Number Of Passengers Live:
Number Of Aircraft Takeoff`s:
Future Perspective
When asking the two big air plane
manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus,
about their expectations for the
upcoming years, both are very
optimistic. Airbus expects that
twenty years from now almost
30.000 air planes will be operating.
Boeing predicts, that by the same
time, 35.000 planes will be required
to fulfil the demand. Compared to
the current situation this would
mean a doubling in the number of
air planes.
And the same number of landings (We hope so)
Worldwide Air Traffic in Numbers
In this article we will present an
overview of air traffic volume
around the world. When
summarising air traffic it is a good
practice to differentiate, on one
hand, between domestic and
international flights, and on the
other hand, between passenger
and cargo transport.
Passenger Transport
In 2012, almost 3 billion passenger
tickets were sold for a flight with
one of the 17.000 planes that are
currently operating. More than two
third of these tickets concerned
international flights, where
departure and destination airport
are located in two different
countries. For fifty percent of the
passengers at least one of the
airports was located in Europe.
Within a year, the amount of
passengers is far from stable:
during the summer months
passenger volume is 25% higher
than during the winter period.
Air traffic can also be represented
in terms of passenger-kilometres
(PK), i.e. the overall distance that
individual passengers have been
carried. By calculating air traffic
this way, more weight is given to
flights covering a longer distance.
Then, all international flights
summed up to about 3.5 trillion PK,
and domestic flights to about 2
trillion PK per year. An average of
twenty percent of the chairs
remained empty, regardless of the
type of flight.
World's existing airliners:
Annual Number Of Passengers:
Cargo Transport
In air fright traffic, international
flights contribute a much higher
share to the total amount than
they do in passenger transport.
Over the year 2012, 30-40 million
tons of goods have been
transported by air. As we did for
passenger transport, we can
represent fright traffic in freight-
kilometres (FK), with freight
measured in metric tons. The
overall air fright volume summed
up to 180 billion FK, of which
more than 150 billion FK were
international flights, leaving about
17% for domestic cargo flights.
The load factor in cargo transport
tends to be around 50%. Here it
needs to be considered that the
load factor is calculated as
percentage of the actual load
relative to the weight a cargo
plane is allowed to carry.
Therefore, if a plane's is full of
goods that are large in volume
without being heavy, even a full
plane may not reach a load factor
of 100%.
Live distance travelled at 900 km/h
(In Kilometers):
Live kerosene consumption
(in litres) of a 747 (3.25 litres/second at
cruising altitude and 900 km/h) :
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT OF AIR TRAFFIC
HISTORY OF CIVIL AVIATION
The Rise and Development of Air Travel: A History of the Last 70 Years
The history of air travel has been a unique journey, and since the end of WWII (1945) there
has been dramatic growth in the number of flights worldwide. While it's hard to paint a
broad picture of this field due to the various advances in technology, safety, and
economics, we can nonetheless take a look at how passenger travel has evolved over the
last 70 years.
Shortly after WWII, air travel's potential was realised and aviation underwent a significant
technological revolution, with the rapid development of jet engines ushering in the jet age.
This saw an exponential rise in the number of flights, with the number of flights per year
quickly reaching into the hundreds of millions. This growth would continue throughout the
1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, with the number of passengers per year soaring to over one
billion per year.
The 1980s saw further advancements in technology and safety, culminating in the
deregulation of the airline industry. This saw the fall of traditional airline monopolies, and
opened the door for low-cost carriers such as Southwest, who could now compete with
the larger airlines. This further increased the number of flights per year, and by the
beginning of the 1990s, air travel was becoming increasingly affordable for those of lower
income levels.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, air travel would become more accessible and popular
than ever before, with the strong economic growth in many parts of the world leading to
an even bigger surge in annual flights. Today, the number of scheduled flights per year
has skyrocketed to over four billion, making air travel perhaps the most popular form of
transportation in the world.
Of course, this growth also brings with it a range of challenges for the industry to adapt
to. With an ever-increasing demand for flights, safety and environmental concerns also
become more pressing. Even so, the upward trajectory of air travel appears to show no
signs of slowing down in the near future.
GLOBAL KEROSENE CONSUMPTION
Air travel is one of the most widely used modes of transport, providing people with an
efficient and relatively inexpensive way to get to destinations around the world. While it
has its environmental drawbacks, the industry still needs to use fuel to operate and
increase its capacity. Kerosin, also known as aviation fuel, plays a major role in the
aviation industry, and it is estimated that around 356 million tonnes of the fuel were
consumed around the world in 2022.
