In Brief: International air passenger travel to and from the United States declined by 1.6% in June 2026 compared to the previous year, with a slight increase in foreign arrivals offset by a larger decrease in U.S. citizen departures, according to data from the National Travel and Tourism Office.
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Foreign Arrivals Edge Up, U.S. Departures Fall in June 2026 Air Travel Data – Image Credit Unsplash+
Data released by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) show that in June 2026, total U.S.-international air traffic passenger enplanements reached 24.6 million. This figure represents a 1.6% decrease compared to June 2025. The data reflect both arrivals to and departures from the United States, providing insight into travel patterns for both U.S. citizens and foreign visitors.
Foreign Arrivals and U.S. Departures
In June 2026, non-U.S. citizen air passenger arrivals in the United States totaled 4.4 million, a modest 0.2% increase from June 2025. However, overseas visitor arrivals, which include those staying at least one night and visiting under certain visa types, fell by 1.8% to 2.8 million.
U.S. citizen air passenger departures from the United States to foreign countries totaled 8 million in June 2026, down 3.2% from the same month the previous year. This decline in U.S. departures contributed significantly to the overall reduction in international air passenger traffic.
Regional Travel Patterns
The NTTO data breaks down air passenger travel between the United States and key world regions. In June 2026, the most significant travel volumes were recorded between the United States and the following countries:
– Mexico: 3.3 million passengers, a 6.1% year-over-year decrease
– Canada: 2.8 million passengers, a 0.2% year-over-year increase
– United Kingdom: 2 million passengers, a 2.1% year-over-year decrease
– Dominican Republic: 1.1 million passengers, a 3.3% year-over-year increase
– Germany: 1.1 million passengers, a 3.4% year-over-year decrease
Looking at broader regions, air travel between the United States and Europe totaled 8.2 million passengers, down 0.6% from June 2025. Travel to and from South/Central America and the Caribbean reached 5.8 million passengers, a 2.3% decrease. Asia saw a 1.2% increase in passenger numbers, bringing the total to 2.8 million. The Middle East recorded 1.1 million passengers, down 3.6% from the previous year.
Major U.S. and Foreign Airports
The busiest U.S. airports serving international locations in June 2026 were:
– New York (JFK): 3 million passengers
– Los Angeles (LAX): 2.1 million passengers
– Miami (MIA): 2.1 million passengers
– Chicago (ORD): 1.6 million passengers
– San Francisco (SFO): 1.5 million passengers
On the international side, the top foreign airports serving U.S. locations included:
– London Heathrow (LHR): 1.7 million passengers
– Toronto (YYZ): 1.1 million passengers
– Cancun (CUN): 958,000 passengers
– Paris (CDG): 891,000 passengers
– Mexico City (MEX): 741,000 passengers
Summary and Outlook
The June 2026 data from the NTTO indicate a mixed picture for international air travel to and from the United States. While foreign arrivals increased slightly, the overall decline in U.S. citizen departures led to a net decrease in total international air passenger traffic. Regional differences are evident, with some markets such as Asia and the Dominican Republic experiencing growth, while others, including Mexico and Germany, saw declines. The busiest airports remained consistent with previous trends, with major U.S. and international hubs handling the largest passenger volumes.
