Passenger demand plummets
Middle Eastern airlines experienced a 46.6 per cent year-on-year drop in passenger demand in April 2026. This collapse in the Middle East also dragged the entire global passenger market down into a 3.4 per cent contraction.
However, there seems to be a silver lining. The numbers also mark a noticeable improvement from March, when Middle Eastern carriers suffered a devastating 59.2 per cent year-on-year crash in overall traffic.
Excluding the Middle East, global air travel demand remained resilient in April, led by Latin America (+8.9 per cent) and Asia-Pacific (+3 per cent), while Europe posted modest growth of 0.9 per cent and North America was flat.
Asia-Pacific airlines recorded a record April load factor of 87.5 per cent, although traffic between Japan and China slowed due to political tensions. European carriers benefited from a 15.3 per cent rise in direct Europe-Asia traffic as travellers avoided Middle East transit routes. African carriers reported a 2.2 per cent increase in demand.
Dhanusha is a Chief Reporter at Gulf News in Dubai, with her finger firmly on the pulse of UAE, regional, and global aviation. She dives deep into how airlines and airports operate, expand, and embrace the latest tech.
Known for her sharp eye for detail, Dhanusha makes complex topics like new aircraft, evolving travel trends, and aviation regulations easy to grasp. Lately, she’s especially fascinated by the world of eVTOLs and flying cars.
With nearly two decades in journalism, Dhanusha’s covered a wide range, from health and education to the pandemic, local transport, and technology. When she’s not tracking what’s happening in the skies, she enjoys exploring social media trends, tech innovations, and anything that sparks reader curiosity. Outside of work, you’ll find her immersed in electronic dance music, pop culture, movies, and video games.
