ACI World Releases Global Airport Traffic Forecasts: 10.2 Billion Passengers in 2026
Airports Council International (ACI) World released its World Airport Traffic Forecasts 2025-2054, projecting global passenger traffic to reach 10.2 billion in 2026, up 3.9% year-on-year. Long-term, traffic is expected to double to 18.8 billion by 2045, with a CAGR of 3.4%. Growth is driven by emerging markets but faces challenges like capacity constraints, uneven regional growth, and operational complexity. ACI calls for accelerated investment in airport infrastructure, airspace capacity, and operational resilience.
Impact and considerations
This forecast provides key demand indicators for the business travel industry. Sustained passenger growth means airports and airlines need to expand capacity, but capacity constraints could lead to delays and higher costs. Corporate travel managers should monitor infrastructure investment and regional disparities to o…
Key points
- Global passenger traffic forecast to reach 10.2 billion in 2026, up 3.9% YoY.
- Traffic projected to double to 18.8 billion by 2045, CAGR 3.4%.
- Growth driven by emerging markets, but capacity constraints and regional disparities exist.
- ACI calls for accelerated investment in infrastructure and operational resilience.
Sources and time
- Primary source
- Airports Council International World
- Other sources
- 0
- First source publication
- 28 Jan 2026, 13:30
- Page published
- 12 Aug 2026, 14:32
- Last updated
- 28 Jan 2026, 13:30
- Original links
- ACI World RSS：ACI World releases global airport traffic forecasts as long-term demand growth continues to reshape aviation (opens in a new tab)Primary source · en · Published 28 Jan 2026, 13:30