01 Industry overview
The air transport industry at a glance
Global air transport is entering a slower-growth, higher-cost phase: airlines are forecast to generate $1.165 trillion in revenue and carry 5.1 billion passengers in 2026, while net margins fall to 2.0%.
- $1.165T[12]
- Industry revenue, 2026 forecast
- 5.1B[12]
- Passengers, 2026 forecast
- 2.0%[12]
- Net profit margin, 2026 forecast
- 890.1M[12]
- U.S. passenger market, 2025
- Market size
- Global airline revenue is forecast at $1.165 trillion in 2026, up 9.4% from $1.065 trillion in 2025. Passenger ticket revenue is projected at $839 billion, cargo revenue at $162 billion and other revenue at $165 billion in 2026.[12]
- Forecast & CAGR
- IATA forecasts global passenger traffic growth of 2.1% in 2026 and cargo growth of 0.7%. Boeing's 2026–2045 outlook expects the commercial fleet to exceed 50,000 aircraft by 2045 and calls for about 44,000 new passenger-jet and freighter deliveries over the period.[12][13]
- Market share & regions
- The United States was the world's largest passenger market in 2025, with 890.1 million arriving and departing passengers. In September 2026, international traffic represented 62.8% of global industry RPKs and domestic traffic 37.2%; year-to-date passenger traffic was up 0.3%.[12]
- Segmentation
- The 2026 airline revenue mix is forecast to comprise $839 billion from passenger tickets, $165 billion from other revenue—largely ancillary services—and $162 billion from cargo. Passenger traffic is split between international and domestic markets, with international accounting for 62.8% of global RPKs in September 2026.[12]
- Key players & concentration
- IATA represents more than 380 airlines accounting for approximately 85% of global air traffic. The commercial aircraft supply side remains highly concentrated: Boeing's 2026 outlook covers a global fleet expected to exceed 50,000 aircraft by 2045 and approximately 44,000 new passenger-jet and freighter deliveries.[12][13]
- Pricing
- IATA forecasts 2026 passenger ticket revenue of $839 billion, up 9.2% year on year, as airlines raise fares to offset fuel costs; ancillary revenue is forecast to rise 12.6% to $165 billion. The U.S. Department of Transportation's 2025 fourth-quarter fare report shows that average one-way fares varied substantially by city pair, including $353 for Charlotte–Los Angeles and $182 for Hartford–Tampa.[12][57]
- Trends, drivers & challenges
- Demand remains positive but is slowing: 2026 passenger traffic is forecast to grow 2.1%, while jet fuel prices are expected to average $152 per barrel and fuel costs are forecast at about $350 billion. Sustainable aviation fuel output is projected at 2.4 million tonnes, only about 0.8% of jet-fuel demand, while supply-chain constraints and geopolitical disruptions continue to limit capacity.[12]
- Consumer behavior & competition
- Airlines are increasingly using unbundled pricing and ancillary services such as baggage and seat selection to manage higher costs. In September 2026, global passenger load factor was 83.2%, while international traffic grew 0.4% year on year and domestic traffic declined 2.2%, indicating stronger international demand than domestic demand during the month.[12]
- M&A
- Allegiant completed its acquisition of Sun Country Airlines on May 13, 2026. The combined airline had 195 aircraft at closing, with 30 aircraft on order and 80 options, and Allegiant projected approximately $140 million in annual synergies within three years.[58]
- Regulation
- IATA expects airlines to offset 59–82 million tonnes of emissions under CORSIA in 2026, at an estimated cost of $1.2–$1.7 billion. The association also forecasts that airlines will purchase 2.4 million tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel in 2026, with an incremental cost of about $4.5 billion.[12]
- Latest news
- The latest available IATA monthly data show that global RPKs fell 0.5% year on year in September 2026, while scheduled seat capacity was expected to rise 0.6% in October and 1.5% in November. In corporate activity, Allegiant completed its $1.5 billion acquisition of Sun Country in May 2026, and Pegasus completed its acquisition of Czech Airlines and the Smartwings Group on October 1, 2026.[12][58][59]
02 Ranking
Top 10 Companies in the Air Transport Industry
The leading companies in the air transport industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.
Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026
Airbus stands out for commercial aircraft manufacturing because it delivered 793 commercial aircraft and reported €52.6 billion in commercial aircraft revenue in 2025, while Boeing focuses on commercial aerospace since it ended 2025 with a $682 billion company backlog after delivering 600 commercial airplanes.
Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓
Editor's top 3 picks
Where to start, by need.
#1 Overall · Leader in commercial aircraft manufacturing
Airbus
NL
Ranked #1 · 9.3 · Commercial aircraft manufacturing
Why we picked it: It reports €52.6 billion in 2025 commercial aircraft revenue and delivered 793 aircraft.
Leader in passenger and cargo airline services
Qatar Airways Group
QA
Ranked #3 · 9.0 · Passenger and cargo airline services
Why we picked it: It carried 41.8 million passengers and reported QAR83.75 billion revenue for FY2025-26.
Leader in multi-airline group operations
International Airlines Group
ES
Ranked #5 · 8.7 · Multi-airline group operations
Why we picked it: It operates seven companies with 627 aircraft and 285 destinations across its network.
Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.
