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U.S.-International Air Traffic Falls 1.6% in June 2026

Fewer U.S. resident departures outweighed a slight rise in foreign arrivals, pointing to a rotation in source markets rather than a large overall surge.

Overview

  • Official NTTO figures show total U.S.-international enplanements reached 24.6 million in June 2026, a 1.6% year‑over‑year decline driven mainly by a 3.2% drop in U.S. citizen departures.
  • Non‑U.S. citizen arrivals were roughly 4.4 million in June 2026, a marginal 0.2% increase that was not enough to offset the decline in outbound U.S. travel.
  • Air4Casts analysis using APIS data finds the FIFA World Cup produced only a small headline uplift in inbound traffic but shifted the mix of origins, with Mexico and several regional or diaspora markets rising and some long‑haul markets softening.
  • Traffic patterns on the route level were mixed: Asia and the Dominican Republic showed growth while Mexico, parts of Europe and Germany recorded declines, and major gateways such as JFK, LAX and MIA remained the busiest.
  • Because U.S. arrivals are concentrated in a few large source markets, single events tend to change composition more than totals, a dynamic that could affect airline scheduling, seat mix and local tourism demand in the months ahead.