Passenger demand cools, but load factors improveWhile overall passenger numbers slipped, demand measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) still rose 1.1% year-over-year, a sign that longer-haul travel remained comparatively resilient. According to AAPA, that growth outpaced a modest 0.3% increase in available seat capacity, pushing the average international passenger load factor up 0.7 percentage points to 82.6% for the month. Cargo markets stay strong on tech demandAir cargo told a different story. He pointed to cargo as a bright spot, saying that international air cargo demand grew 7.0% in the first half of the year. Wong also said that airlines are staying focused on network flexibility, capacity discipline, and operational efficiency as they adjust to shifting demand.