Global airport passenger growth slows to 0.6% in first half of 2026

The figures come from ACI World's annual airport traffic report, which draws on data from 2,817 commercial airports. The report puts 2025 global passenger traffic at a record 9.8 billion, up 3.7% from 2024.

Growth slowed in 2026. Passenger numbers reached about 4.7 billion in the first six months, up 0.6% from the same period a year earlier, ACI World said. The Middle East recorded the sharpest decline, down 21%, as conflict and airspace disruption hit the region. ACI World described the first-half result as a marked slowdown from 2025's pace.

Why the Middle East drop matters

Dubai International, the world's busiest airport for international passengers, has suffered operational disruptions in 2026 since the start of the Middle East war, CNN Travel reported. The airport was also the second busiest overall in 2025, with 95.2 million passengers.

ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci told CNN Travel that the longer the conflict drags on, the wider the impacts could be. He said fuel supply worries him more than price. Higher fuel prices are already pushing up fares, he said, and passengers have found alternative routings to bypass disrupted places, including Dubai.

The Middle East had been the second-fastest growing region in 2025, with passenger traffic up 6.5%. In the first half of 2026 it recorded the sharpest decline.

The 2025 record behind the slowdown

Global airports handled 9.8 billion passengers in 2025. International traffic rose 6.1% and domestic traffic 1.7%, ACI World said. Africa led regional growth at 9.0%, followed by the Middle East at 6.5%, Asia-Pacific at 5.1%, Latin America and the Caribbean at 4.5% and Europe at 4.2%. North America was the only region to shrink, down 0.7%.

Air cargo reached 131.2 million tonnes, up 3.3%, while aircraft movements rose 2.0% to 103.1 million. ACI World said infrastructure and slot constraints, aircraft delivery backlogs and air navigation limits restricted growth in some regions in 2025.

Atlanta remained the busiest airport by total passengers with 106.3 million, ahead of Dubai on 95.2 million and Tokyo Haneda on 91.7 million. The top 20 airports handled 1.59 billion passengers, 16% of all air travellers globally, Travel Weekly reported.

What ACI World expects

ACI World said geopolitical tensions, airspace disruption and rising costs have begun to reshape the industry's near-term outlook. It said the long-run drivers of demand remain firmly intact: rising populations, growing incomes, expanding connectivity and an appetite for mobility.

Erbacci said the 2025 results confirm that long-term demand for air travel remains strong and more capacity will be needed. He said meeting that demand means expanding capacity.