Full ranking
| # | Company | Overall ↓ | Impact | Performance | Momentum | Innovation | Company snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airbus Commercial aircraft manufacturing · NL | 9.3 | 9.9 | 7.7 | 9.7 | 8.9 | |
Company snapshot · Airbus · Data as of November 11, 2026 Delivered 793 commercial aircraft and reported €52.6 billion in commercial aircraft revenue in 2025.[14]
| |||||||
| 2 | Boeing Commercial aircraft manufacturing · US | 9.2 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 9.8 | 8.5 | |
Company snapshot · Boeing · Data as of November 11, 2026 Delivered 600 commercial airplanes and ended 2025 with a $682 billion company backlog.[60]
| |||||||
| 3 | Qatar Airways Group Passenger and cargo airline services · QA | 9.0 | 7.6 | 9.9 | 9.9 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · Qatar Airways Group · Data as of November 11, 2026 Carried 41.8 million passengers and reported QAR83.75 billion revenue for FY2025-26.[61]
| |||||||
| 4 | United Airlines Holdings Passenger and cargo airline services · US | 8.8 | 8.7 | 7.5 | 9.6 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · United Airlines Holdings · Data as of November 11, 2026 United reported $59.1 billion in 2025 revenue and served more than 175 million customers.[62]
| |||||||
| 5 | International Airlines Group Multi-airline group operations · ES | 8.7 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 9.6 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · International Airlines Group · Data as of November 11, 2026 Operates seven companies including five airlines, with 627 aircraft and 285 destinations.[63]
| |||||||
| 6 | Delta Air Lines Passenger and cargo airline, global · US | 8.7 | 8.7 | 7.5 | 9.0 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · Delta Air Lines · Data as of November 11, 2026 Served more than 200 million customers in 2025 across its global airline network.[64]
| |||||||
| 7 | Emirates Group Passenger, cargo and airport services, global · AE | 8.7 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 9.7 | 9.9 | |
Company snapshot · Emirates Group · Data as of November 11, 2026 Reported record AED145.4 billion revenue and 121,223 employees for 2024-25.[65]
| |||||||
| 8 | American Airlines Group Passenger and cargo airline, global · US | 8.2 | 9.6 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.5 | |
Company snapshot · American Airlines Group · Data as of November 11, 2026 Operates more than 6,000 daily flights to over 350 destinations in more than 60 countries.[66]
| |||||||
| 9 | Air France-KLM Passenger, cargo and maintenance, global · FR | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 8.7 | 9.2 | |
Company snapshot · Air France-KLM · Data as of November 11, 2026 The group operated 596 aircraft at December 31, 2025, including 586 in revenue service.[67]
| |||||||
| 10 | Air China Passenger and cargo airline, China and global · CN | 7.6 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 7.0 | |
Company snapshot · Air China · Data as of November 11, 2026 Operated 964 aircraft and served over 1,100 destinations across more than 190 countries and regions.[68]
| |||||||
How we score
- Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
- Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
- Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
- Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.
Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.
Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.
Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.
Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.
Cite this ranking
APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the air transport industry. In Air Transport Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/air-transport-industry-statistics/#top-companies
World total freight transported on scheduled international and domestic air services
World total freight transported on scheduled international and domestic air services grew from 58 million tonnes in 2019 to 60.8 million tonnes in 2024.
03 Trends & forecasts
Top 10 Air Transport Industry Trends & Forecasts 2027
What is changing in the air transport industry, with the evidence behind each trend and a forecast for 2027.
Forecasts were generated by an AI model from the cited evidence. They are estimates, not guarantees.
01Passenger growth moderates further
High confidenceIATA forecasts global passenger demand growth of 2.1% in 2026, while the FAA baseline projects U.S. revenue passenger miles rising 2.7% from 2026 to 2031. This indicates continued expansion but a slower post-pandemic growth profile.[12][69]
Forecast 2027: Global passenger traffic is likely to grow by roughly 2%–3% in 2027, with mature markets expanding slowly and emerging markets contributing most of the increase. Confidence is high because both industry and government forecasts point to moderate growth rather than contraction.
02International traffic outpaces domestic
Medium confidenceInternational traffic represented 62.8% of global industry RPKs in September 2026, while domestic traffic declined 2.2% year on year during the month. International traffic still grew 0.4% year on year despite the broader monthly slowdown.[12]
Forecast 2027: International markets should continue to outperform domestic markets in 2027, supported by long-haul tourism, visiting-friends-and-relatives travel and cross-border business activity. The gap may narrow if domestic fares fall or economic conditions weaken internationally.
03Air cargo growth remains subdued
High confidenceIATA expects air-cargo demand to grow only 0.7% in 2026, with actual cargo uplift expected to rise just 0.2%. The association attributes the weaker outlook to limited substitution between transport modes and disrupted trade corridors.[12]
Forecast 2027: Cargo traffic is likely to grow by less than 2% in 2027 unless inventory rebuilding, e-commerce or trade normalization produces a stronger cyclical rebound. Freight yields should remain sensitive to excess belly capacity and geopolitical disruption.
04Fuel costs keep fares elevated
High confidenceIATA forecasts jet fuel prices averaging $152 per barrel in 2026 and fuel costs of about $350 billion, with fuel exceeding 31% of airline operating expenses. Passenger ticket revenue is projected to rise 9.2% to $839 billion as airlines recover higher costs through fares.[12]
Forecast 2027: Airfares are likely to remain above pre-pandemic norms in 2027, although year-on-year fare inflation should slow if energy prices stabilize. Airlines will continue to use capacity discipline and fuel surcharges selectively on exposed routes.
