ASIA PACIFIC. International passenger traffic among Asia Pacific airlines remained subdued in August, as elevated jet fuel prices, Middle East-related airspace restrictions and higher fares weighed on regional demand.
Preliminary figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) show the region’s carriers served 33.5 million international passengers during the month, down -0.6% year-on-year.
Passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), nevertheless increased +1.8%, reflecting comparatively resilient long-haul traffic, including Asia-Europe routes.
International capacity, measured in available seat kilometres, rose +1.5% as some airlines continued to rationalise their networks in response to higher operating costs and airspace constraints.
The average international passenger load factor edged up +0.2 percentage points to 83.2%.
For the first eight months of 2026, Asia Pacific airlines carried 259.3 million international passengers, +2.1% compared with the corresponding period last year.
AAPA Director General Wong Hong said: “Despite the year-to-date growth in traffic, the operating environment remains challenging. Elevated jet fuel prices, airspace restrictions and weaker Asian currencies are raising costs, while higher fares weigh on price-sensitive travellers.
“These factors continue to affect profitability, with outcomes varying across individual airlines.”
Looking ahead, Wong said: “Regional economic growth and trade activity should continue to support demand for air travel, although growth is likely to remain uneven across markets.
“Geopolitical developments add some uncertainty to the outlook for the remainder of the year.” ✈
