Asia Pacific airlines experienced stable international passenger demand in April 2026, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). The airlines flew 32.4 million international passengers, a figure largely unchanged from the previous year. However, revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) increased by 3.3% year-on-year, indicating stronger traffic on longer-haul routes. Available seat capacity saw a modest rise of 1.4%, with passenger load factors averaging 84.8%, up by 1.6 percentage points.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has disrupted supply chains, leading to higher goods prices and increased stockpiling. This has supported growth in the air cargo market, with international air cargo demand, measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), rising by 4.1% year-on-year. Freight capacity expanded by 4.4%, resulting in a slight decline in the average freight load factor to 60.5%.

Wong Hong, AAPA Director General, noted, “International passenger traffic continued to show resilience in April, supported by sustained demand on longer-haul routes.” He added that Asia Pacific airlines carried 135 million international passengers in the first four months of 2026, a 5.1% increase from the previous year.

Despite the easing of the Middle East conflict, macroeconomic uncertainties and inflationary pressures remain concerns for the passenger and cargo markets. Wong Hong emphasised that airlines are managing costs and deploying capacity strategically to optimise yields and profitability whilst maintaining safety standards

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