ACI: Global Airport Passenger Traffic Hits Record 9.8 Billion in 2025
Airports Council International (ACI) World released its 2026 Annual World Airport Traffic Report, showing global airports carried a record 9.8 billion passengers in 2025, with air cargo also hitting an all-time high. The report draws on data from 2,817 commercial airports, capturing an estimated 97% of scheduled global passenger traffic. International traffic drove growth, up 6.1% versus 1.7% for domestic; cargo rose 3.3% and aircraft movements 2.0%. Africa led with 9.0% growth, followed by the Middle East (6.5%), Asia-Pacific (5.1%), Latin America and the Caribbean (4.5%) and Europe (4.2%), while North America fell 0.7%. Momentum has cooled in 2026: first-half passenger traffic reached abo…
Impact and considerations
The report gives travel and aviation buyers a global capacity and demand benchmark: record 2025 traffic supports expectations of route and capacity expansion, while the sharp slowdown to 0.6% growth in the first half of 2026 and a 21% drop in the Middle East signal greater volatility in regional air supply and travel…
Key points
- Global airports carried a record 9.8 billion passengers in 2025, with air cargo also reaching an all-time high.
- The report draws on data from 2,817 commercial airports, capturing an estimated 97% of scheduled global passenger traffic.
- In 2025 international traffic rose 6.1% versus 1.7% for domestic; cargo rose 3.3% and aircraft movements 2.0%.
- Regional performance: Africa led at 9.0%, followed by the Middle East (6.5%), Asia-Pacific (5.1%), Latin America and the Caribbean (4.5%) and Europe (4.2%), while North America fell 0.7%.
- First-half 2026 global passenger traffic reached about 4.7 billion, up just 0.6% year on year, with the Middle East down 21% and North America largely flat.
- ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci said long-term air travel demand remains strong and more capacity is needed, alongside regulation that enables investment.
Sources and time
- Primary source
- Airports Council International World
- Other sources
- 0
- First source publication
- 23 Sept 2026, 12:30
- Page published
- 23 Sept 2026, 12:42
- Last updated
- 23 Sept 2026, 12:30
- Original links
- ACI World RSS：Global Airport Passenger Traffic Reaches Record 9.8 Billion in 2025, Airports Council International World reports (opens in a new tab)Primary source · en · Published 23 Sept 2026, 12:30