Passenger traffic in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East recorded growth in June at 2.1% and 8.1% respectively. According to a report by Airports Council International Asia-Pacific, in China, the overall passenger growth during the month was negatively impacted by adverse weather conditions in southern and eastern China, which caused significant flight cancellations at many airports.

The domestic sector showed signs of weakening, while international demands remained solid. The top three airports with the most passenger volume increase from last year were Guangzhou, Shanghai Pudong and Shenzhen.

In India, passenger traffic demand showed resilience. Both the international and domestic segments recovered to positive growth in June as the market filled in the capacity gap created by Jet Airways’ service suspension. The three airports with the most passenger volume growth were Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

The Middle East recorded robust performance during the month of June, moving up 8.1%. Many airports benefited from the shift in the timing of Ramadan and reported positive results. Airports with the highest volume increase from last year were Doha, Dubai and Sharjah.

Overall year-to-date passenger traffic in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East grew 1.9% and 2.5% respectively. Major markets such as China, India and the UAE all experienced a slowdown in the first quarter and showed signs of improvement in the second quarter.

Looking ahead, the macro-economic environment remains challenging particularly for Asia-Pacific with rising tensions between Japan and South Korea and the escalating trade disputes between China and the US.