05Ancillary revenue expands faster
High confidenceIATA forecasts ancillary revenue of $165 billion in 2026, up 12.6% year on year, compared with passenger ticket revenue growth of 9.2%. Baggage, seat selection, priority services and other unbundled products are becoming increasingly important to airline economics.[12]
Forecast 2027: Ancillary revenue should grow faster than base fares in 2027, likely through more dynamic pricing, paid flexibility and personalized offers. This will support revenue per passenger but increase scrutiny of transparency and the total cost of travel.
06Profit margins remain structurally thin
High confidenceThe industry overview forecasts global airline revenue of $1.165 trillion and a net margin of only 2.0% in 2026. IATA also expects high fuel and disruption costs to materially reduce profitability despite continued passenger demand.[12]
Forecast 2027: Global airline net margins are likely to remain around 2%–3% in 2027, with premium-heavy network carriers and low-cost operators with strong ancillary models outperforming weaker competitors. Cost shocks could still push individual regions into losses.
07Aircraft delivery backlogs persist
High confidenceBoeing expects nearly 44,000 new passenger and freighter aircraft deliveries between 2026 and 2045, while its 2026 results cite higher projected production-adjustment and supply-chain costs. Boeing also expects the global fleet to exceed 50,000 aircraft by 2045.[70][60]
Forecast 2027: Delivery delays and constrained production rates are likely to continue into 2027, limiting airline capacity growth and extending the useful lives of older aircraft. Airlines will prioritize scarce new aircraft for high-demand and fuel-sensitive routes.
08Fleet renewal favors fuel efficiency
High confidenceBoeing forecasts nearly 44,000 deliveries through 2045, with about half replacing older aircraft with more fuel-efficient models. Cirium separately forecasts approximately 43,000 passenger and freighter aircraft deliveries from 2026 to 2045.[70][71]
Forecast 2027: In 2027, replacement demand should remain at least as important as pure fleet expansion. Airlines will favor narrowbody and next-generation widebody aircraft that reduce fuel burn, but leasing and used-aircraft markets will remain essential while manufacturers are capacity constrained.
09Sustainable fuel supply stays limited
High confidenceSAF output is projected at 2.4 million tonnes in 2026, equivalent to only about 0.8% of global jet-fuel demand. IATA estimates the incremental cost of SAF purchases at roughly $4.3 billion to $4.5 billion in 2026.[12]
Forecast 2027: SAF volumes should increase in 2027, but remain below 1.5% of total jet-fuel demand unless new plants achieve faster commissioning. Airlines will increasingly secure offtake agreements, while the cost premium will be passed through via fares, levies or corporate travel programs.
10CORSIA compliance broadens in 2027
High confidenceICAO states that the second phase of CORSIA applies from 2027 to 2035, moving beyond the voluntary participation of the pilot and first phases. IATA expects airlines to offset 59–82 million tonnes of emissions in 2026 at an estimated cost of $1.2–$1.7 billion.[11][12]
Forecast 2027: CORSIA-related monitoring, reporting and offset procurement will become a routine operating cost in 2027, with broader state participation increasing compliance complexity. Airlines will seek to combine eligible credits with SAF and operational efficiency rather than rely on offsets alone.
04 Statistics
Technology & Innovation
Airlines and airports keep shifting from pilots to operational use: 53% of airports applied AI to aircraft turnaround processes in 2025, up from 36% in 2024.
AI in the air transport industry
- 53% of airports applied AI to aircraft turnaround processes in 2025, compared with 36% in 2024, globally.[1]
- 79% of airlines identified generative AI and large language models as their top investment priority for the following 12 months in 2025 globally.[1]
- 63% of airlines used AI in operations control in 2025 to manage disruption, aircraft assignment and crew availability globally.[1]
- 17% of airlines used AI to monitor aircraft turnaround activity in real time in 2025 globally.[1]
Automation in the air transport industry
- 63% of airports and 51% of airlines planned to offer biometric self-boarding by 2025 globally.[1]
- 83% of airports were expected to have biometric border control by 2028 globally.[1]
- 54% of airports had biometric border control live in 2025 globally.[1]
- 77% of airports used self-service kiosks in 2025 globally.[1]
- 63% of airports used automated bag drop in 2025 globally.[1]
Digital Transformation in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Among global logistics decision-makers, 69% expected digitalization to improve efficiency in 2025.[2]
- Among global logistics decision-makers, 63% expected digitalization to enhance customer experience in 2025.[2]
- Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 49% had digitized 50% or fewer of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[3]
- Among global logistics decision-makers, 51% identified high costs as a challenge to digitalizing logistics operations in 2025.[2]
- Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 23% had digitized more than 75% of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[3]
Technology Adoption in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying AI to reduce workloads in 2024.[4]
- Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 19% of shippers reported using AI at scale.[4]
- Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 15% of logistics service providers reported using AI at scale.[4]
- Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying automated real-time shipment tracking to address knowledge-worker shortages in 2024.[4]
- Across transportation and logistics executives surveyed in Europe and North America, 44% were using AI for transportation planning and optimization in 2025.[5]
Cloud Computing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 75% said cloud was crucial to their organization’s future in 2023.[6]
- Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 89% planned to increase AI and machine-learning investment during the following one to two years.[6]
- Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 84% had increased AI and machine-learning investment during the preceding one to two years.[6]
- Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 85% said leadership viewed cloud as a long-term investment in 2023.[6]
Big Data in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- 9.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used big-data analytics alone in the OECD’s 2026 cross-sector comparison, based on the latest available enterprise data.[7]
- 45% of surveyed multinational logistics and supply-chain organizations said in 2024 that they were using logistics data to its full potential, according to a survey of 60 organizations.[8]
- Among global logistics decision-makers, 49% expected digitalization to improve data visibility in 2025.[2]
- 12.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used both cloud computing and big-data analytics, according to the OECD’s 2026 sectoral comparison of enterprise technology adoption.[7]
- Among global logistics decision-makers, 34% identified data analytics, including cloud platforms and AI-powered solutions, as the most critical technology in 2025.[2]
- 38% of surveyed GCC logistics organizations used structured data, while 20% recognized a systematic link between data and business insights, according to a 2023 study.[9]
IoT in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- 88% of surveyed transport respondents had developed or were developing an IoT strategy in 2024, up from 46% with a completed formal strategy in 2021.[10]
05 Statistics
Data & Analytics
Airlines are expanding primary data pipelines through industry databases, with ICAO reaching 99.0% reporting coverage from Member States in 2024.
