What Happened
Asia Pacific Carriers Face Headwinds Amid Fuel Price Volatility
Asia Pacific airlines carried 30.5 million international passengers in June 2026, a 1.1% year-over-year decline, according to preliminary traffic figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). Despite the decline, demand measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) still rose 1.1% year-over-year. Air cargo demand, on the other hand, climbed 3.2% year-over-year in June, driven by steady shipments of AI-related semiconductors and hardware. The AAPA reported that international travel has largely held steady this year, with airlines in the region carrying 192.5 million international passengers in the first half of 2026, up 3.2% from the same period last year. This was first reported by AeroTime.