Photo: Shutterstock Yesterday, June 29, we reported that global air cargo demand went up 6% in May 2026, according to IATA's latest figures, led by Africa and North America, despite continued disruption in the Middle East.
Today, IATA published new data regarding global air passenger demand, and its evolution was not as positive for the same month of 2026, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that continued to impact airline traffic.
Total passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), fell 2.2% compared with May 2025, while airline capacity decreased 2.3%. Despite the decline, airlines achieved a record May load factor of 83.5%, highlighting continued resilience in global travel demand.
The sharpest drop came from the Middle East, where passenger demand plunged 28.4% year-on-year. However, IATA noted this was an improvement from the 46.6% decline recorded in April, suggesting the market is gradually stabilising.
"Air passenger demand was down 2.2% year-on-year in May on the impact of war in the Middle East," said Willie Walsh, Director General of International Air Transport Association.
Excluding the Middle East, global passenger demand would have increased by 0.7%, while international traffic would have grown by 3.1%.
Europe delivered one of the strongest performances among major regions, with passenger demand rising 2.7% overall and international traffic increasing 3.8%. European airlines also recorded a load factor of 85.9%, the highest among all regions.
Latin American carriers posted the fastest growth, with international demand surging 10.5% year-on-year, followed by African airlines at 8.9%.
Meanwhile, domestic markets were weaker, with traffic down 3.1% globally. China recorded the largest decline, with domestic demand falling 6.2%, while the United States saw a 1.9% decrease. India remained a bright spot, posting 10.1% growth in domestic traffic.
Despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and elevated operating costs, IATA said overall travel demand remains relatively resilient. However, airlines continue to face pressure from high fuel costs and may need to maintain higher fares as they navigate narrow profit margins.