Cirium reports decline in transatlantic bookings and mixed trends

 

Cirium released forward-looking airline booking data highlighting declining transatlantic demand for summer 2026, alongside regional shifts linked to Middle East disruptions and global travel patterns.

Bookings from Europe to the United States are down 15.34% year-on-year, while bookings from the United States to Europe have declined by 11.19%. The data compares travel scheduled for July 2026 with July 2025, based on bookings made between October 7, 2025 and March 14, 2026.

This represents a slight further decline compared to earlier data, which showed Europe–U.S. bookings down 14.22% and U.S.–Europe bookings down 7.27% year-on-year.

In the Middle East, booking data for travel in April 2026 indicates limited overall disruption, with impacts concentrated in specific markets rather than across the entire region.

Significant changes are observed in Australia–Europe travel patterns. Excluding connections through Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain, bookings have increased by 48.6% since February 28, 2026, with year-on-year growth of 24%, indicating a shift toward alternative hubs.

Origin city  – Specific data for Summer travel from Europe to the U.S.

From Europe to the U.S., Summer 2026

Origin	YoY %Change
AMS	-22.91%
ATH	-20.42%
BCN	-20.82%
CDG	-18.46%
DUB	-13.84%
FCO	-6.81%
FRA	-35.74%
LHR	-8.26%
MAD	-13.73%
MUC	-13.82%
MXP	-9.29%

From US to Europe

DEST	YoY %Change
AMS	-7.31%
ATH	-19.93%
BCN	-8.38%
CDG	-7.75%
DUB	-12.35%
FCO	-6.23%
FRA	-26.80%
LHR	-11.31%
MAD	-5.74%
MUC	-10.81%
MXP	-11.10%

For India–Europe routes, excluding the same Middle Eastern hubs, booking levels remain broadly stable, reflecting a normalization of operations and connectivity in the region.

Bookings from Asia to Europe, including routes connecting through the Middle East, show a year-on-year decline of 4.4%.

Travel demand linked to FIFA World Cup host cities also shows a decrease. Bookings from Europe to the United States are down 6.7%, while bookings to Canada have declined by 1.5% and to Mexico by 6.4%, based on travel scheduled for June 2026.

The data reflects evolving booking behavior influenced by geopolitical developments, shifting airline networks and changes in global travel demand patterns.

Tags: Travel demand Cirium