Business intelligence in the air transport industry
- The ICAO 2024 global air transport statistics achieved 99.0% reporting coverage from Member States.[11]
- IATA’s World Air Transport Statistics database contains airline operational, financial, fleet, employee and safety data, with historical records extending back to 1945.[12]
- More than 250 international airlines directly reported operational and financial data to IATA’s World Air Transport Statistics database in 2026.[12]
- 82 aircraft operators representing 45% of IATA members by revenue-tonne-kilometer contributed primary data to IATA’s TrackZero initiative in 2024.[12]
Data analytics in the air transport industry
- Boeing engaged more than 300 airline operators in developing and implementing integrated operational-safety solutions using aviation data and analytics.[13]
- More than 1,000 Boeing employees participated in five safety-program cohorts during 2024, supporting data-driven risk identification and corrective action.[13]
- Airbus forecast digital and connectivity services to reach $26 billion globally by 2044, up from $9 billion in 2025.[14]
- Digital services could address up to one-third of the estimated $70 billion in airline operational inefficiencies expected in 2030.[15]
Data Quality in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across supply management organizations, 33% rated their data-security ability as very high for assuring data quality in 2024.[16]
- Across transportation and logistics shippers, 33% identified data quality as a top barrier to scaling artificial intelligence in 2026.[4]
- Across supply management organizations, 67% said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[16]
- Across supply management organizations, 49% rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024.[16]
Data Governance in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across supply management organizations, 61% had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024.[16]
- Across supply management organizations with a data-governance program, 81% found the program useful in 2024.[16]
- Across supply management organizations with a data-governance function, 47% housed it in a center of excellence in 2024.[16]
- 33% of 3PL respondents said their supply chain governance maturity was running ahead, meaning proactive and predictable, in the 2024 global survey.[17]
- 32% of transport and logistics respondents said data governance or security was a primary challenge when preparing data for artificial intelligence in 2024.[18]
- 42.8% of airlines surveyed worldwide considered themselves to be in the early stages of data-strategy implementation in the IATA 2024 survey.[12]
KPIs in the air transport industry
- The 2024 global fatality rate was 65 fatalities per billion passengers in scheduled commercial air transport.[11]
- 37.4 million scheduled-service departures were recorded worldwide in 2024, up 5.1% from 2023.[11]
- 4.7 billion passengers travelled on scheduled air services worldwide in 2024, up 7.9% from 2023.[11]
- The 2024 global scheduled-commercial accident rate was 2.56 accidents per million flight departures.[11]
06 Statistics
Strategy & Growth
Airline M&A intent shows a sustained role for consolidation and technology, with 46% of transactions from 2020 through June 2025 focused on innovation and technology.
Growth in the air transport industry
- 14% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 pursued market expansion as their strategic intent.[12]
- 28.8% was Asia-Pacific’s increase in international passenger traffic in 2024.[11]
- 10.6% was the 2024 annual increase in worldwide scheduled passenger-kilometres.[11]
- 10.6% was the 2024 annual increase in worldwide scheduled revenue tonne-kilometres.[11]
Differentiation in the air transport industry
- 32% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 pursued consolidation and synergies.[12]
- 3% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 pursued strategic diversification.[12]
- 46% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 focused strategically on innovation and technology.[12]
- 4% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 focused on assets and infrastructure.[12]
Mergers and acquisitions in the air transport industry
- 13 domestic airline M&A deals were recorded in China in the 2020-to-June-2025 dataset.[12]
- 136 airline transactions were included in IATA’s M&A analysis covering 2020 through June 2025.[12]
- 29 disclosed airline M&A transactions occurred in 2024.[12]
- 26 domestic airline M&A deals were recorded in the United States in the 2020-to-June-2025 dataset.[12]
- 26 disclosed airline M&A transactions occurred in 2023.[12]
Strategic partnerships in the air transport industry
- 29% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 were cross-border transactions, indicating the relative importance of partnership-led expansion.[12]
- 34% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 were horizontal, compared with 66% that were vertical.[12]
- 71% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 were domestic, reflecting constraints on cross-border consolidation and ownership.[12]
07 Statistics
People & Workforce
Workforce demand keeps tightening: 435,000 new aviation jobs are projected for North America through 2044, including 119,000 pilots.