Kerosin is a specialized type of fuel specifically designed for turbine engines used in
aircraft, and it has been used for over a century. Its main component is a complex mixture
consisting mainly of hydrocarbons, including n-heptane, iso-octane and toluene. These
hydrocarbons are blended in a specific ratio that meets the high quality standards needed
to safely operate aircraft. In addition, other additives can be added to make the fuel
suitable for different kinds of engines, climates and altitudes.
Most of the world’s kerosin is consumed in commercial aviation operations, with the
remaining being consumed by military, government, cargo and general aviation
operations. Although there have been various initiatives to improve the fuel efficiency of
aircraft, kerosin consumption is steadily increasing due to the rising demand for air travel.
This increase in consumption is estimated to continue to grow as air travel becomes more
accessible and airlines strive to optimise operations and reduce fuel costs.
The aviation industry accounts for a significant majority of worldwide kerosin
consumption, but the fuel is also used in other applications, such as producing jet fuel,
refinery blending and manufacturing petrochemicals. Nonetheless, it is clear that kerosin
is an essential component in the global air transport industry, and its consumption will
continue to increase in the near future.
DEVELOPMENT AND NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT WORLDWIDE
Air travel has undergone a significant transformation in the past two decades, with the
global commercial aircraft fleet growing from fewer than 17,000 in 2000 to more than
27,000 in 2020. Major airlines, including the world's 30 largest, continue to expand their
fleets to stay competitive and grow their businesses. The number of aircraft manufactured
by the 20 leading aircraft makers has also increased over the past 20 years, with Boeing
and Airbus continuing to dominate the market.
The global aircraft fleet growth is partially attributed to the increase in low-cost airlines
which are encouraging more travellers to take advantage of air travel. Boeing and Airbus
have been the most popular aircraft manufacturers in the aviation industry. Since 2000, the
total number of Boeings in service has nearly doubled from 7,530 to 13,632, while the total
number of Airbus planes in service has more than quadrupled from 1,436 to 7,683. The
vast majority of the world’s 30 largest airlines operate one or both of these aircraft. The
other 18 leading aircraft makers have also seen significant growth, from 1,120 aircraft in
2000 to 5,194 in 2020, with Airbus’ A320 and Boeing’s 737 models remaining the top
sellers.
The development of new technologies, improved navigation systems, and new safety
features has also contributed to the increase in the global fleet size. Major airlines such as
Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and United Airlines have begun replacing their fleets
with newer model aircraft, while others such as Southwest Airlines and Ryanair continue
to add larger numbers of newer models. As the cost of new aircraft begins to decrease,
more airlines are expected to join the ranks, as well as the number of aircraft
manufacturers.
Aviation experts predict that the number of aircraft worldwide is likely to continue its
steady upward trajectory in the coming years and decades. Boeing and Airbus will remain
the two dominant players in the aircraft market, but smaller manufacturers are also
expected to gain ground as budget airlines seek more fuel efficient and cost effective
options. The future of global aircraft fleet growth looks promising, as more airlines enter
the market and existing airlines expand their fleets.
There’s no doubt that the aviation industry has come a long way over the years. From
commercial airlines and private jets to cargo and military aircraft, millions of people
across the globe rely on these passenger and freight services to travel quickly and safely.
In fact, the global aviation market has experienced a sustained period of growth over the
past two decades. To get an idea of just how large and pervasive the industry is, we’ve
compiled a list of the world’s top aircraft manufacturers and passenger airlines.
Let’s start with the world’s top 20 aircraft manufacturers. From a manufacturing
perspective, these organizations are responsible for producing airplanes that meet the
needs of the industry. The most popular aircraft manufacturers are: Boeing, Airbus,
Embraer, Bombardier, Textron Aviation, Cessna, Lockheed Martin, Mitsubishi, Bell,
GaitWorks, Cirrus, AgustaWestland, Pilatus, Dassault-Breguet, Saab Group, Sukhoi, ATR,
Daher, Antonov, and Kawasaki.
When it comes to passenger airlines, the list of top 30 airlines worldwide is comprised of a
mix of domestic, regional, and international carriers. The dominant players in the field
include: American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, China
Eastern Airlines, Emirates, British Airways, All Nippon Airways, Lufthansa, Air Canada,
Qatar Airways, Air China, Japan Airlines, Air India, Turkish Airlines, KLM, Alaska Airlines,
Garuda Indonesia, Iberia, China Southern Airlines, Air France, Ryanair, Vueling Airlines,
Air Europa, Aeromexico, Virgin Atlantic, Alitalia, Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, Jet Airways, and
Alaska-Horizon Air.
Together, these groups manufacture and operate the aircraft that make up the core of the
global air transport network. By continuing to invest in safe, reliable, and efficient aircraft,
they will remain essential players in the continued growth of the aviation industry.