Airports Council International (ACI) World has released its World Airport Traffic Forecasts (WATF) 2025–2054, outlining expected trends in global passenger demand over the next three decades.

According to the forecasts, global passenger traffic is projected to reach 10.2 billion in 2026, an increase of 3.9% compared with the previous year. Demand is expected to continue rising over the long term, with passenger numbers forecast to reach 18.8 billion by 2045, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 3.4%. Growth is driven largely by emerging and developing markets, while patterns across regions are expected to remain uneven.

ACI World notes that rising demand is occurring alongside increasing constraints. These include limits on airport infrastructure, delays in aircraft deliveries, supply-chain disruptions, geopolitical uncertainty and growing sustainability requirements. Capacity pressures are also expected to be more pronounced in certain regions, creating challenges for airport operations and network planning due to uneven growth.

The forecasts thus highlight mounting pressure on airport systems worldwide. ACI World notes that accommodating future demand will require coordinated action across the aviation sector. This includes increased investment in airport infrastructure, airspace capacity and operational resilience, as well as closer collaboration between airports, airlines, governments and regulators.

The forecast sends a clear signal to the global aviation community: long-term growth is not guaranteed without coordinated action. To accommodate rising demand, the industry must accelerate investment in airport infrastructure, airspace capacity, and operational resilience, while strengthening collaboration across airports, airlines, governments, regulators, and industry partners.

Without collective action, capacity constraints jeopardise the industry’s ability to meet the projected demand and create operational bottlenecks, directly affecting the quality and reliability of the passenger journey. At the same time, insufficient investment to meet the projected demand would result in missed economic development opportunities at regional and national levels. Aviation plays a central role in global economic development (3.9% of global GDP; ATAG).

Ensuring the sector can sustainably absorb future demand growth is therefore not only an industry priority, but a global economic imperative.