Global Passenger and Cargo Traffic Growth Slows in September 2025
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a slowdown in global air transport activity during September 2025, reflecting reduced momentum in both passenger and cargo sectors after months of steady growth.
Passenger Traffic Trends
Passenger traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK), grew by 3.6% year-on-year, down from 4.6% in August. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) was slightly lower at 83.4%, compared to 83.5% a year earlier. Growth weakened across all regions, with North American carriers experiencing a 0.1% decline.
- Domestic air travel growth slowed to 0.9% year-on-year, affected by RPK declines in the United States and India.
- International passenger traffic increased by 5.1% year-on-year.
- Asia-Pacific airlines led global growth with a 7.4% increase in international passenger traffic.
Capacity expansion held steady, and flight schedules are expected to rise 3.0% year-on-year in November, indicating ongoing but moderated activity into the year's final quarter.
Cargo Traffic Developments
Global air freight demand, measured in Cargo Tonne-Kilometers (CTK), rose by 2.9% year-on-year, a 1.1 percentage point slowdown from August's growth rate. International CTK increased by 3.2%, led by strong growth in Africa at 14.7% and the Asia-Pacific region at 6.9%.
Global air freight demand growth shows clear signs of easing after sustained expansion.
Author’s summary: Growth in global air passenger and cargo traffic continued in September 2025 but at a slower pace, indicating tempered demand heading into the year's final months.