According to CAPA, international travel continued to drive industry growth during 2025, reinforcing the structural shift toward long-haul and cross-border demand.
The organisation stated that lower fuel prices and easing inflation supported passenger demand throughout the year, even as broader macroeconomic uncertainty persisted across global markets.
However, CAPA noted that growth was uneven across regions and constrained by several operational challenges, including infrastructure bottlenecks, aircraft delivery delays and restricted airspace.
Geopolitical tensions also continued to influence airline network planning and global traffic flows, contributing to volatility across multiple markets.
The recovery of the Asia Pacific region, supported by China’s reopening, accelerated changes in global hub dynamics, while other established aviation markets experienced mixed performance.
Looking ahead to 2026, CAPA stated that rising geopolitical risks, fuel price volatility and increasing operational pressures are expected to create a more uncertain environment for airlines and airports.
According to the report, maintaining growth in 2026 may become significantly more challenging for the aviation industry than achieving the recovery recorded in 2025.
Tags: CAPA – Centre for Aviation
