Global Passenger Traffic Slows to 0.2% Growth in July Amid High Peak Season

Global Passenger Traffic Slows to 0.2% Growth in July Amid High Peak Season. Global passenger demand grew by 0.2% year-over-year in July 2026, according to the latest market data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK), the modest increase during the Northern Hemisphere’s peak summer travel season was accompanied by a 0.3% expansion in capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers (ASK). The global load factor reached 85.2%, down just 0.1 percentage points compared to July 2025.

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Market Breakdown

• ✈ International Demand: Decreased by 0.1% year-over-year, though excluding the Middle East, international traffic grew by 1.5%. International capacity expanded 0.3%, driving the international load factor down 0.3 percentage points to 85.2%.

• ✈ Domestic Demand: Advanced 0.6% year-over-year, outpacing domestic capacity growth of 0.2%. Consequently, the domestic load factor rose 0.3 percentage points to 85.3%.

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Industry Outlook

IATA underscored the air transport sector’s ongoing resilience against a challenging macroeconomic backdrop characterized by high jet fuel prices, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions. Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Chief Economist, noted that traffic through Gulf hubs continues to recover and highlighted solid airline confidence for the second half of the year. This optimism is backed by September schedules, which project a global capacity expansion of nearly 3% in available seats.

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