by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:20 AM ET, Mon March 2, 2026
The first month of 2026 saw a moderate domestic air travel demand and a strong growth in international demand, according to new data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
International demand was up 5.9 percent from last year, with a 5.8 percent increase in capacity, continuing the trend in international travel across the board.
Yet domestic demand increased only 0.1 percent. Why? IATA considers the lack of growth to be hindered by the Lunar New Year falling in February rather than January. Typically, January sees a stronger bump in domestic demand as many travelers, particularly in Asia, travel to and from their families in their home countries to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
“The timing of the Lunar New Year partly explains the slightly slower 3.8% expansion in January, but the fundamentals are in place for demand to continue strong growth in 2026. Schedule data, for example, indicate a 5.2% increase in global seat capacity by March, which would be the fastest expansion since April 2024,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
“Events over the weekend have, however, introduced some uncertainty into the evolution of traffic and fuel costs,” Walsh continued. “We all hope for an early peaceful resolution to the current hostilities. In the meantime, it is critical that states respect their obligation to keep civilians, and civil aviation free from harm.”
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers, or RPKs, increased 3.8 percent in January, with capacity increasing to 3.5 percent. The load factor, or how full the planes were, was a record high for the month, at 82 percent.
Regionally, international demand is growing most in Africa and Latin America: both saw over 11 percent growth in international RPKs, and both are also experiencing capacity growth.
Following these two regions was the Middle East, with air carriers reporting a 7.2 percent increase in travel demand. European air carriers also reported a 6.3 percent increase in demand.
The region with the least growth remains North America. Airlines from this region saw a 3.4 percent increase in demand from last year, with a 2.6 percent growth in capacity.
Domestically, China, Australia, and the United States all experienced declines in domestic travel, but Brazil saw 10.9 percent growth in domestic air travel from last January.
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