Global Passenger and Cargo Traffic Growth Slows in September 2025
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global air transport activity experienced moderated growth in September 2025, indicating a slowdown after several months of steady expansion in both passenger and cargo markets.
Passenger Traffic Trends
Passenger traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK), increased by 3.6% year-on-year, which is slower compared to 4.6% growth in August. The industry-wide Passenger Load Factor (PLF) was 83.4%, slightly below the 83.5% recorded a year earlier.
- All regions showed weaker growth.
- North American carriers reported a 0.1% year-on-year decline.
- Domestic air travel growth slowed to 0.9% year-on-year, with declines in both the United States and India.
- International passenger traffic rose by 5.1% year-on-year.
- Asia-Pacific airlines led global growth with a 7.4% increase.
Capacity expansion remained steady, with flight schedules expected to grow 3.0% year-on-year in November, suggesting ongoing but moderated activity into the final quarter of the year.
Cargo Market Performance
Global air freight demand, measured in Cargo Tonne-Kilometers (CTK), grew 2.9% year-on-year, showing a further slowdown as this rate was 1.1 percentage points below August’s growth.
- International CTK increased by 3.2%.
- Africa led cargo growth with a 14.7% rise.
- Asia-Pacific followed with a 6.9% increase in cargo demand.
Global air transport activity showed moderated growth in September 2025, signaling a slowdown in both passenger and cargo markets after months of steady expansion, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Author's summary: Global air traffic in September 2025 showed slower growth in both passenger and cargo sectors, reflecting reduced demand and moderated expansion across all regions heading into year-end.