Freight demands in the Middle East will grow by 4.9 percent every year UAE is on course to become the the sixth biggest freight market in the world by 2016, according to a new outlook published by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The report predicts steady growth for Middle East airlines which will impact on countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
UAE will carry 2.5m tonnes by 2016, behind the United States, Germany, China, Hong Kong, and Japan. IATA says the Middle East is expected to see 6.6 percent annual passenger demand growth in the period with international freight demands growing at 4.9 percent.
There will also be an increase in passengers with around 800 million more passengers travelling on Middle Eastern airlines in 2016 then in 2011. \"The emerging economies of Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East will see the strongest passenger growth. This will be led by routes within or connected to China, which are expected to account for 193 million of the 831 million new passengers over the forecast period,\" the IATA said.
United States will continue to be the largest single market for domestic passengers in 2016.
IATA predicts that by 2016, the top five countries for international travel will be the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and France.