Air passenger traffic growth in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to surpass the global average over the next 5 to 10 years, but maintaining a focus on safety and sustainability will be crucial, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The announcement was made by ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano at the 2nd ICAO Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference held in New Delhi on Wednesday.
“The Asia-Pacific aviation sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience despite the challenges of the global pandemic. The region has emerged stronger and more adaptable. However, safety measures must keep pace with the region’s expanding aviation sector,” Sciacchitano said.
ICAO’s recent safety report for scheduled commercial air travel highlighted a significant improvement in aviation safety despite the operational challenges of pandemic recovery. The fatality rate in 2023 dropped to 17 people per billion passengers, compared to 50 people per billion in 2022. The global accident rate also decreased from 2.05 accidents per million departures in 2022 to 1.87 in 2023.
Sciacchitano noted that air traffic in the Asia-Pacific region had already exceeded pre-pandemic levels by early 2024, standing at 2% above 2019 figures. He projected that the region would experience an annual growth rate of 9% over the next five years, compared to the global average of approximately 6%.
However, the ICAO Council President also emphasized the need for attention to critical challenges, such as the inadequate implementation of global aviation standards. “As of March 2024, 19 out of 37 audit states in the region were below the global average in implementing global standards. This is particularly crucial given the region’s rapid aviation growth,” he added.
The first Asia-Pacific ministerial conference was held in Beijing in 2018. India had volunteered to host the second conference in 2020, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the conference on Thursday.
India’s aviation market, the fastest-growing in the world, more than doubled to 152 million passengers in 2023 from 61.4 million passengers in 2013, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Indian carriers expanded their share of total overseas traffic in the domestic market to 45.6% in the April-June quarter, up from 43.9% a year earlier and 35% in the same quarter of 2019, according to data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Meanwhile, the share of foreign airlines shrank to 54.4% from 56% over the same period.
Global aviation leaders at the conference welcomed the September 9 decision by the Goods and Services Tax Council to exempt the import of services by foreign airline companies, signaling a positive move for international cooperation and growth in the sector.
