The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced on 2026-09-15 that airlines globally plan to increase their seat capacity by nearly 3% in September. ^[1] The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released figures on 2026-08-01 showing global air cargo demand increased by 3.9 per cent year-on-year in July 2026. ^[2] Despite the capacity increase, airlines are facing high fuel costs, global economic uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions in key regions. ^[3] IATA stated that this capacity expansion reflects the industry's confidence in demand recovery for the final quarter of the year. ^[4] In July, the global commercial aviation industry recorded a modest 0.2% growth in passenger demand compared to the same month in 2025. ^[5] IATA senior vice president for sustainability and chief economist Marie Owens Thomsen stated that demand for international operations rose by 4.7 per cent compared with July 2025. ^[6] Marie Owens Thomsen said airlines in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America accounted for more than 90 per cent of the overall increase in demand. ^[7] Total capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres, increased by 1.7 per cent, while international capacity grew by 1.8 per cent. ^[8] European carriers saw a 3.1% year-on-year increase in demand in July 2026, with passenger traffic between Europe and Asia growing 12.1%. ^[9] Excluding the Middle East, global air passenger demand grew by 1.2% in July 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. ^[10]