IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh has told delegates at the Changi Aviation Summit that "we need to look back at the shape of the industry over the past few decades, and then draw conclusions as to what we think might...
To read the full article, please log in or enter your email below:
IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh has told delegates at the Changi Aviation Summit that "we need to look back at the shape of the industry over the past few decades, and then draw conclusions as to what we think might happen going forward."
“Now, if I reflect back at 1990, and I've chosen 1990 for a couple of reasons," he said. "It recognizes that we had the introduction of the Boeing 737-300, 400 and 500s in the mid-80s, and the Airbus A320 in the late 1980s. It also reflects a fully deregulated market in the US, and a deregulated market in Europe. And it's fascinating to look at the shape of the industry in that year.
“In 1990, African airlines contributed 2.2% of global aviation. Asia-Pacific carriers were 19.7%, Europe 28%, Latin America and Caribbean 5.4%, Middle East carriers 2.4% and a lot has been written about what has happened in the Middle East. But significantly North American carriers 42% of the global markets.
“Now if we roll forward and look at 2019, Africa continued to be at 2.1%. But we saw significant growth in the Asia-Pacific region, reaching almost 35% of the global market in 2019. Europe remained pretty static at 27%, Latin America 5%, the Middle East has grown from 2.4% to 9.1%, and North American carriers had reduced from 42% to just over 22%,” Mr Walsh told delegates.
He added that the figures for 2023 are broadly similar with Asia Pacific, reflecting the fact that the recovery has been slightly slower in international markets at about 32%.
On domestic markets the change has been dramatic, Walsh said.
“Now, it's interesting also to reflect on the fact that if I look at the major domestic markets, the domestic market in China in 1990 was just over 1% of all global activity, and India about 0.2%. Looking forward at 2023, the Chinese domestic market now represents over 11%, of total commercial aviation, and India has grown to almost 1.8%. We've seen significant growth in these markets in that period. And I think when you look at the demographics of the world, it doesn't take much to imagine what is going to happen in these countries going forward, particularly in India, which I think represents a fantastic opportunity for the industry.”
However, he added that “it is disappointing for us to reflect on the fact that Africa remains in the doldrums at just over 2%. I think the potential for growth in Africa is huge. But there has to be change to enable consumers in the African region to take advantage of the opportunities that aviation provides.”
Walsh told delegates that aviation is “absolutely committed to achieving net zero CO2 in 2050. And we cannot fail or falter in our efforts to achieve that goal. It is absolutely essential that we work together to ensure that we can credibly provide people with confidence that we have a pathway to decarbonize our industry. And I think we can take a lot of confidence from what we've achieved already. And we've talked about this in many different forums.
“But just to give you one figure. If you look at the CO2 produced by the industry in 2000, and compare that to what we did in 2019 just before the pandemic, our CO2 footprint increased by almost 54%. But during that same period, passenger traffic grew by 175%. So, there is complete disconnect between passenger growth and our C02 growth. So, we know that we can be confident that with the measures we've put in place, with the advances in new technology, there are opportunities for us to address this critical issue.”
JetBlu and its fuel partners marked the first-ever regular supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for commercial air travel in…
Overwatch, a British aerospace and defence group specialising in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has entered into a collaboration agreement with…
AEGEAN, Greece's largest airline, has confirmed an order for eight more Airbus A321neo aircraft to bolster its network and support…
SATS Ltd. (SATS) and Vietnam Airlines JSC (VNA) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly build and…
The Air Astana Group reported significant growth in 2024, carrying nine million passengers across its two airline brands. This figure…
Airbus Helicopters concluded the VERTICON 2025 event in Dallas, United States, with 118 commitments, including 63 firm orders, for its…
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has received four additional Fast Interceptor Craft (FIC) G2000 MKII vessels at the TLDM base…
Systems Engineering & Assessment (SEA) Ltd. has extended its contract with Lumut Naval Shipyard (LUNAS) to supply a fixed triple…
Archer Aviation and Palantir Technologies are partnering to build the artificial intelligence (AI) foundation for next-gen aviation technologies. The companies…
The French Army has selected Exail to conduct a Tactical Evaluation (EVTA) of advanced driving simulators. The initiative is led…
GDAT, one of China’s most prominent helicopter operators, has signed an HCare In-Service contract with Airbus to cover ten H225…
Eve Air Mobility (Eve) and South Korea’s UI Helicopter have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the development…
At Verticon 2025 in Dallas, Leonardo announced securing nearly 30 helicopter orders for the AW109 GrandNew, AW169, AW139, and AW189…
Effective from 13th March 2025, Air Astana Group is introducing stricter regulations on the transport of lithium batteries and battery-powered…
DSA and NATSEC Asia 2026 is poised to build on the achievements of the 2024 event, where the Ministry of…
AAR CORP. has secured a multi-year agreement to deliver nacelle maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for Cebu Pacific Air's A320…
Exail has partnered with Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), part of the EDGE Group, and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII)…
The New York State Police has placed an order for one Airbus H160 and three H145 helicopters, becoming the first…
Clarivate has released its 2025 Top 100 Global Innovators list, recognising organisations that are advancing technology research and innovation. Among…
Indra Group has introduced IndraMind, an intelligence system aimed at enhancing the automation of critical operations and improving multi-domain operational…
The UK’s National Police Air Service (NPAS) has placed an order for seven Airbus H135 helicopters as part of the…
Metro Aviation has signed an agreement with Airbus Helicopters for up to 36 H140 helicopters to be used in emergency…
Aircraft leasing company Jackson Square Aviation (JSA) has placed an order for 50 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft. This marks JSA’s…
Global Medical Response (GMR) has signed an agreement with Airbus Helicopters for up to 15 H140 helicopters for emergency medical…
Airbus Helicopters has introduced the H140, a light twin-engine helicopter, at the VERTICON event in Dallas, Texas. The 3-tonne class…
Indra has introduced an advanced NH90 helicopter simulator at Cuatro Vientos Air and Space Force base, enhancing pilot training with…
Korean Air introduced a revised corporate identity on 11 March, featuring an updated version of its Taegeuk symbol. The airline…
Vietjet has announced the launch of a new direct route between Singapore and Phu Quoc, set to commence on 30…
Italian aerospace and defence major Leonardo has announced robust financial results for 2024, with the company recording strong growth across…
Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Embraer, is visiting Poland this week with a senior commercial and defence team,…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2025 GBP all rights reserved.