Louis Ibah
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) yesterday, said that global passenger traffic could double to 8.2 billion in 2037.
To prepare for the increase in passenger traffic, the agency urged governments all over the world to make the requisite investments in infrastructure to harness the upcoming benefits.
“This forecast is a cautionary warning to governments. First, the industry will grow but they must clear the infrastructure bottlenecks to bring that growth to their home markets,” said IATA’s Director General and CEO, Mr. Alexandre de Juniac.
And secondly, governments must understand that globalisation has made our world more socially and economically prosperous. Inhibiting globalisation with protectionism will see opportunities lost,” de Juniac stated
The latest report of IATA’s 20-year air passenger forecast, made available to Daily Sun shows that an increasing shift towards Asia-Pacific is behind the continued strong passenger growth.
Over the next two decades, the forecast anticipates a 3.5 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), leading to a doubling in passenger numbers from today’s levels
Africa will grow by a CAGR of 4.6 per cent and by 2037 it will see an extra 199 million passengers for a total market of 334 million passengers, the IATA report said.
Mr. Alexandre de Juniac, who signed the release however warned, that growth prospects for air transport, and the economic benefits driven by aviation, could be curtailed if protectionist measures are implemented by governments.
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“Aviation is growing, and that is generating huge benefits for the world. A doubling of air passengers in the next 20 years could support 100 million jobs globally,” said de Juniac.
There are two important things that stand out about this year’s forecast. First, we are seeing a geographical reshuffling of world air traffic to the East.
And secondly, we foresee a significant negative impact on the growth and benefits of aviation if tough and restrictive protectionist measures are implemented,” added de Juniac.
He however said no matter which growth scenario comes to pass, aviation faces an infrastructure crisis. Governments must work closely with the industry, to be more ambitious in developing efficient infrastructure, fit for purpose, and offering value for money.
“The world stands to benefit greatly from better connectivity. However, at this rate, airports and air traffic control will not be able to handle demand. Governments and infrastructure operators must strategically plan for the future. Decisions made now will have an impact on the value created by aviation for their regions,” said de Juniac.