Global air passenger traffic fell by 0.8 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, reversing the marginal growth recorded in July, as demand weakened across major aviation markets, particularly the Middle East and North America.

The International Air Transport Association disclosed this in its Air Passenger Market Analysis for August 2026, released on 30 September.

The report showed that the decline occurred despite a 0.3 per cent increase in available seat capacity, suggesting that airlines expanded capacity faster than passenger demand grew.

The industry-wide passenger load factor, which measures the proportion of available seats occupied by passengers, dropped by 0.9 percentage points to 85.1 per cent.

The report stated, “Both international and domestic traffic dropped in August, following one month of growth in July when traffic increased by less than one per cent YoY.”

International passenger traffic declined by 0.9 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, while domestic traffic fell by 0.5 per cent.

The report showed that international capacity remained unchanged during the period, while domestic capacity increased by 0.7 per cent.

It attributed the overall decline largely to weaker performance by airlines in the Middle East and North America, while carriers in other regions recorded slower growth.

Middle Eastern airlines recorded the steepest decline in passenger traffic, with demand falling by 14.6 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, compared with a 9.7 per cent contraction in July.

The region’s passenger load factor, which measures the proportion of available seats occupied by passengers, also fell by 4.9 percentage points to 78.9 per cent.

North American airlines recorded a 2.2 per cent year-on-year decline in passenger traffic in August 2026, marking their fourth consecutive month of contraction.

The report attributed the downturn to weaker international demand and continued weakness in the United States domestic market.

In contrast, African airlines recorded a 4.4 per cent increase in total passenger traffic during the month, while international passenger traffic carried by the region’s airlines grew by 6.7 per cent.

However, capacity expansion outpaced demand growth in Africa. Available seat capacity rose by 7.2 per cent, pushing the passenger load factor down by 2.1 percentage points to 77.5 per cent, the lowest among the regions analysed.