IATA warns of tough year ahead as airline profits expected to halve

IATA director general Willie Walsh has warned that global airlines are facing another difficult year, as higher fuel prices, geopolitical instability and aircraft supply chain failures are expected to cut industry profits sharply in 2026.

Speaking at IATA’s 82nd Annual General Meeting, Walsh said the global air transport industry was once again meeting “in challenging and unpredictable times”, adding that airlines had barely moved beyond Covid before being hit by “aerospace supply chain...