BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's domestic air travelers, as well as international passengers in and out of China, will be the biggest boost to airline industry growth over the next four years, according to an industry outlook report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Monday.
Of the world's expected 800 million new travelers by 2014, about 181 million new passengers will come from China's domestic air routes, while another 33 million will be passengers flying to or from China via international routes, IATA said.
China's 181 million domestic air passengers growth will lift the country's domestic passenger throughput to 379 million by 2014, only behind the United States in the world's aviation traveler volume ranking, according to IATA.
The United States will remain the largest single country market for domestic passengers, with 671 million domestic air travelers and international passengers by then, according to IATA's forecast.
The world's air travelers will top 3.3 billion by 2014, up by 800 million from the 2.5 billion in 2009, while world air cargo will rise to 38 million tonnes from 26 million tonnes in 2009.
The forecast indicates that the world will continue to become more mobile. This creates enormous opportunities but also presents some challenges, Giovanni Bisignani, IATA' s Director General and CEO, said in the outlook report.
We will need even more efficient air traffic management, airport facilities and security programs, he said, adding the shadow of the global economic recession is expected to remain over parts of the industry for some time to come.
He said lingering consumer debt, high unemployment and austerity measures will dampen growth rates in Europe and North America, shifting the industry's focus eastwards.
By 2014, 1 billion people will travel by air in the Asia-Pacific region, accounting for 30 percent of the global total, up from 26 percent in 2009, he added.