NEW DELHI: The ongoing conflict in West Asia has sharply hit the global aviation sector, with worldwide air passenger demand falling 3.4 per cent in April.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), soaring fuel prices, airspace disruptions and security concerns triggered major operational challenges for airlines.
In data released on Friday, IATA said the impact of the Middle East war was particularly severe for carriers operating in the region, where passenger demand plunged by 46.6 per cent year-on-year in April.
"The 46.6% fall in demand for carriers in the Middle East due to war in the region was so acute that it dragged overall demand down -3.4%. 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 in a statement.
He added that forward booking and schedule data suggested airlines were reducing flight offerings in the coming months as they attempted to balance weaker passenger demand and rising fuel costs.
Middle East conflict disrupts global aviation sector
According to IATA, total global passenger demand measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) declined 3.4 per cent in April compared to the same month last year, while total capacity fell 2.9 per cent.
However, excluding the Middle East, global passenger demand would have actually grown by 1.9 per cent.
International passenger demand fell 5.3 per cent globally, while domestic demand remained largely flat.
The Middle East recorded the steepest decline among all regions, with passenger demand collapsing by 46.6 per cent and load factors dropping sharply to 70.6 per cent.
IATA said the aviation market in the region remained under pressure due to the ongoing Iran conflict, disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and continued uncertainty over regional security conditions.
The report highlighted that while an uneasy ceasefire helped slightly slow the pace of decline compared to March, airlines operating through the Gulf continued to face significant operational disruptions and falling passenger confidence.
Jet fuel prices soar amid conflict
The conflict has also severely affected airline operating costs worldwide, particularly due to rising aviation fuel prices.
IATA said jet fuel prices more than doubled during April as geopolitical tensions disrupted global energy markets and threatened shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints.
Industry experts say airlines are increasingly being forced to reroute flights to avoid conflict zones and restricted airspace, resulting in longer flying times and higher operational expenses.
The sharp increase in costs is expected to push airfares higher globally in the coming months.
Air India cuts domestic, international flights
Earlier, Air India announced temporary reductions in both domestic and international operations due to sustained high fuel prices and operational pressures linked to the West Asia crisis.
The airline said it had rationalised services on select domestic routes between June and August 2026 after already reducing international operations by around 27 per cent.
Air India currently operates around 4,400 weekly flights, including nearly 3,600 domestic services and around 800 international flights.
According to the airline, the latest adjustments are expected to affect nearly 20-22 per cent of domestic operations during the June-August period.
"In continuation of our previously announced adjustments to select international services between June and August 2026, we have temporarily rationalised operations on certain domestic routes during the same period, with a reduction in frequencies on select routes," Air India said in a statement.
The airline said the changes were driven by the sustained impact of high fuel prices, rerouting costs and operational uncertainty linked to tensions in West Asia.
Air India suspended or reduced services across multiple international routes connecting Indian cities to North America, Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia, including flights to Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Paris, Singapore, Bangkok and Melbourne.
Despite the cuts, the carrier said it would continue operating more than 1,200 international flights every month across five continents.
Asia-Pacific remains relatively resilient
Despite the global slowdown, airlines in the Asia-Pacific region continued to record moderate growth.
According to IATA, Asia-Pacific carriers reported a 3 per cent increase in international passenger demand in April.
European carriers also reported marginal growth, helped partly by increased direct traffic between Europe and Asia as airlines shifted away from routes transiting through the Middle East.
However, North American carriers reported almost no growth in passenger demand during the period.
Domestic passenger traffic in India declined 2.9 per cent year-on-year in April, according to the IATA report, reflecting weakening travel demand and rising airfares.
Industry analysts warned that unless tensions in West Asia ease significantly, airlines globally may continue facing pressure from elevated fuel prices, restricted airspace and weakening passenger demand over the coming months.
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