KUALA LUMPUR (March 17): The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its Long-Term Demand Projections (LTDP) report for air travel, which projected that global air passenger demand will more than double by 2050. It said demand is forecast to reach 20.8 trillion revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) under the mid‑range scenario, based on a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1% (2024-2050) from the nine trillion RPKs seen in 2024. The association said a higher growth scenario would see a 3.3% CAGR with passenger demand reaching 21.9 trillion RPKs in 2050, while a lower growth scenario would see 2.9% CAGR with passenger demand reaching 19.5 trillion RPKs by 2050. IATA director general Willie Walsh said the LTDP report gives governments, industries and energy suppliers a robust basis for long‑term planning. IATA said the LTDP identifies the fastest‑growing markets as intra‑Africa (4.9%), Africa-Asia‑Pacific (4.5%), Asia‑Pacific-Middle East (3.9%), intra‑Asia‑Pacific (3.9%) and Africa–North America (3.8%).

Source: The Edge Markets March 17, 2026 14:12 UTC