By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Istock.
The total global air passenger demand in August declined by 0.8% on an annual basis, the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers, declined despite a 0.3% increase in capacity, IATA said.
The passenger load factor, which measures how much available capacity was filled, fell 0.9 percentage points to 85.1%.
Excluding Middle Eastern carriers, global demand increased 0.6%, half the growth rate recorded in July.
“Global demand for air transport contracted by 0.8% compared to August 2025 as the recovery trajectory for carriers in the Middle East was interrupted,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s senior vice president for sustainability and chief economist.
Middle Eastern airlines recorded a 14.6% decline in overall passenger demand, while capacity fell 9.3%.
Thomsen said forthcoming data would show whether higher energy prices, which have reduced travelers’ purchasing power, and geopolitical instability were prompting consumers to adjust their travel budgets.
Forward schedules for October indicate cautious optimism, with available seats projected to increase 2%, she added.
| Air passenger market in detail – August 2026 |
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| 1% of industry RPKs in 2025 |
International Passenger Markets
International RPK fell 0.9% year-on-year, with capacity unchanged. However, excluding the Middle East carriers, total demand rose 1.3% on the same basis.
Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 0.1% year-on-year decrease in demand. Capacity decreased 0.9% year-on-year, and the load factor was 85.6% (+0.7 ppt compared to August 2025). Traffic on routes within Asia fell 2.0% and capacity declined for the fourth month in a row. By contrast, traffic on the Asia-North America corridor grew by 2.5%.
European carriers saw a 2.1% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity rose 2.8% year-on-year, and the load factor was 86.8% (-0.6 ppt compared to August 2025). The Europe-Asia corridor continued to expand strongly (+12.2%) but transatlantic routes fell 2.4%, with traffic declining from several markets including the UK and France.
North American carriers saw a decrease in demand of 1.7% year-on-year. Capacity decreased 1.1% year-on-year, and the load factor was 86.8% (-0.5 ppt compared to August 2025).
Middle Eastern carriers saw a 14.2% year-on-year decrease in demand. Capacity fell 9.0% year-on-year, and the load factor was 79.1% (-4.8 ppt compared to August 2025). The decline in traffic worsened in August, reversing the trend of gradual stabilization since the Iran war in February. The year-on-year contraction on Middle East-Asia routes, for example, accelerated to -11.7% from -8.6% in July.
Latin American airlines achieved a 6.7% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity climbed 6.4% year-on-year. The load factor was 84.8% (+0.2 ppt compared to August 2025).
African airlines saw a 6.7% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 8.3% year-on-year. The load factor was 78.4% (-1.2 ppt compared to August 2025).
| Domestic Passenger Markets
Domestic RPK fell 0.5% in August 2026 compared to the same month last year. Domestic travel in Japan and the United States fell, and there was a particularly sharp contraction in India (-7.5%). Chinese domestic travel strengthened, supported by summer travel demand. |
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| 1% of industry RPKs in 2025
Note: the six domestic passenger markets for which broken-down data are available account for approximately 29.6% of global total RPKs and 79.4% of total domestic RPKs. |
Meanwhile South Africa welcomed 1 005 286 international tourists in August 2026, surpassing the one-million mark in a single month. This represents growth of 7.4% compared with August 2025.
The total international tourist arrivals between January and August 2026 now stands at 7 581 455 representing an increase of 11.7% compared with the same period last year.
Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille said the August figures demonstrate strong demand for South Africa and reinforce the importance of translating growing arrivals into greater economic value.
“Welcoming more than one million international tourists in August demonstrates the demand that exists for South Africa. Our focus must now be on converting that demand into investment, jobs and economic opportunities. We must give visitors more places to go, more experiences to enjoy and more reasons to stay longer, while ensuring that the benefits of tourism reach more communities across our country,” says De Lille.
The United States remained South Africa’s largest overseas source market with 37 134 tourists in August, followed by the United Kingdom with 25 749 and Germany with 14 731.
The latest figures build on South Africa’s resilient performance during the first half of the year.
According to UN Tourism, South Africa emerged as the strongest-performing African destination in the first half of 2026, recording 12% growth in international tourist arrivals compared with the same period in 2025. UN Tourism also places South Africa among the top 20 best-performing destinations globally among destinations reporting data for the first half of 2026.