Hiring in the air transport industry
- More than 2.5 million new personnel will be required by 2043 to maintain safe and efficient global aviation operations.[11]
- 435,000 new aviation jobs are projected for North America through 2044, including 119,000 pilots, 123,000 maintenance technicians and 193,000 cabin crew.[19]
- Nearly 1.5 million new aviation professionals will be needed worldwide by 2034, including about 300,000 pilots and 416,000 maintenance technicians.[19]
- U.S. passenger and cargo airlines employed 1,049,241 workers in October 2025, up 17,187 workers or 1.67% from September.[20]
- More than 1,800 U.S. air traffic controllers were hired in 2024, the largest annual hiring total in nearly a decade.[21]
Employee retention in the air transport industry
- Spirit Airlines reported an overall employee turnover rate of 16.6% in 2024 in the United States.[22]
- ANA Group’s total employee turnover rate was 4.5% in fiscal 2025 globally.[23]
- United Airlines described 5% to 7% annual employee attrition as normal in 2023 in the United States.[21]
- ANA Group’s voluntary employee turnover rate was 3.6% in fiscal 2025 globally.[23]
Remote Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across U.S. transportation and utilities occupations, about 11% of workers worked remotely at least sometimes from October 2023 through September 2024.[24]
- Across U.S. transportation and utilities, 20.3% of workers could work from home in 2024–2025, while 18.6% actually did so, according to annual averages.[25]
- In the U.S. transportation and warehousing industry, 13.9% of wage and salary employees worked from home in January 2025.[26]
- Among U.S. transportation, logistics, supply-chain and storage hires, 17.0% of hires at small companies were remote during the year ending September 2024.[27]
Hybrid Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 42% reported a hybrid work arrangement in 2025.[28]
- Among U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked hybrid schedules in August 2026.[29]
- Among transportation employers surveyed for the U.S. Job Outlook, 33.3% reported fully hybrid work arrangements in 2024.[30]
- Globally, 25% of engaged employees were working in hybrid arrangements in 2025, compared with 30% of exclusively remote employees and 17% of on-site, non-remote-capable employees.[29]
Upskilling in the air transport industry
- 416,000 aircraft maintenance technicians will be needed worldwide by 2034 according to the 2025 aviation talent forecast.[19]
- 300,000 pilots will be needed worldwide by 2034 according to the 2025 aviation talent forecast.[19]
- Nearly 1.5 million aviation professionals will be needed worldwide by 2034, creating major training and reskilling requirements across pilots, technicians and other roles.[12]
- 123,000 maintenance technicians will be needed in North America through 2044 according to Boeing’s 2025 outlook.[19]
Employee Engagement in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across Asia-Pacific transport and logistics organizations, 62% of employees were actively engaged, based on feedback from 30,116 employees in 24 surveys.[31]
- Globally, 20% of employees were engaged at work in 2025, while 16% were actively disengaged.[29]
- In U.S. logistics, more than 60% of frontline workers considered their roles long-term career commitments in 2024.[32]
- In U.S. logistics, 40% of frontline workers wanted to quit in 2024, according to a survey of 500 logistics employees.[32]
- In U.S. logistics, 71% of frontline workers reported workplace stress in 2024.[32]
DEI in the air transport industry
- Women pilots’ participation increased from 3.6% to 4.0% worldwide between 2016 and 2021.[11]
- Women accounted for approximately 4% of pilots globally in 2026.[11]
- Women accounted for 20.6% of air traffic controllers globally in 2026.[11]
- Women represented approximately 5% of commercial-aviation workers globally in 2024.[11]
08 Statistics
Customer & Sales
Customer behavior increasingly supports digital channels, with 72% of U.S. flyers using mobile devices to board aircraft in 2025.
Customer experience in the air transport industry
Customer acquisition in the air transport industry
- 87% of U.S. travelers ranked price among their top considerations when choosing flights in 2025.[33]
- Nearly half of U.S. adults flew commercially in 2025.[33]
- 78% of U.S. travelers ranked schedule convenience among their top considerations when choosing flights in 2025.[33]
- 32% of U.S. leisure flyers said social media influenced their destination selection in 2025.[33]
Customer loyalty in the air transport industry
- Loyalty or frequent-flyer points, miles and perks ranked third among U.S. flight-selection criteria in 2025.[34]
- 33% of U.S. travelers ranked loyalty or frequent-flyer points, miles and perks among their top three flight-selection criteria in 2025.[34]
- 63% of frequent-flyer miles and points earned by U.S. consumers in 2022 came from airline credit-card spending.[34]
- The U.S. airline loyalty-program satisfaction score reached 80 out of 100 in 2024.[34]
09 Statistics
Marketing & Brand
Marketing measurement is tying spend to loyalty and digital reach, including $3.3 billion of Delta Air Lines’ revenue from loyalty-program revenue in 2024 in the United States.
