Air travel boom expected in Asia

In the next two decades, Asia Pacific will experience a peak in air travel. An estimated 3.5 billion passengers will travel by plane in 2036 - double that of North America and Europe combined. Based on the estimates by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), aircraft manufacturers are expecting massive sales growth over the next twenty years.

Boeing expects that airlines will need 16,050 new aircrafts valued at US$2.5 trillion to meet the demand. The strongest growth is expected in countries such as China and India and in Southeast Asia.

According to TravelWeekly Asia and SCMP, airports in many cities are preparing for the expected passenger boom, by investing to expand capacity. In Beijing, a new airport is due to open in 2019, helping Beijing to become one of the world’s biggest aviation hubs. Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will be undergoing a US$3.7 billion renovation through 2021. South Korea’s Incheon International Airport has spent US$4.6 billion on a second terminal.

Further reading on travelweekly-asia.com