IATA: Europe-Asia corridor continues to expand 'strongly' in Aug-2026

IATA reported (30-Sep-2026) the following regional highlights for global passenger demand in Aug-2026:

• Asia Pacific airlines recorded a 0.1% year-on-year decrease in demand. Capacity decreased 0.9% and the passenger load factor (PLF) was 85.6%, up 0.7pp. Traffic on routes within Asia fell 2% and capacity declined "for the fourth month in a row." By contrast, traffic on the Asia-North America corridor grew 2.5%;
• European carriers recorded a 2.1% increase in demand and capacity rose 2.8%. The PLF was 86.8%, down 0.6pp. The Europe-Asia corridor continued to expand "strongly", up 12.2%, but "transatlantic routes fell 2.4%, with traffic declining from several markets including the UK and France";
• North American airlines recorded a 1.7% decrease in demand and capacity declined 1.1%. The PLF was 86.8%, down 0.5pp;
• Middle Eastern carriers recorded a 14.2% decrease in demand. Capacity declined 9.0% and the PLF was 79.1%, down 4.8pp. The decline in traffic "worsened" in Aug-2026, "reversing the trend of gradual stabilisation" since the beginning of conflict in Iran in Feb-2026. The year-on-year contraction on Middle East-Asia routes, for example, "accelerated" to -11.7% from -8.6% in Jul-2026;
• Latin American airlines recorded a 6.7% increase in demand. Capacity increased 6.4% and the PLF was 84.8%, down 0.2 pp;
• African carriers recorded a 6.7% increase in demand and capacity was up 8.3%. The PLF was 78.4%, down 1.2pp. [more - original PR - I] [more - original PR - II]