Marketing in the air transport industry
- 82% was the increase in Vietjet app purchases following its personalized marketing campaign in Vietnam in 2024.[35]
- 285% was the return on investment achieved by Qatar Airways’ QVerse marketing campaign in 2024 globally.[36]
- $3.3 billion of Delta Air Lines’ revenue came from loyalty-program revenue in 2024 in the United States.[37]
Digital marketing in the air transport industry
- 20% of airline travel bookings were made through airline apps in the period covered by SITA’s 2024 passenger technology research globally.[1]
- 21.6 million impressions were generated by Avianca’s Expedia digital advertising campaign in the first half of 2024.[38]
- 2,000+ localized advertising creatives were used by Qatar Airways across 13 markets for its QVerse digital campaign in 2024.[36]
- 17.9 million impressions were delivered by Air New Zealand’s digital video campaign in the United Kingdom and Germany.[39]
Branding in the air transport industry
- $14.912 billion was Delta Air Lines’ brand value in 2025, ranking it first among global airline brands.[40]
- $8.365 billion was Emirates’ brand value in 2025, ranking it fourth among global airline brands.[40]
- $12.265 billion was United Airlines’ brand value in 2025, ranking it second globally.[40]
- $132.6 billion was the combined brand value of the world’s 50 leading airline brands in 2025.[40]
Influencer Marketing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- 43% of worldwide B2B marketers who achieved positive results said micro-influencers generated the most success in 2024.[44]
- 53% of U.S. B2B marketers reported a growing dedicated influencer-marketing budget in 2024 survey data.[44]
- 29% of B2B companies planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in 2025, globally.[45]
- 58% of B2B marketers selected authenticity and credibility as criteria for choosing influencers in 2025, globally.[45]
- 49% of B2B marketers selected industry relevance as a criterion for choosing influencers in 2025, globally.[45]
10 Statistics
Operations & Execution
Operations are balancing utilization and cost: global passenger load factor reached 83.6% and labor costs were 26.0% of global airline operating expenses in 2025.
Process optimization in the air transport industry
- 45% of air travelers wanted immigration procedures completed before reaching the airport in IATA’s 2024 global passenger survey.[12]
- 28% of airline payments used digital wallets in 2025 globally, up from 20% in 2024.[12]
- 8% of airline payments used instant-payment methods such as IATA Pay in 2025 globally, up from 6% in 2024.[12]
- 36% of air travelers wanted check-in completed before reaching the airport in IATA’s 2024 global passenger survey.[12]
Operational efficiency in the air transport industry
- 83.6% was the global passenger load factor in 2025, a record full-year level for the airline industry.[12]
- Fuel-efficiency gains stopped in 2024 and 2025 because aircraft deliveries were insufficient to replace less-efficient aircraft.[12]
- 26.0% of global airline operating expenses were labor costs in 2025.[12]
- $260 billion was the estimated global airline labor cost in 2025.[12]
Quality management in the air transport industry
- 85% of passengers were satisfied with booking in IATA’s 2024 global passenger survey.[12]
- 65% of passengers were satisfied with baggage collection in IATA’s 2024 global passenger survey.[12]
- 82% of passengers were satisfied with airline check-in in IATA’s 2024 global passenger survey.[12]
- 84 out of 100 was the United States airline-industry score for ease of making a reservation in ACSI’s 2024 study.[46]
Supply chain in the air transport industry
- $11 billion was the minimum estimated cost of aerospace supply-chain failures for airlines in 2025.[12]
- 500 million tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel would be required in 2050 to achieve the air transport industry’s net-zero target.[12]
- 71.6 million tonnes was the projected global air-cargo volume for 2026 amid continuing aircraft and parts supply-chain constraints.[12]
- 2.4 million tonnes was the projected global sustainable aviation fuel output for 2026, equal to about 0.8% of jet-fuel demand.[12]
Outsourcing / Offshoring in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 65% expected outsourcing to continue increasing in 2026.[47]
- Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, about 60% had fully outsourced transportation services in 2026.[47]
- Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 57% planned outsourcing projects in warehousing in 2026.[47]
- Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 25% had fully outsourced warehouse operations in 2026.[47]
11 Statistics
Finance & Pricing
Cost pressure shifts the mix toward ancillary revenue, with global airline ancillary revenue forecast to rise 12.6% to $165 billion in 2026.
Pricing strategy in the air transport industry
- $839 billion was the projected global passenger-ticket revenue for 2026 as airlines raised fares to cover higher fuel costs.[12]
- 84% was the forecast global airline load factor for 2025, indicating strong capacity utilization supporting revenue-management decisions.[12]
- $165 billion was the projected global airline ancillary-revenue total for 2026, growing faster than ticket revenue as airlines rely more on unbundled pricing.[12]
- 12.6% was the projected year-on-year growth in global airline ancillary revenue in 2026.[12]
Cost reduction in the air transport industry
- 13% was the projected increase in global airline operating expenses to $1.117 trillion in 2026 following the fuel-price shock.[12]
- $2.9 billion of the global airline payment-cost total in 2025 related to operating costs such as payment systems, delayed cash flow, staff and compliance.[12]
- $24.5 billion was the global airline payment-processing cost in 2025, incurred on $1.05 trillion in sales.[12]
- $5 was the average airline payment-processing cost per passenger in 2025 globally.[12]
Profitability in the air transport industry
- $45 billion was the estimated global airline net profit in 2025.[12]
- $23 billion was the projected global airline net profit in 2026 after the fuel-price shock.[12]
- 4.2% was the estimated global airline net margin in 2025.[12]
- $4.50 was the projected global airline net profit per passenger in 2026.[12]
Financial planning in the air transport industry
- $350 billion was the projected global airline fuel bill for 2026.[12]
- 55%–60% of global airline costs were denominated in U.S. dollars, compared with 50%–55% of revenue, according to IATA’s 2026 outlook.[12]
- A 1% weakening of the U.S. dollar against global currencies was estimated to lift global airline profits by about 1%.[12]
- Approximately one-third of airlines’ expected 2026 fuel consumption was hedged globally.[12]
12 Statistics
Product & Service
Fleet and services economics keep feeding renewals, including Airbus aftermarket services supporting approximately 27,000 aircraft globally in 2024.
