UAE to post strong passenger growth

Dubai - IATA cuts long-term growth outlook for number of air travellers worldwide.

The UAE is expected to post a strong 5.6 per cent growth in the number of air passengers, followed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia with 4.8 per cent and 4.6 per cent respectively, with a total market size of 383 million passengers, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a statement on Thursday.
"The Middle East will grow strongly (4.9 per cent) and will see an extra 237 million passengers a year on routes to, from and within the region by 2034," the statement said.
However, the IATA cut its long-term growth forecast for the number of air passengers around the world, citing negative developments in the global economy, especially weaker forecasts for China.
The IATA said it now expected the number of air passengers to reach seven billion by 2034, doubling from the 3.5 billion expected for 2015, with a 3.8 per cent average annual growth rate.
It previously saw passenger numbers rising by an average of 4.1 per cent per year to 7.4 billion in 2034.
Routes to, from and within Asia-Pacific will see an extra 1.8 billion annual passengers by 2034, for an overall market size of 2.9 billion. In relative terms it will increase its size compared to other regions to 42 per cent of global passenger traffic, and its annual average growth rate, 4.9 per cent, will be the joint-highest with the Middle East.
The five fastest-increasing markets in terms of additional passengers per year over the forecast period will be China (758 million new passengers for a total of 1.196 billion), the US (523 million new passengers for a total of 1.156 billion), India (275 million new passengers for a total of 378 million), Indonesia (132 million new passengers for a total of 219 million) and Brazil (104 million new passengers for a total of 202 million).
In terms of routes, Asian, South American and African destinations will see the fastest growth, reflecting economic and demographic growth in those markets. Indonesia-East Timor will be the fastest growing route, at 13.9 per cent, followed by India-Hong Kong (10.4 per cent), within Honduras (10.3 per cent), within Pakistan (9.9 per cent) and UAE-Ethiopia (9.5 per cent).
"The demand for air transport continues to grow. There is much work to be done to prepare for the seven billion passengers expected to take the skies in 2034," said Tony Tyler, IATA director-general and CEO.
"Economic and political events over the last year have impacted some of the fundamentals for growth. As a result, we expect some 400 million fewer people to be travelling in 2034 than we did at this time last year," he said.
- business@khaleejtimes.com