India and China will together account for nearly 45% of all additional passenger trips in the next two decades, according to IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac.
India was one of the fastest growing aviation industries in the world for nearly five years. The grounding of Jet Airways has reduced the growth. However, IATA finds it as a temporary scenario, and the market will soon expand. India is a country where people from all walks of life choose air travel, according to IATA.
At the annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac also said that the developing markets would be the major contributor of the additional passenger demand.
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As a note, IATA also pointed out that the government should focus more on aviation infrastructure and air traffic management. Careful planning, assessment of funding options, focus on affordability, and consultation with the users will determine the success of the aviation industry.
Political agendas and protectionist policies can hamper the aviation industry of any country, according to IATA.
The Asia-Pacific airlines would deliver a net profit of USD 6 billion in 2019 compared to USD 7.7 billion last year. The region is showing very diverse performance. Accounting for about 40% of global air cargo traffic makes the region the most exposed to weakness in world trade, and that, combined with higher fuel costs, is squeezing the region’s profits, it added.
According to DGCA data, India’s year-on-year domestic air passenger growth fell 4.5% in April 2019. India’s domestic air traffic registered first negative growth rate in more than five years in April, mainly due to the grounding of Jet Airways. The Indian aviation industry also suffers due to rising oil price and weak global trade.
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