The Middle East air passenger traffic is projected to reach 449 million in 2024, representing 110 per cent of its 2019 level, according to Airports Council International (ACI) new data released on Thursday.
“Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, the region has seen continuous growth in passenger numbers and is expected to maintain steady growth in the coming year,” the trade association of the world’s airports said in its Annual World Airport Traffic Report.
Passenger traffic bounced back strongly in UAE, the Middle East and globally after Covid-19, reaching the pre-pandemic level.
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The Asia-Pacific region is expected to lead in year-on-year growth in 2024, with a 13 per cent increase, reaching 3.4 billion passengers by year-end. Passenger traffic in Africa is projected to reach 244 million passengers in 2024, surpassing the 2019 level by 106 per cent.
The North American region is estimated to reach 2.2 billion passengers in 2024, or 107 per cent of the 2019 level, with a strong YoY growth of 7 per cent.
In Europe, passenger traffic in 2024 is expected to reach approximately 2.5 billion, or 102 per cent of the 2019 level.
ACI World projected total passengers will reach approximately 9.5 billion in 2024, representing 104 per cent of the 2019 level and reflecting a 10 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth from 2023.
International passenger traffic is expected to reach 4.1 billion by the end of 2024, accounting for 43 per cent of total passengers.
Domestic passenger traffic is projected to reach 5.4 billion by the end of 2024, making up 57 per cent of the total.
During the first half of 2024, total passenger traffic increased by 11 per cent, reaching 102 per cent of the June 2019 level.
Global passenger traffic reached 8.7 billion in 2023, an increase of 30.6 per cent from 2022 or a recovery of 95 per cent from pre-pandemic results.
ACI cautioned that despite positive macroeconomic developments such as easing inflationary pressures, the medium-to-long-term outlook remains subject to downside risks such as geopolitical conflicts, labour market bottlenecks, and aircraft delivery constraints. However, the gradual recovery of international passengers and a return to profitability for airlines signal a positive momentum in the industry.
The study covered over 2,700 airports across more than 180 countries and territories.