2.75 Billion Air Passengers By 2011

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has predicted that there will be 2.75 billion passengers travelling by air in 2011. The IATA has identified that this figure will be achieved with a 5.1% average annual growth rate over the next few years, which incidentally is just  lower than the 7.4% rates of growth achieved between 2002 and 2006.

IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani said: “The numbers clearly show that the world wants to fly. And it also needs to fly. Air transport is critical to the fabric of the global economy, playing a critical role in wealth generation and poverty reduction.”

With the huge amount of expansion predicted, IATA has urged the aviation industry to continue developing environmentally friendly technology to reduce emissions. Bisignani added: “The growing demand for aviation is an opportunity for sound investment in a green future...there is no time to lose.”

One piece of news that is sure to please Bisignani and the IATA is that the government has pledged to replace air passenger duty (APD) with a tax based on flights rather than passengers from November 2009. The new form of APD should ensure that money raised will go straight to projects that have environmental benefits, a feature that easyjet, the cheap flights provider has long been a leading campaigner for. easyJet Chief Executive Andy Harrison said: “We have long argued that the current structure of APD is in need of reform. A tax that penalises families but excludes private jets; and charges passengers travelling to Marrakech the same as those travelling to Melbourne, is just plain wrong...people passing through UK airports already pay £2.4 billion in APD".