Aviation helps drive the development of the modern world. A network of airlines, airports and air traffic management organisations link major cities and small communities 24 hours a day with increasingly advanced aircraft. Haldane Dodd Executive Director, ATAG
Air transport provides significant economic and social benefits. It facilitates tourism, trade, connectivity, generates economic growth, provides jobs, improves living standards, alleviates poverty, provides a lifeline for remote communities and enables a rapid response when disasters occur.
Air transport is a major global employer, supporting a total of 86.5 million jobs worldwide and providing 11.6 million direct jobs. If aviation (direct impacts) were a country, it would rank 20th in the world according to GDP.
Aviation's total global economic impact (direct, indirect, induced and tourism catalytic) is estimated at $4.1 trillion.
An enabler of tourism, 58% of all international tourists travel to their destinations by air. Air transport allows people to have adventures in new countries, to relax on tropical beaches, to build business relationships and to visit friends and family. As our global economy grows ever more linked, aviation is the factor that brings people together.
In December 2024, ATAG published the latest edition of its flagship report, Aviation: Benefits Beyond Borders, which explores the various ways in which aviation contributes to the economy, jobs, the lives of millions of people around the world and how it contributes to sustainable development. The report has become a key reference tool among industry, governments and academics and is widely cited by the media. It provides policymakers with the important global view of how air travel creates jobs and drives economic growth.
Aviation: Benefits Beyond Borders also provides detailed regional summaries for: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, North America, APEC economies, the EU, ASEAN member states, small island states, developing countries, OECD countries, least-developed countries and landlocked developing countries.
Europe: This region accounts for a 25.9% share of global passenger traffic, transporting 988 million passengers in 2023, and supporting 15 million jobs in total (of which 2.9 million jobs were created by aviation itself) and $1.2 trillion European economic activity. By 2043, this is forecast to increase to 21 million jobs and $2.1 trillion in GDP.
Latin America and the Caribbean: The aviation sector in Latin America and the Caribbean supports 8.3 million jobs and $240 billion in economic activity.
Middle East: Air transport supports 4 million jobs and $290 billion in GDP.
North America: Air transport supports 8.4 million jobs in total and $1.4 trillion in North American economic activity.
See the Aviation: Benefits Beyond Borders website to download free-of-charge the latest version of the report, regional and country-specific analyses and explanatory video.