Passenger demand at Middle East airlines falls 48% in April

• April load factor drops to 70%
• Cargo demand down 18%
• Jet fuel prices up 121%

Passenger and cargo demand at Middle Eastern airlines fell sharply in April, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) said in a report.

The region’s airlines recorded a 48 percent year-on-year drop in passenger demand. On an annual basis, capacity fell 38 percent, while the load factor declined 13 percentage points to 70 percent.

Traffic was impacted by the Iran war, though the decline slowed a little compared with March as an uneasy ceasefire came into effect on April 8, the report said.

“The situation for air transport remains highly volatile. The cost of jet fuel more than doubled in April, which is pushing airfares up,” Iata director-general Willie Walsh said.

Jet fuel prices rose 121 percent year on year in April, alongside a 78 percent increase in crude oil prices.

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Middle East air cargo demand declined 18 percent year on year in April, the weakest performance of all regions. Capacity decreased by 23 percent annually.

However, global air cargo demand grew by 4 percent, driven by strong Asia-linked trade flows.

Severe disruption at major Gulf hubs due to the war continued to reshape trade routes and constrain capacity on key corridors, Walsh said.

“The coming months will test how well the sector can absorb continued geopolitical uncertainty and elevated operating costs,” he said.