It’s been a tough year for many parts of the aviation industry, with plenty to worry about in 2026 and beyond.

But the International Air Transport Assocation (IATA), a global airline trade group representing about 360 airlines, expects passenger numbers to reach 5.2 billion in 2026, up 4.4% from 2025.

IATA is also forecasting a record net profit of $41 billion next year, up from $39.5 billion in 2025.

“That’s extremely welcome news, considering the headwinds that the industry faces,” said IATA Director General, Willie Walsh, citing rising costs from bottlenecks in the aerospace supply chain, geoplitical conflicts, sluggish global trade and growing regulatory burdens.

While the consumer demand for flying continues to go up, so does the record backlog of deliveries of aircraft that would be more fuel efficient and less costly to maintain.

“Compared with the pre-pandemic trend, the market has received roughly 5,340 fewer aircraft, essentially a ‘missing fleet’ representing several years of production,” said IATA.

According to IATA, the average airline fleet age has risen to around 15 years, while the share of aircraft in long-term storage is unusually high, “not because carriers wish to park them, but because forced groundings linked to engine availability and reliability issues leave operators uncertain about future supply.”

Image at top courtesy IATA

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