Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Airlines’ profit is expected to touch $36 billion, slightly higher than $32.4 billion posted last year, IATA said on Monday (June 2, 2025).
Addressing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in the national capital, its Director General Willie Walsh asserted that airspace should be kept out of trade wars.
The AGM is taking place in India after 42 years.
Flagging concerns over supply chain issues, Mr. Walsh said there is a backlog of 17,000 aircraft and 1,100 planes under 10 years are in storage while the fleet replacement rate is 3%.
In 2025, airlines globally are expected to report a profit of $36 billion, higher than $32.4 billion recorded in 2024, but slightly down compared to $36.6 billion projected in December 2024, as per IATA.
Mr. Walsh said that $36 billion profit is significant but that equates to just $7.20 per passenger per segment.
“It’s still a thin buffer and any new tax, increase in airport or navigation charge, demand shock or costly regulation will quickly put the industry’s resilience to the test,” he said.
The airline industry’s revenues are expected to reach a historic high of $979 billion in 2025, around 1.3% higher than the figure seen in 2024, according to IATA, which represents about 350 airlines comprising over 80% of the global air traffic.
Around 1,700 participants are expected to attend the World Air Transport Summit, and the AGM.
According to IATA, India’s aviation industry directly employs 3,69,700 people and generates $5.6 billion of GDP.
When indirect, induced and tourism impacts are included, the totals rise to 7.7 million jobs and $53.6 billion of GDP (1.5%).
The next IATA AGM will be held in Brazil in 2026.
Published – June 02, 2025 11:11 am IST