Air Travel Yet to Fully Recover Despite US-Iran Ceasefire, Says IATA
Middle East Airlines Continued to Suffer Losses in April
Geneva: Despite the ceasefire between the United States and Iran during April, air travel has not fully recovered. Post-war uncertainty and soaring jet fuel prices continued to suppress demand for air travel, not only in the Middle East but also across other regions of the world.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), declined by 3.4% in April compared to the same period last year, while available seat capacity fell by 2.9%.
IATA reported that international passenger demand was 5.3% lower than in April 2025. However, excluding the Middle East, global demand actually increased by 1.9%.
Air travel growth was recorded in the Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, and Europe regions. Demand remained stable in North America, while the Middle East experienced a significant decline in air traffic. During April, passenger demand in the Middle East dropped by 48.1%, capacity fell by 38.4%, and the load factor declined to 70.1%.
IATA stated that the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East was so severe that airline demand in the region plunged by 46.6%, dragging overall global passenger demand down by 3.4%.
The association added that the outlook for air transport remains uncertain. Jet fuel prices more than doubled in April, resulting in higher airfares. Forward scheduling data indicates that airlines are expected to reduce flight offerings in the coming months as they attempt to balance rising fuel costs with weakening passenger demand.
