Global passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), fell by 3.4% compared to April 2025, while total capacity declined by 2.9%, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata).
Excluding the Middle East, global demand would have increased by 1.2%.
International passenger demand declined by 5.3%, while domestic demand remained flat year-on-year.
“The 46.6% fall in demand for carriers in the Middle East due to war in the region was so acute that it dragged overall demand down -3.4%,” said Willie Walsh, Iata’s director general.
“The situation for air transport remains highly volatile. The cost of jet fuel more than doubled in April, which is pushing airfares up. Forward schedule data is showing a reduced offering in the coming months, indicating that airlines are balancing high fuel costs and weaker demand.”
African airlines recorded a 2.2% year-on-year increase in passenger demand during April, while capacity rose by 1.2%.
The region's load factor improved by 0.7 percentage points to 77.9%.
Africa was among the regions that continued to post growth despite broader weakness in global passenger traffic.
Latin American airlines recorded the strongest growth at 8.9%, followed by Asia-Pacific carriers at 3%.
European airlines reported a 0.9% increase in passenger demand.
Middle Eastern airlines remained the worst-affected globally, with passenger demand declining by 48.1% year-on-year.
Capacity fell by 38.4%, while load factors dropped to 70.1%.
According to Iata, traffic continued to be affected by the ongoing conflict involving Iran, although the pace of decline slowed slightly compared to March following the implementation of a ceasefire.
The disruption has also altered travel patterns, with direct traffic between Europe and Asia increasing by 15.3% as travellers bypass traditional Middle Eastern transit routes.
Domestic passenger demand remained unchanged compared to April 2025.
Growth in Brazil, China and Japan was offset by declines in Australia, India and the United States.
China's domestic market grew by 1.2%, while Japan recorded growth of 3.7%.
India experienced a 2.9% decline in domestic passenger demand, while the United States reported a 0.6% decrease.
