Worldwide annual air passenger numbers exceeded 4 billion for the first time in 2017, supported by a broad-based improvement in global economic conditions and lower average airfares, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced this week.
At the same time, airlines connected a record number of cities worldwide, providing regular services to over 20,000 city pairs in 2017, more than double the level of 1995. Such increases in direct services improve the industry’s efficiency by cutting costs and saving time for both travelers and shippers alike, the airline trade organization says.
