Facts & figures

Employment

86.5 million jobs

The air transport industry supported a total of 86.5 million jobs globally in 2023, including direct, indirect, induced and aviation-enabled tourism jobs.

11.6 million direct jobs

The air transport industry provided 11.6 million direct jobs in 2023. Airlines, air navigation service providers and airports directly employed nearly 4 million people, and the civil aerospace sector, which manufactures aircraft systems, frames and engines, employed 1.7 million people. A further 5.9 million people worked in other on-airport positions.

20.4 million indirect jobs

There were 20.4 million indirect jobs generated through the purchases of goods and services from companies in the air transport industry supply chain.

17.2 million induced jobs

Industry employees supported 17.2 million induced jobs through the spending of wages.

37.3 million tourism jobs

Aviation-enabled tourism generated around 37.3 million jobs globally.

Connectivity

4.4 billion passengers

In 2023, 4.4 billion passengers were carried by the world's airlines (1.8 billion international passengers and 2.6 billion domestic passengers). The estimate for 2024 is 5 billion passengers.

35.3 million flights

In 2023, 35.3 million scheduled commercial flights took place worldwide. Airports handled some 96 million aircraft movements.

8.17 trillion RPK

8.17 trillion Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPK) were flown by passengers in 2023.

61.4 million tonnes cargo

61.4 million tonnes of cargo were carried by air in 2023.

1,138 airlines

In 2023, 1,138 airlines operated a fleet of 29,039 commercial aircraft in service, through a route network of several million km.

4,072 airports

There are 4,072 airports with scheduled commercial flights in the world.

67,300 routes

In 2023, 67,300 routes were served globally. Of these, around 21,000 are unique city pairs.

Economy

20th GDP worldwide

If aviation (direct impact) were a country, it would rank 20th in the world in terms of gross domestic product (GDP). This amounts to $1.1 trillion, which is similar to the GDP of Saudi Arabia and equivalent to 1% of world GDP for 2023.

3x more productive jobs

Globally in 2023, each aviation job generated $92,000 in gross value added. Aviation jobs are on average 3 times more productive than other jobs.

$4.1 trillion economic contribution

Aviation's global economic impact in 2023 (direct, indirect, induced and tourism catalytic) was $4.1 trillion. This is forecast to grow to $8.5 trillion by 2043.

33%

While air transport carries less than 1% of the volume of world trade shipments, it represents around 33% by value – meaning that goods shipped by air are very high value commodities and often perishable or time-sensitive.

3.9%

The overall contribution to global GDP that is supported by aviation is 3.9%.

Environmental performance

Net zero carbon emissions

The global aviation industry has a goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, supported by accelerated efficiency measures, energy transition and innovation across the aviation sector in partnership with governments around the world.

882 million tonnes

Worldwide, flights produced 882 million tonnes of CO2 in 2023. Globally, humans produced around 43 billion tonnes.

50 grams CO2 / seat kilometre

A typical new generation single aisle aircraft coming off the production line today emits around 50 grams of CO2 per seat kilometre. This is equivalent to 2 litres fuel burn per passenger for 100km, lower than that of compact cars, although aircraft travel much faster.

14.6 billion tonnes avoided

Over 14.6 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions were avoided between 1990 and 2023 through a combination of new technology, operational efficiencies and infrastructure improvements.

6.1 million tonnes carbon offsets / removals

6.1 million tonnes of carbon offsets or carbon removals were purchased by airlines in 2023.

$15 billion on research

The civil aerospace sector spends $15 billion per year on efficiency-related research and development.

15,700 new technology aircraft

Airlines are investing in future fleets and have a current aircraft production backlog of some 15,700 new technology aircraft due to enter the fleet over the next decade, further improving fuel efficiency.

80%

Jet aircraft in service today are over 80% more fuel efficient per seat kilometre than the first jets in the 1950s.

75%

The latest generation of aircraft have up to a 75% reduction in the noise footprint, compared to the first jets.

80%

Around 80% of aviation CO2 emissions are emitted from flights of over 1,500 kilometres, for which there is no practical alternative mode of transport.

82.2%

The average aircraft occupancy in 2023 was 82.2%, which is far higher than for other modes of transport.

2.05%

The global aviation industry produces around 2.05% of all human-induced CO2 emissions.

8%

348.75 billion litres of jet fuel were used by commercial operators in 2023. This represents 7-8% of global liquid fuel use.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)

$45 billion in SAF purchase agreements

Global policy developments are making SAF a more important strategic consideration for aircraft operators which has resulted in major forward purchase agreements. As of early 2023, around $45 billion in SAF purchase agreements had been made by airlines (compared to $6 billion pre-Covid).

1 million tonnes SAF in 2024

In 2024, 1 million tonnes (1.3 billion litres) of SAF was used for commercial flights.

2x 2023 production

In 2024, SAF production was more than double the 240,000 tonnes produced in 2023. SAF production estimates for 2025 are at 2.1 million tonnes, accounting for 0.7% of airlines’ total fuel consumption in 2025.

20 million tonnes SAF

20 million tonnes of SAF uptake by 2030 could be possible under industry proposed and committed policies.

98 airports with SAF

98 airports with ongoing SAF deliveries (47 with batch deliveries).

50 airlines

50 airlines have committed to 2030 SAF goals ranging from 5-30% of their total fuel usage, with most of them committing to 10%.

11 SAF production pathways

There are currently 11 SAF production pathways approved by ASTM International (three of which are for co-processing) with each pathway representing different processes for production depending on the type of feedstocks.

14 million jobs

It is estimated that up to 14 million jobs could be created or sustained by the shift to SAF, creating new energy industries in almost every country throughout the world.

$1.5 trillion investment needed

To enable sufficient SAF supply in order to achieve the net-zero 2050 goal, the capital investment required has been estimated at some $1.5 trillion over 30 years – or 6% of traditional oil and gas capital expenditure when averaged out each year.

5%

Aviation fuel should be 5% less carbon intensive by 2030, compared to today’s fossil fuels, as part of a gradual shift towards SAF and lower carbon aviation fuels.

80%

Alternative fuels, particularly sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), have been identified as excellent candidates for helping achieve aviation's climate targets. SAF-derived sources such as algae, jatropha or waste by-products have been shown to reduce the carbon footprint of aviation fuel by up to 80% over their full lifecycle.

50%

Today, SAF is blended with conventional kerosene in ratios of up to 50% to ensure compatibility with aircraft, engines and fuelling systems.

100%

The major airframe and engine manufacturers are working to ensure that all aircraft can safely operate on 100% SAF by around 2030.