New Analysis Debunks the Assumption That Air Passenger Growth Drives Economic Growth

The first ever Europe-wide analysis investigating the link between the growth in air transport and economic growth has found industry claims that economic growth is driven by increased air connectivity, such as airport expansion, are deeply flawed.

The study from the New Economics Foundation, and commissioned by T&E, analysed 274 European regions and shows that the supposed link between air traffic growth and economic growth is weaker than commonly claimed. In 53% (143) of the regions analysed, much of Northern and Western Europe, the higher income of citizens drives increased air traffic, not the other way around. The analysis finds that air traffic growth is most often a consequence of prosperity, not the cause of it.