Total passenger air traffic in 2017: 4.1 billion passengers
Are you curious to find out how many passengers chose to fly by plane in 2017? The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announces that total passenger traffic has reached the threshold of 4.1 billion. CAREFUL! We are not talking about single traffic, but about passengers. Some have chosen to be passengers several times :).
Global air traffic is on the rise. A new record has been set in 2017: 4,1 billion passengers have been transported by air. Regular flights are taken into account here. ICAO reports an increase in passenger air traffic of 7.1% compared to 2016.
Total passenger air traffic in 2017
The figures also say that about half of the 1.2 billion tourists, who traveled across borders, were transported by air. At the same time, the value of global air transport represents 35% of world trade.
ICAO officials are calling for increased air traffic to improve global economic conditions. Of course, not all countries in the world have prospered, but some have had higher growths, some smaller ones, some have even experienced economic downturn. But on average, global economic conditions are rising.
At the same time, lower fares for air tickets and the low price of kerosene have stimulated increased passenger air traffic.
4.1 billion passengers
This report shows us another very important thing. It is a place of growth for years to come. In 2017, markets in South America and Asia had the highest growth, 10% and 9.6%. Europe (with the Greater Russia) registered an increase of 8.1%. The Middle East area had a slower growth, of only 6.9%. But the smallest growth was in North America, of only 4.9%.
The low-cost operators (LCC) play an important role in increasing the number of passengers globally. They carried about 1.2 billion passengers in 2017, accounting for 30% of total passengers transported by plane.
Low-cost carriers in Europe transported 33% of total passengers carried by low-cost carriers globally, ie somewhere around 400 of millions of passengers. Asia / Pacific LCC carriers shipped 31%, and North American carriers shipped 26%.
And the aircraft loading rate increased by 0.9%, reaching a new record of 81.2%, an average calculated globally. The load factor ranges from 70.8% in Africa to 83.4% in North America.
All these positive results can be found in the accounts of the airlines. Estimates show that air carriers recorded an operating profit of 60 billion, the net profit being valued somewhere at 36 billion.
What is interesting, now follows. About 45% of this profit was generated by North American airlines. It turns out that the other airlines, which cover 5 global regions, have made a net profit of $ 19.8 billion… Isn't that a little for hundreds of airlines?
As the forecasts coming from the World Bank announce the improvement of economic conditions in 2018, we expect the above mentioned figures to be exceeded this year.