Global air traffic declined by 0.5% in September compared with the same month the previous year, affected by the weakness of activity in the Middle East, despite the fact that most major international markets regained growth momentum, according to the latest data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Global international demand rose by 0.4%, but if the Middle East is excluded the increase would have been 1.7%. In contrast, flights within each country's borders recorded a decline of 2.2%.
"Global scheduled seat capacity is expected to remain above 2025 levels in October and November, but growth rates remain weak and highly uneven across regions," said IATA Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Chief Economist Marie Owens.
By geographic areas, Africa was the most dynamic region, with a 5% rebound in demand, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean, where traffic grew by 4.3%. By contrast, Asia-Pacific and Europe showed a practically stagnant performance. On the negative side, the Middle East led the declines, with a plunge of 14.6%, while North America reduced its demand by 1.6%.
In domestic markets, the strength of Australia, Brazil and China was offset by the persistent weakness of the United States, where domestic traffic fell by 2.7%, probably conditioned by lower consumer confidence. India recorded its biggest correction of the year, with a drop of 8.3%.
The Japanese domestic market was also affected, with a 0.8% decline in domestic air traffic, in part due to cancellations and flight disruptions related to adverse weather conditions during part of the Silver Week holiday period in September.
The other side: air cargo soars 7.7%
In contrast to the weak performance of the passenger segment, air cargo transport experienced a strong boost in September. Total demand for goods transported by air increased by 7.7% year-on-year, with advances in all regions, according to IATA statistics.
According to Owens, the rebound in international trade and the improvement of the manufacturing sector created a "favorable" environment, while shipments linked to artificial intelligence helped sustain another month of double-digit growth in the Pacific region.
However, he warned that the main obstacle now is the rise in costs, especially because of the price of aviation fuel, which has more than doubled compared to a year ago. "There is no shortage of goods to transport, but doing so profitably in the face of fuel prices, which remain high, has become a greater challenge," he commented on the matter.