Air Travel 2014

Figures released by Airports Council International (ACI) show that global passenger traffic ended the year strong with a growth rate of 5.1% year over year.

On the whole, passenger traffic remained resilient in the face of the global uncertainties.  International tourism was strong in 2014 considering the geopolitical risks that have persisted in certain parts of the world such as Eastern Europe and the Middle East. 

The Ebola outbreak also presented significant challenges.

The regional markets all showed growth:

African air transport demand is on the path to recovery at a 3.2% increase.  Asia-Pacific airports reported plus 6%.  Europe ended the year on a positive note with passenger traffic rising by over 5%.  

Latin American-Caribbean surprised many in 2014.  With gains of over 6% for the region the increases in traffic are largely attributed to the burgeoning domestic markets of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia.

The Middle East continues to achieve the highest growth among all regions at an estimated 9.4% for the year as a whole. Abu Dhabi (AUH), Doha (DOH) and Dubai (DXB) grew by 20.2%, 13.2% and 6% respectively.

Passenger numbers have seen a resurgence in North America, a mature market it still grew by 3.3%.   www.aci.aero

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