Air passenger demand falls in May as Middle East war weighs on traffic

Global passenger demand fell 2.2 per cent year-on-year in May, as the war in the Middle East continued to disrupt air travel, although demand outside the region remained positive, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), declined compared with May 2025, while capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), fell 2.3 per cent. Despite the drop in traffic, the global passenger load factor edged up by 0.1...