Airports Council International (ACI) World has released its World Airport Traffic Forecasts 2025–2054 report, projecting continued long-term growth in global passenger demand despite increasing capacity and operational challenges.
According to the forecast, global passenger traffic is expected to reach 10.2 billion in 2026, representing year-on-year growth of 3.9%. Over the longer term, ACI World projects passenger numbers will reach 18.8 billion by 2045, equivalent to a compound annual growth rate of 3.4%.
ACI World said that the outlook confirms sustained structural demand for air travel, driven primarily by growth in emerging and developing markets. However, the organization warned that growth is becoming increasingly uneven across regions and is accompanied by mounting constraints.
Key challenges identified in the forecast include airport infrastructure limitations, aircraft delivery delays, and broader operational complexity linked to supply chain disruption, geopolitical uncertainty and sustainability requirements. ACI World said these factors risk creating bottlenecks if investment and coordination do not keep pace with demand.
“The forecast sends a clear signal to the global aviation community: long-term growth is not guaranteed without coordinated action,” said 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.”
Erbacci warned that insufficient action could directly affect passenger experience and economic outcomes. “Without collective action, capacity constraints jeopardize the industry’s ability to meet the projected demand and create operational bottlenecks, directly affecting the quality and reliability of the passenger journey,” he said.
He added that underinvestment could also limit wider economic benefits: “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).”
ACI World said ensuring the sector can absorb future demand sustainably is both an industry priority and a broader economic requirement. The organization has made detailed regional breakdowns and analysis available in the executive summary of the World Airport Traffic Forecasts 2025–2054.
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