(Posted 03rd August 2026)
Air Passenger
Traffic Contraction Eased Slightly in June
2.2%
Industry-wide Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK) contracted by 2.2% year?on?year (YoY) in May.
- Industry-wide Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK) fell by 1.7% year?on?year (YoY) in June, compared to the 2.2% drop in May.
- The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) dropped by 0.4 percentage points to 84.2%.
- Traffic carried by Middle Eastern carriers contracted by 13.9% YoY, an improvement from May and a gradual recovery in demand after recent disruptions in the region. Asia Pacific and North American airlines also saw traffic declines.
- Industry-wide domestic traffic dropped by 3.0% YoY, with declines across all major domestic markets except Brazil.
- International traffic dropped by 0.9% YoY, marking a smaller contraction than in May.
- Global seat capacity is expected to grow by 1.3% YoY in July, after three consecutive months of contractions.
83.5%
The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) increased to 83.5%, a record high for the month of May.
28.4%
Traffic carried by Middle Eastern carriers contracted by 28.4% YoY, an improvement from April. Asia Pacific and North American airlines also saw traffic declines.
3.1%
Industry-wide domestic traffic dropped by 3.1% YoY amid contractions in the Chinese and US markets.
International traffic
International traffic continued to contract, though by a smaller extent compared to April.
Forward ticket sales weakened
Forward ticket sales weakened further in May, driven by a sharper drop in international markets, while domestic demand remained resilient.
Air passenger market in detail – May 2026
May 2026 (year-on-year, %) | |||||
World Share,% | RPK | ASK | PLF (%-pt) | PLF (level) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TOTAL MARKET | 100.0 | -2.2 | -2.3 | 0.1 | 83.5 |
International | 62.8 | -1.6 | -2.4 | 0.7 | 83.7 |
Domestic | 37.2 | -3.1 | -2.1 | -0.8 | 83.0 |
May 2026 (year-to-date, %) | |||||
World Share, % | RPK | ASK | PLF (%-pt) | PLF (level) | |
TOTAL MARKET | 100.0 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 82.7 |
International | 62.8 | 0.8 | -0.6 | 1.1 | 83.0 |
Domestic | 37.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | -0.1 | 82.4 |
Air Cargo
8.5%
Global air cargo demand strengthened further in June, with industry-wide cargo tonne-kilometers, CTKs, increasing by 8.5% year-on-year (YoY). This was partly due to the Middle Eastern networks’ return to expansion despite continued geopolitical uncertainty and North America strong performance.
Middle East Rejoins Global Cargo Expansion
- Global air cargo demand strengthened further in June, with industry-wide cargo tonne-kilometers, CTKs, increasing by 8.5% year-on-year (YoY). This was partly due to the Middle Eastern networks’ return to expansion despite continued geopolitical uncertainty and North America strong performance.
- International cargo traffic expanded by 9.6% YoY. North American carriers led growth, while the sharp acceleration among Middle Eastern carriers marked the most significant regional improvement on YoY growth.
- Industry capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 4.4%, below the pace of demand growth, resulting in higher cargo load factors (CLF). Supply expanded across most regions, although African carriers reduced available lift.
- Monthly fuel prices eased as oil flows through the Persian Gulf improved, while USD-denominated air cargo yields recorded their first month-on-month decline following a sustained period of increases. Jet fuel prices and cargo yield, however, remained well above prior-year levels.
9.6%
International cargo traffic expanded by 9.6% YoY. North American carriers led growth, while the sharp acceleration among Middle Eastern carriers marked the most significant regional improvement on YoY growth.
4.4%
Industry capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 4.4%, below the pace of demand growth, resulting in higher cargo load factors (CLF). Supply expanded across most regions, although African carriers reduced available lift.
Montly fuel prices eased
Monthly fuel prices eased as oil flows through the Persian Gulf improved, while USD-denominated air cargo yields recorded their first month-on-month decline following a sustained period of increases. Jet fuel prices and cargo yield, however, remained well above prior-year levels.
Air cargo market in detail – June 2026
June 2026 (year-on-year, %) | |||||
World Share, % | CTK | ACTK | CLF (%-pt) | CLF (level) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TOTAL MARKET | 100.0 | 8.5 | 4.4 | 1.7 | 46.9 |
International | 87.9 | 9.6 | 4.9 | 2.2 | 52.1 |
June 2026 (year-to-date, %) | |||||
World Share, % | CTK | ACTK | CLF (%-pt) | CLF (level) | |
TOTAL MARKET | 100.0 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 46.4 |
International | 87.9 | 5.2 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 51.9 |
