Middle East to see 446 mln passengers in 2025; airlines see 8.2% growth

The Middle East is forecasted to reach 466 million air passengers in 2025 (+5.9%), according to Airports Council International (ACI) World’s newly released World Airport Traffic Report (WATR)

At the same time, according to IATA, Middle Eastern carriers saw an 8.2% year-on-year increase in demand in August. Capacity rose by 6.9% year-on-year, and the load factor was 83.9% (+1 point compared to August 2024). 

ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci said: “Air travel is on track to reach 9.8 billion passengers in 2025, underscoring aviation’s role as a driver of global mobility and economic growth.
International travel remains the main engine of growth, but regional variations reflect a mix of structural strengths, policy challenges, and evolving travel patterns. To sustain air travel demand globally, regulators must foster policies and frameworks that enable improved connectivity, long-term resilience, and sustainable growth.”

Global passenger traffic continues to grow unevenly across regions, reflecting a mix of structural strengths, policy challenges, and evolving travel patterns. Emerging aviation markets such as in Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America are driving growth, supported by rising demand and a growing presence of low-cost carriers, according to ACI.

In contrast, advanced aviation markets—including parts of East Asia, Europe, and North America—face a more uncertain outlook amid geopolitical tensions, demographic shifts (such as ageing in some regions), and changes in traveller behaviour (such as uncertainty in travel and visa policies).