Product development in the air transport industry
- Airbus invested €16.7 billion in Defence and Space order intake in 2024, supporting development across aerospace product platforms.[14]
- 18,460 aircraft were in the Airbus A320 Family order book at the end of February 2024, making it the world’s best-selling commercial aircraft family.[14]
- 878 gross commercial aircraft orders were recorded by Airbus in 2024, including 142 A350 and 82 A330 orders.[15]
- 766 commercial aircraft were delivered by Airbus in 2024, including the first A321XLR deliveries, demonstrating ongoing product development and industrialization.[15]
Product lifecycle in the air transport industry
- Latest-generation commercial aircraft were estimated to be about 25% more efficient than the previous generation in 2024.[48]
- Airbus had delivered 15,963 aircraft to operators worldwide from 24,621 aircraft ordered by 448 customers as of December 31, 2024.[14]
- About 66% of the global commercial aircraft fleet consisted of previous-generation aircraft in 2024, according to Airbus lifecycle analysis.[48]
After-sales in the air transport industry
- Off-wing maintenance represented a $107 billion global services segment in 2025, according to Airbus’ services forecast.[14]
- Aftermarket services supported approximately 27,000 aircraft globally in 2024, including 12,000 in-service Airbus aircraft.[15]
- The global commercial-aircraft aftermarket services market was valued at approximately $150 billion in 2024.[15]
- Digital and connectivity services were forecast to grow from $9 billion in 2025 to $26 billion in 2044 in Airbus’ commercial aviation services market.[14]
Value proposition in the air transport industry
- International premium-class travel grew 11.8% in 2024, compared with 11.5% growth in economy travel worldwide.[12]
- 83.5% was the global passenger load factor in 2024, an all-time high that indicates strong utilization of airline seat capacity.[12]
- The United States handled 876 million departing and arriving passengers in 2024, the largest national air passenger market.[12]
13 Statistics
Sustainability & Ethics
Sustainable fuel supply remains limited: projected 2026 output is 2.4 million tonnes, equal to about 0.8% of jet-fuel demand.
Sustainability in the air transport industry
- Airlines consumed all available sustainable aviation fuel in 2024 at an estimated average price of $2,350 per tonne.[12]
- Global sustainable aviation fuel production was projected at 2.4 million tonnes in 2026, equal to 0.8% of annual jet-fuel consumption.[12]
- Airlines produced approximately 1 million tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel in 2024, double the 2023 volume.[12]
- Sustainable aviation fuel represented 0.3% of global jet-fuel production in 2024.[12]
ESG in the air transport industry
- Airbus recorded 595,418 cubic metres of water consumption in 2024.[48]
- Airbus directed 38,364 tonnes of operational waste to disposal in 2024, including 16,449 tonnes of hazardous waste.[48]
- Airbus generated 168,735 tonnes of recycled waste in its own operations in 2024.[48]
- Airbus employed 156,921 people at the end of 2024, up 6% from 147,893 employees in 2023.[14]
Ethics in the air transport industry
Circular economy in the air transport industry
- All Airbus commercial aircraft were covered by life-cycle assessment in the company’s 2024 circularity disclosures.[48]
- Airbus sent 992.4 tonnes of operational waste to landfill in 2024.[48]
- Airbus recycled 168,735 tonnes of operational waste in 2024, including 6,828 tonnes of hazardous waste.[48]
- Airbus reported 38,018 cubic metres of water recycled or reused in 2024.[48]
Carbon footprint in the air transport industry
- Airline-sector net CO2 emissions were 824 grams per revenue-tonne-kilometer in 2024.[12]
- Airlines emitted 942 million tonnes of gross CO2 in 2024, while net emissions were 933 million tonnes after mitigation.[12]
- Airline CO2 emissions intensity improved 3.7% per revenue-tonne-kilometer in 2024.[12]
- Airline-sector net CO2 emissions increased 6.7% year on year in 2024 as air traffic expanded.[12]
14 Statistics
Risk, Compliance & Legal
Risk controls remain uneven across functions, with 69% of global transportation executives saying cyber resilience is primarily the responsibility of cybersecurity teams rather than an enterprise-wide priority in 2024.
