IATA Reports 3.8% Growth in Air Passenger Demand

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data indicating that global passenger demand in January 2026 increased by 3.8% compared to January 2025, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK). The total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), also rose by 3.5% year-on-year, resulting in a load factor of 82.0%, which is a 0.2 percentage point increase from January 2025.

International demand specifically saw a rise of 5.9% compared to the previous year, with capacity increasing by 5.8% and a load factor of 82.5%, up by 0.1 percentage point. Domestic demand experienced a marginal increase of 0.1% compared to January 2025.

IATA's Director General, Willie Walsh, attributed the slightly slower growth rate to the timing of the Lunar New Year, while emphasizing that the fundamentals for strong demand growth remain intact. The data also indicated a projected 5.2% increase in global seat capacity by March 2026.