Global passenger traffic demand is projected to double by the mid-2040s.

Airports Council International (ACI) World has released its World Airport Traffic Forecasts 2025–2054, providing a comprehensive outlook on global airport traffic trends.

According to the report, the long-term outlook is positive, with global passenger traffic demand projected to double by the mid-2040s, driven primarily by emerging and developing markets.

More specifically, global passenger traffic is forecast to reach 10.2 billion in 2026 (+3.9% year-on-year). Encouragingly, long-term demand remains strong, with global passenger traffic projected to double by 2045 to reach 18.8 billion (3.4% CAGR).

However, the research suggests that demand will be increasingly uneven across regions, thanks to mounting capacity constraints, such as airport infrastructure limitations and aircraft delivery challenges.

ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci: “Long-term growth is not guaranteed without coordinated action.”

Some markets are expected to significantly outperform others that structurally lag.
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Operational complexity, driven by supply-chain disruptions, geopolitical uncertainty and sustainability imperatives, is another key factor.

“The forecast sends a clear signal to the global aviation community: long-term growth is not guaranteed without coordinated action,” noted ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci.

“To accommodate rising demand, the industry must accelerate investment in airport infrastructure, airspace capacity, and operational resilience, while strengthening collaboration across airports, airlines, governments, regulators, and industry partners.”

He added: “Without collective action, capacity constraints jeopardise the industry’s ability to meet the projected demand and create operational bottlenecks, directly affecting the quality and reliability of the passenger journey.

“At the same time, insufficient investment to meet the projected demand would result in missed economic development opportunities at regional and national levels. Aviation plays a central role in global economic development (3.9% of global GDP; ATAG).

“Ensuring the sector can sustainably absorb future demand growth is therefore not only an industry priority, but a global economic imperative.”

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