Global Air Travel Expected To Reach 9.8 Billion Passengers By 2025, ACI Reports

Airports Council International (ACI) World has released its World Airport Traffic Report, predicting global air travel will hit 9.8 billion passengers by 2025. This growth is largely driven by international travel, though regional differences and medium-term challenges suggest a varied outlook. The report compiles data from over 2,800 airports in more than 185 countries, providing a comprehensive view of the airport industry worldwide.

Justin Erbacci, ACI World Director-General, stated, "Air travel is on track to reach 9.8 billion passengers in 2025, underscoring aviation’s role as a driver of global mobility and economic growth. International travel remains the main engine of growth, but regional variations reflect a mix of structural strengths, policy challenges, and evolving travel patterns."

The Asia-Pacific region is expected to see significant growth with an estimated 3.6 billion passengers by 2025, marking a 5.6% year-on-year increase. Southern and Southeast Asia are key drivers of this expansion, although East Asia's outlook remains cautious. Meanwhile, Africa is projected to reach 273 million passengers in the same year, reflecting a substantial 9.4% rise due to tourism and increasing middle-class demand.

In Europe, passenger numbers are forecasted to exceed 2.5 billion by 2025 with a growth rate of 3.6%. This increase is primarily driven by international travel as domestic volumes lag behind due to the popularity of rail transport. The Middle East anticipates reaching 466 million passengers with a growth rate of 5.9%, supported by investments and tourism despite geopolitical risks.

Advanced aviation markets such as parts of East Asia, Europe, and North America face uncertainties due to geopolitical tensions and demographic changes like ageing populations. These regions also experience shifts in traveller behaviour influenced by uncertain travel and visa policies. North America is projected to reach around 2.1 billion passengers by 2025.

The Latin America-Caribbean region expects to see passenger numbers grow to approximately 789 million by 2025 with a year-on-year increase of 4.1%. This growth is bolstered by leisure demand and the expansion of low-cost carriers.

The global aviation market continues its uneven growth across different regions due to structural strengths and policy challenges affecting travel patterns. Emerging markets in Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America are experiencing increased demand alongside the rise of low-cost carriers.

By mid-2025 Year-to-Date (YTD), global passenger traffic had risen by 2.1% compared to the previous year; international traffic saw a significant increase of 4.9%, while domestic traffic experienced a slight decline of 0.7%. Overall international traffic is expected to grow by 5.3% in contrast to domestic traffic's anticipated rise of just 2.4%.

The trajectory for global aviation remains sensitive to geopolitical events and macroeconomic conditions that vary across regions. While emerging markets drive much of the current growth through rising demand and low-cost carrier presence, advanced markets face more uncertainty amid these broader challenges.

With inputs from WAM