Global air travel is projected to reach 9.8bn passengers for 2025, setting itself up to hit the historic 10bn passengers milestone in 2026.
In 2025, international passenger traffic is expected to grow 5.3% year-on-year, and domestic passenger traffic is expected to grow 2.4%. Total global passenger traffic is expected to grow 3.7%.
If global air travel were to produce the same results next year, it would exceed the 10bn milestone by more than 100 million passengers.
The forecast was published today as part of the World Airport Traffic Report (WATR), the flagship annual report from ACI World, the advocacy and policy arm of Airports Council International (ACI).
The WATR is ACI World’s flagship annual report, drawing on data from over 2,800 airports across more than 185 countries and territories.
While the report found that international travel continues to drive economic growth, it also found that regional disparities and medium-term challenges signal a mixed outlook for the sector.
“International travel remains the main engine of growth, but regional variations reflect a mix of structural strengths, policy challenges and evolving travel patterns,” said Justin Erbacci, director general of ACI World.
“To sustain air travel demand globally, regulators must foster policies and frameworks that enable improved connectivity, long-term resilience and sustainable growth.”
Global passenger traffic continues to grow unevenly across regions, reflecting a mix of structural strengths, policy challenges and evolving travel patterns.
Emerging aviation markets such as in Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America are driving growth, supported by rising demand and a growing presence of low-cost carriers.
In contrast, advanced aviation markets, including parts of East Asia, Europe, and North America, face a more uncertain future, driven by geopolitical tensions, demographic shifts, and uncertainty in travel and visa policies.
“Overall, the global aviation market is expanding, but its trajectory remains sensitive to geopolitical events, macroeconomic conditions and region-specific headwinds,” said ACI World.