Global aviation is moving at two very different speeds. Passenger demand increased by just 0.2% in July 2026, while air cargo demand rose by 3.9%, despite a sharp increase in jet fuel prices, DKNews.kz reports.
The latest figures were published by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The data show that the peak summer travel season kept the passenger market in positive territory, but the stronger momentum is now coming from air freight.
Passenger demand increased by just 0.2%
Global passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, or RPK, rose by only 0.2% year on year in July. Capacity increased slightly faster, by 0.3%, while the average passenger load factor stood at 85.2%.
International demand performed even more weakly, declining by 0.1% compared with July 2025. Domestic traffic, by contrast, increased by 0.6%.
The modest global result masks major differences between regions.
Passenger demand among Middle Eastern airlines fell by 10%, while North American carriers recorded a 1.2% decline. Latin America and the Caribbean grew by 6.1%, Africa by 5.2%, and Europe by 2.1%.
Excluding the Middle East, global passenger demand would have increased by 1.2%, while international demand would have grown by 1.5%.
“The peak of the summer travel season in the Northern Hemisphere was broadly successful for the air transport industry. Despite declines among North American and Middle Eastern airlines compared with last year, global passenger traffic still increased by 0.2% in July. Passenger traffic through Gulf aviation hubs also continues to recover. Although the industry continues to face high fuel prices, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, airlines remain confident about demand for the rest of the year, as reflected in the nearly 3% increase in capacity planned for September,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Chief Economist.
IATA
Europe–Asia passenger traffic surged 12.1%
Behind the headline global growth rate of just 0.2% is one route with particular relevance for Kazakhstan.
Passenger traffic between Europe and Asia increased by 12.1%. According to IATA, this was the strongest growth rate among the world’s major international passenger corridors.
Traffic across the North Atlantic moved in the opposite direction, declining by 2.2%. IATA attributed much of that drop to weaker traffic from the United Kingdom, France and Spain.
For Kazakhstan, growth on the Europe–Asia corridor has direct strategic significance. The country sits between two major aviation markets and has been seeking to strengthen the role of its airports as transit hubs connecting Europe and Asia.
IATA has previously highlighted Kazakhstan’s aviation potential, particularly its ability to benefit from international passenger and cargo flows. According to the association, aviation directly supports 44,700 jobs in Kazakhstan, while the broader sector, including tourism and related industries, supports around 191,400 jobs.
Kazakhstan has been growing far faster than the global market
The contrast between current global growth and Kazakhstan’s recent aviation performance becomes even more visible over a longer period.
In July, we reported on IATA’s latest figures for Kazakhstan: the country’s passenger market expanded by 40% in 2025, reaching 18.1 million passengers.
Those figures are also reflected in IATA’s World Air Transport Statistics. The association ranked Kazakhstan among the world’s fastest-growing passenger aviation markets.
Against global passenger growth of just 0.2% in July 2026, Kazakhstan’s recent expansion looks particularly strong. But rapid growth also raises pressure on airport infrastructure, available capacity and airlines’ ability to accommodate rising demand.
Air cargo is growing almost 20 times faster than passenger traffic
The sharpest contrast in IATA’s July data comes from the cargo market.
According to IATA’s separate air cargo report, global cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres, or CTK, increased by 3.9% year on year. International cargo demand rose by 4.7%.
Cargo capacity expanded by only 1.7%. As a result, the global cargo load factor increased by one percentage point to 46%.
North American carriers posted the strongest regional growth at 4.8%. European airlines recorded a 4.4% increase, while Asia-Pacific carriers grew by 4.1%.
More than 90% of the total increase in global air cargo demand came from airlines in just three regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America.
Jet fuel prices rose 56.9%, but cargo demand kept climbing
Air freight is expanding under increasingly difficult cost conditions.
In July, jet fuel prices rose another 12.2% compared with June and were 56.9% higher than a year earlier.
At the same time, global trade volumes increased by 7.5%. The index of new export orders rose to 50.0, providing further support for demand for fast international freight transportation.
The structure of the market also shifted. Dedicated freighter aircraft increased their share of cargo activity, while the amount of freight carried in the belly holds of passenger aircraft declined.
“Air cargo demand increased by 3.9% in July compared with the same month last year. Growth was recorded across all regions, with more than 90% of the total increase generated by airlines in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. The share of dedicated freighters increased as cargo carried in passenger aircraft belly capacity declined. This is likely related to stronger demand for larger or specialised shipments, as well as the greater operational flexibility provided by freighter aircraft,” said Marie Owens Thomsen.
Europe–Asia air cargo has now grown for 41 consecutive months
The freight data contain another figure with clear relevance for Kazakhstan.
Demand on the Europe–Asia air cargo corridor increased by 3.1%. The route has now recorded growth for 41 consecutive months and accounts for around 21.5% of the global air cargo market by CTK.
Asia–North America expanded even faster, with demand rising 9.2% year on year. Routes connected to the Middle East moved in the opposite direction. Europe–Middle East cargo traffic fell by 16.1%, while Middle East–Asia declined by 14.1%.
This geography helps explain why Europe–Asia transit is becoming increasingly important for Kazakhstan’s aviation strategy. A few days ago, we examined how Kazakhstan could potentially benefit from the growth of Europe–Asia air cargo flows: the Eurasian corridor remains one of the most resilient major routes in global air freight.
Passenger data send a similar signal. We have also written about why the 12.1% increase in Europe–Asia passenger traffic strengthens the case for Kazakhstan’s aviation hubs. In July, the same broad corridor was expanding in both passenger and cargo aviation.
The global picture remains uneven: passenger demand increased by just 0.2%, air cargo grew by 3.9%, and jet fuel prices were 56.9% higher than a year earlier. For airlines, the next test will be whether stronger demand can offset rapidly rising operating costs.
