Air travel demand remained strong in January despite holiday calendar shift

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) this week released data on global passenger demand for January 2026, showing continued growth in air travel, with demand rising 3.8 per cent year-on-year despite calendar effects linked to the timing of the Lunar New Year.

According to the data, total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), increased by 3.8 per cent compared with January 2025, while total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), rose by 3.5 per cent year-on-year.

As a result...