The world airline system carries 1.5 billion scheduled passengers a year - and more than 26 million tonnes of freight. Air transport activity is expected to double over the next ten to twelve years.
Aviation is at the heart of the travel and tourism sector, now the world's largest industry.
Currently, travel and tourism supports roughly 190 million jobs, or 1 out of every 12 workers in the world. According to figures compiled by the World Travel and Tourism Council, the travel and tourism sector currently generates an annual gross output of some USD 3,600 billion - about 12 percent of the world's total Gross Domestic Product. than a third of the value of the world's manufactured exports are transported by air. Governments need to be reminded of these facts - because governments set the political and economic agenda for international air transport. It is governments that decide, ultimately, how much airport capacity is provided and where it is located. Governments either set, or approve, the charging policies for such facilities.