Fact Sheet - Economic & Social Benefits of Air Transport

Background

  • Study conducted by Oxford Economics on behalf of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) in 2004. 
  • Updated April 2008
  • Global and regional figures
  • ATAG is an independent coalition of air transport organisations whose mission is to promote aviation’s sustainable growth for the benefit of the global society
  • The full study is available at www.atag.org

Key Findings:

General: Air Transport

  • Air transport drives economic and social progress
  • It connects people, countries and cultures
  • It provides access to global markets
  • It generates trade and tourism
  • It forges links between developed and developing nations

Employment

  • Air Transport Industry generates 31.9 million jobs globally
  • It directly creates 5.5 million jobs worldwide
    • Airline and airports employ 4.7 million people
    • The civil aerospace sector employs 782,000 people
  • 6.3 million indirect jobs are created via purchases of goods and services from companies in the air transport supply chain
  • 2.9 million jobs are induced through spending by industry employees
  • 17.1 million direct and indirect jobs are created through air transport’s catalytic impact on tourism

Economic benefits

  • Aviation provides the only worldwide transportation system which makes it essential for global business and tourism
  • Aviation transports more than 2.2 billion passengers annually  
  • Aviation carries over 44 million tonnes of freight annually and 35% of interregional exports of goods by value
  • 40% of international tourists travel by air
  • Aviation’s global economic impact is estimated at US$ 3.557 billion (2007).
  • That is equivalent to 7.5% of world GDP
  • 25% of all companies’ sales are dependent on air transport
  • 70% of businesses report that serving a bigger market is a key benefit of air transport

Airline Facts

As at the end of 2007:

  • 3,256 airlines worldwide
  • 23,913 aircraft
  • 29.3 million departures in the year (scheduled carriers)
  • Serving 3,797 airports
  • 160 air navigation service providers

Air Transport Efficiency

  • Aviation occupancy rates of 77% (2007 industry load factor) are much better than those of road and rail
  • Air Transport entirely covers its infrastructure costs ($43.5 billion/year)
  • It is a net contributor to national treasuries through taxation
  • Modern aircraft achieve fuel efficiencies of 3.5 litres per 100 passenger kilometre or 67 passenger miles per gallon

Social Benefits

  • Aviation broadens people’s leisure and cultural experiences via wide choice/affordable access to destinations across the globe
  • Improves living standards and alleviates poverty through tourism
  • Often serves as the only means of transportation to remote areas promoting social inclusion
  • Contributes to sustainable development by:
    • Facilitating tourism and trade
    • Generating economic growth
    • Creating jobs
    • Increasing tax revenues
    • Fosters the conservation of protected areas
  • Facilitates the delivery of emergency and humanitarian aid relief
  • Swift delivery of medical supplies, organs for transplantation

Updated: June 2008