Middle East airlines passenger demand down 48% in April

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

Passenger and cargo demand for 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 ongoing Iran war, though the decline did slow a little compared to March, as an uneasy ceasefire came into effect on April 8, the report said.

The fall in demand has been so acute that it dragged overall demand down by more than 3 percent, Iata director-general Willie Walsh said.

“The situation for air transport remains highly volatile. The cost of jet fuel more than doubled in April, which is pushing airfares up,” he added.

Jet fuel prices rose sharply in April, up 121 percent year on year, 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 4 percent year-on-year over the month, driven by strong Asia-linked trade flows.

Severe disruption at major Gulf hubs due to the war in the Middle East 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.