INTERNATIONAL. Airports passenger traffic will grow by a healthy +4.2% a year between 2008 and 2027 according to a new report by Airports Council International (ACI). ACI’s Global Traffic Forecast Report 2008-2027 was released at the organisation’s World Annual General Assembly in Boston this week.
Speaking at the report’s launch, ACI Director General Angela Gittens said that many airports must anticipate a slowdown in traffic over the next two years, but that the long term demand is expected to rise from 2010, with passenger volumes surpassing the 5 billion mark by 2009 and 11 billion by 2027.
Key points from the report include:
• Passenger volumes will grow by an average of +4.2% annually over the 20-year period, with Asia Pacific leading growth rates at +6.3% and challenging North America as the largest market by 2027. India and China will be the two fastest growing countries in the Asia Pacific region with +9.2% and +9.1% growth respectively.
• Aircraft movements will grow by an average of just +3.2%, which indicates a trend towards larger aircraft with higher load factors, said ACI. The number of passengers by flight will increase by +23% over the next 20 years.
• The fastest growing routes will be between the Middle East and Asia Pacific, followed by routes between the Middle East and Europe and routes between Asia Pacific and North America.
• Traffic in Asia Pacific will be 3.4 times bigger in 2027 than in 2007.
• Over the next two years passenger growth will slow worldwide, reflecting the current uncertainties in the world market, but will pick up again in 2010. “Medium- and long-term confidence in growth remains strong within the airport industry,” added ACI.
Also at the Annual Assembly, delegates passed a resolution calling on governments, the EU and the International Civil Aviation Organisation to seek alternative measures to the current security restrictions on the carriage of liquids, aerosols and gels at world airports. The association called for a commitment to introduce alternative measures to the current arrangements by 2009.
Ms Gittens also called on airports to “take a more active role with stakeholders locally, regionally and worldwide” to promote the interests of airports.
She said: “We need to unleash the power we have in the airport sector by communicating with our stakeholders, by collaborating with the each other and by coordinating our actions within and across the ACI regions. The international airline association IATA calls for layer upon layer of regulation, instead of recognising that the most productive approach is for airports and airlines to work together locally on charges and planning issues, to seek mutually acceptable solutions for which we can jointly advocate.”
Key issues areas, she said, were airport economics, air traffic management modernisation, revenues and the environment.
*For more information, or to purchase a copy of ACI’s Global Traffic Forecast Report 2008-2027, go to
www.aci.aero
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