BEIJING, Oct 29 (Xinhua): The global aviation market is witnessing an apparent eastward trend as the Asia-Pacific market is set to maintain growth, with China as the major impetus.
The global air passenger volume could double from the current level to 8.2 billion in 2037, with an increasing "eastwards" shift, said the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
"We forecast that over the next twenty years, China's annual market growth will be, on average, around five per cent," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's director general and CEO.
"China has seen double-digit growth over the past decades in the domestic civil aviation market," he told the news agency at a telephone press conference for the forecast.
Alongside China rebalancing its economy towards consumption, air traffic to, from, and within the country is set to continuously grow over the long term, according to the IATA.
"China is the most exciting and dynamic market in the world. The continuous growth in its economy and middle class sustains the country's upward civil aviation market," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of commercial marketing for the Boeing Company.
China is forecast to become the world's largest aviation market by the mid-2020s, around 2024 to 2025, said the forecast.
Besides the surging domestic aviation market, China will also be a key player in the international air route market alongside its continuous opening-up and the rising enthusiasm of Chinese in global travel.
Five of the top-10 international routes will touch China by the end of 2037, up from the current three, according to IATA.