Compliance in the air transport industry
- 1.32 accidents per million flights was the global all-accident rate in 2025, according to IATA’s annual safety review.[12]
- 210 airline chief executives endorsed IATA’s Safety Leadership Charter by 2025.[12]
- 0.72 accidents per million flights was the 2025 all-accident rate for IATA member airlines.[12]
- 8 fatal accidents occurred in commercial aviation worldwide in 2025.[12]
Risk Management in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Among global logistics decision-makers at consumer brands, 59% identified building risk-management frameworks as a strategic priority in 2025.[49]
- Among global logistics decision-makers at consumer brands, 60% were already using artificial intelligence extensively for risk management in 2025.[49]
- Across global transportation and logistics companies, 90% reported having robust risk-management frameworks in 2026, according to a survey of 331 transportation leaders.[50]
- Across global transportation and logistics companies, 75% had moved away from purely reactive risk strategies by 2026, according to a survey of 331 transportation leaders.[50]
- Across 400 global transportation and logistics decision-makers, 53% identified regulation as one of the greatest risks to business success in 2024.[51]
Cybersecurity in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Among Florida transportation and logistics organizations, 46% conducted tabletop exercises for ransomware readiness in 2024.[52]
- Among Florida transportation and logistics organizations, 40% had an incident-response plan for ransomware readiness in 2024.[52]
- Among global transportation executives, 69% said cyber resilience remained primarily the responsibility of cybersecurity teams rather than an enterprise-wide priority in 2024.[53]
- Among global transportation organizations, 73% reported that cybersecurity budgets were reactive rather than proactive in 2024.[53]
- Among global transportation executives, 53% said cybersecurity was included in broader corporate strategy discussions in 2024.[53]
Data Privacy in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Among European freight and transport organizations, 16% identified data privacy as a concern when exchanging information in 2024.[54]
- Among European freight and transport organizations, 18% identified data security as a concern when exchanging information in 2024.[54]
- Among transportation shippers surveyed in the United States, 36% cited privacy concerns as an obstacle to sharing data with external logistics partners in 2024.[17]
- Among third-party logistics providers surveyed in the United States, 13% did not share data with external partners in 2024, partly because of privacy and security concerns.[17]
- Among transportation shippers surveyed in the United States, 18% did not share data with external partners in 2024, partly because of privacy and security concerns.[17]
Crisis Management in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)
- Among transportation and logistics organizations surveyed globally during the COVID-19 crisis, 40% had a pandemic plan before the crisis in 2020.[55]
- Among transportation and logistics organizations surveyed globally during the COVID-19 crisis, 43% believed additional crisis planning would have added value in 2020.[55]
- Among shippers surveyed in the 3PL market, 13% identified risk management and contingency planning as a major challenge in 2024.[56]
- Among affected transportation and logistics organizations surveyed globally during the COVID-19 crisis, 24% were unsure of the pandemic’s long-term business impact in 2020.[55]
- Among transportation and logistics organizations surveyed globally during the COVID-19 crisis, 69% reported that their business had been affected in 2020.[55]
Governance in the air transport industry
- 38% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 resulted in majority ownership.[12]
- 63% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 involved minority stakes rather than majority ownership.[12]
- 71% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 were domestic, including transactions within the European Union.[12]
15 Statistics
Globalization & Expansion
Traffic mix stays tilted toward international routes, with international traffic representing 62.8% of global industry RPKs in September 2026.
Globalization in the air transport industry
- 4.669 billion passengers used scheduled air services worldwide in 2024.[11]
- 4.6% was the year-over-year increase in domestic passenger traffic in 2024.[11]
- 47.9% of international passenger traffic in 2024 was accounted for by Europe.[11]
- 23.6% of international passenger traffic in 2024 was accounted for by Asia-Pacific.[11]
- 13.3% was the year-over-year increase in international passenger traffic in 2024.[11]
Supplier management in the air transport industry
- 34% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 were horizontal transactions involving businesses at the same level of the value chain.[12]
- 46% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 had innovation and technology as their strategic intent.[12]
- 66% of airline M&A transactions from 2020 through June 2025 were vertical deals involving suppliers, service providers or technology firms.[12]
Stakeholder management in the air transport industry
- 394 on-board fatalities were recorded in commercial aviation worldwide in 2025.[12]
- 37.4 million scheduled-service departures were recorded worldwide in 2024.[11]
- 51 total aviation accidents occurred worldwide in 2025, affecting the industry’s safety stakeholders.[12]
- 7.9% was the increase in worldwide scheduled-service passengers in 2024 compared with 2023.[11]
Distribution channels in the air transport industry
- 60.8 million tonnes of freight were carried by scheduled air services worldwide in 2024.[11]
- 4.669 billion passengers traveled on scheduled air services worldwide in 2024, representing the industry’s total passenger distribution base.[11]
- 9.098 trillion passenger-kilometres were generated by scheduled air services worldwide in 2024.[11]
- 243.740 billion freight tonne-kilometres were generated by scheduled air services worldwide in 2024.[11]
Key questions about the air transport industry
What is the 2026 global air transport market size?
How fast is demand expected to grow in 2026?
Which companies lead the air transport industry?
What technology shifts show up most in airports and airlines?
How is the industry structured in terms of representation and scale?
What is driving pricing and margin pressure into 2026?
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Air Transport Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/air-transport-industry-statistics
Samuel Norberg. "Air Transport Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/air-transport-industry-statistics.
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Air Transport Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/air-transport-industry-statistics.
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Social media in the air transport industry