India will dominate air passenger traffic, growth rate will leave China behind in 2026
Airports group ACI said on Wednesday that India will overtake neighboring country China in air passenger traffic growth rate in 2026. ACI estimates that India's air passenger traffic growth rate will be 10.5 percent. India, one of the fastest-growing civil aviation markets in the world, is estimated to have an air passenger traffic growth rate of 10.1 percent this year.
Airports group Airports International Council (ACI) stated on Wednesday that India would surpass neighbouring nation China in the growth of air passenger traffic in 2026.
ACI projects India's air traffic growth rate to stand at 10.5 percent. India, the world's fastest-expanding civil aviation market, is projected to record an air traffic growth of 10.1 percent in the current year, compared to the 12 percent forecast for China.
The neighbouring country's aviation market is far greater than that of India. Stefano Baronci, Director General for the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, ACI, stated that India is a developing market that is in the process of adding infrastructure.
ACI represents more than 600 airports in Asia-Pacific and West Asia. According to its estimates, India's air passenger growth rate will be 10.5 percent in 2026 and 10.3 percent in 2027, while China's growth rate will be 8.9 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.
According to ACI, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for air passenger traffic in India for 2023-27 is estimated to be 9.5 percent, higher than China's 8.8 percent. India will be the fastest growing aviation market globally with a CAGR of 5.5 per cent for the period 2023-2053, while China's CAGR will be 3.8 per cent.
Highlighting the high growth prospects for the Indian aviation market, ACI said the country's per capita annual trips in 2043 will be 0.4 compared to 0.1 in 2023. Currently, there are 159 operational airports in India.
