WITH global GDP generated by aviation forecasted to more than double in the next 20 years, aviation industry players are calling on policymakers to put in place frameworks that will support and sustain growth.
The Aviation: Benefits Beyond Borders report by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) states that aviation currently contributes US$2.7 trillion in GDP worldwide and the number is expected to increase to US$5.9 trillion in the next two decades.
In Asia-Pacific, air transport contributes US$626 billion to the region’s GDP. Aviation in the region has the highest share of global traffic at 33 per cent, and is expected to grow at 5.1 per cent per annum over the same time period.
The report also projects aviation-supported jobs worldwide will increase from 62.7 million to over 99 million.
Aviation players in Asia-Pacific are thus appealing for greater government involvement in light of these growth trends and their implications on broader social and economic development.
“Governments have an important role to play in providing a stable policy framework and coordinating the necessary investments in associated aviation infrastructure to match the projected growth in travel and tourism demand, spurring further income growth and job creation, as well as strengthening regional integration and global connectivity,” said Andrew Herdman, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
Representing the airport sector, Patti Chau, regional director for Airports Council International Asia-Pacific, “calls on governments in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East to continue to develop aviation policy that will support the growth of air transport, (while) respecting the balance between growth and sustainability”.
Hai Eng Chiang, director of Asia-Pacific affairs for the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation, stresses the need for efficient and cost-effective air traffic management to cope with rising demand.
“States in the Asia-Pacific region have a key role to play by cooperating and breaking down national barriers towards the common vision of a seamless sky,” he said.
In the more immediate term, Michael Gill, executive director of ATAG, wants governmental participation in the drafting of the association’s climate action plan.
“We need support from governments around the world to agree on a key part of that plan at the upcoming International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly, where we hope an agreement can be reached on a global offsetting scheme for air transport.”
