FAA Predicts Air Travel Will Grow as Economy Recovers

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) annual aviation forecast predicts a return to growth for air travel in the long term, underscoring the need for vital aviation infrastructure and environmental improvements contained in the FAA’s comprehensive Next Generation Air Transportation System plan.

Due to the current worldwide economic downturn, the FAA’s 16-year forecast for 2009-2025 predicts the number of domestic passenger to decrease by 7.8 percent in 2009 and then grow an average of 2.7 percent per year during the remaining 15-year forecast period.

While last year the FAA predicted the U.S. airlines would reach a billion passengers a year by 2016, the forecast projects U.S. airlines to reach one billion air travelers annually by 2021. The number of passengers on U.S. airlines domestically and internationally is forecast to increase from 757.4 million in 2008 to 1.1 billion in 2025.

U.S. aircraft operations are predicted to experience a 5.7 percent decrease in 2009 from 2008 levels. Beginning in 2010, the agency expects operations to grow at an average annual rate of 1.5 percent for the remainder of the forecast period.

The Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, is a key to transformation of the ground-based air traffic control radar system of today to a satellite-based system of the future and necessary for FAA to meet the safety, efficiency and environmental needs of the future.

The FAA estimates that the cost of delays currently averages approximately $9.4 billion each year. Environmentally friendly NextGen technologies and procedures will increase capacity and safety and reduce fuel burn, carbon emissions, and noise.