CATA Q2 industry briefing: rising cost pressures

CATA held its Q2 2026 information meeting, reporting industry performance. Domestic passenger market faced pressure, international passenger showed resilience, and cargo remained strong in off-season. Middle East conflicts pushed up fuel costs, significantly increasing cost pressures. Global flight volumes recovered to 97% of 2019 levels; IATA downgraded 2026 profit forecast to $48 billion, down 37.2%.