Resilience Amidst Regional Turbulence

The escalating crisis in the Middle East has undeniably cast a shadow over global aviation, particularly impacting Asian carriers. Airlines have faced flight cancellations, increased operational costs, and even the grounding of aircraft. Notably, Gulf Air relocated its hub, and some Southeast Asian carriers experienced jet fuel shortages, leading to suspended flights.

However, Stefano Baronci, Director General of ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East, remains optimistic. Speaking at the Routes Asia event in Xi’an, China, Baronci emphasized that while “external shocks are mounting,” there is no sufficient evidence to suggest that these challenges will undermine Asia’s projected dominance in what he terms the “century of Asia for aviation.”

Baronci acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating, “All the focus is about the Middle East at the moment: the economic turbulence is entering a new phase, which is partly unpredictable and may increase the economic pressure, the social pressure and in certain constituencies, also the political pressure.” Yet, he firmly believes the foundational strength of Asian aviation will prevail.

Asia-Pacific: A Global Aviation Powerhouse

The ACI’s confidence is strongly supported by recent data highlighting the Asia-Pacific region’s formidable position in global aviation. According to IATA, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for a substantial 34.5% of global passenger numbers in 2025.

Last year, airlines in the Asia-Pacific region demonstrated remarkable growth, posting a 10.9% rise in international traffic compared to 2024. Capacity increased by 10.2%, and load factors saw a 0.5 percentage point rise, reaching an impressive 84.4%. This performance positioned Asia-Pacific with the fastest growth rate and highest load factor among all regions globally in 2025.

Furthermore, Baronci highlighted the region’s critical role in Middle Eastern connectivity, noting, “Asia Pacific is the leading external engine of Middle East connectivity, when measured in terms of seat capacity and frequency of flights.” The Asia Pacific-Middle East corridor emerged as the largest external market in 2025, facilitating 133 million seats and representing 31% of the Middle East market share, signaling robust post-COVID structural demand.

Strong Fundamentals Drive Future Growth

Prior to the outbreak of the conflict, ACI APAC & MID had forecasted significant annual passenger growth for the 2025–2028 period: 4.8% for Asia-Pacific and 5.4% for the Middle East. These projections were based on “resilient economic fundamentals, renewed travel demand, and airport investments.”

Countries like India and Vietnam are expected to continue leading Asia-Pacific’s surge in both domestic and international travel. Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia is rapidly transforming into a major aviation powerhouse in the Middle East, driven by extensive airport development projects currently underway.