor stood at 83.6 per cent.

In its regional breakdown, IATA said most key international routes showed a general improvement from August, with some returning to growth while others recorded slower rates of decline.

"Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 0.7 per cent y-o-y increase in demand. Capacity increased 0.4 per cent y-o-y, and the load factor was 83.1 per cent (up 0.3 ppt compared to September 2025).

"Traffic increased on four of the six largest international route areas serving Asia-Pacific. On routes within Asia, traffic declined by 0.9 per cent, though this was a slower rate of decline than in August," said IATA, which represents over 370 airlines accounting for some 85 per cent of global air traffic.