Long-term transport growth bodes well for Middle East airlines, airports as competition intensifies

Al-Monitor Pro Members

Afshin Molavi

Senior Fellow, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Aug. 30, 2022

Global air transport is well-positioned for long-term growth over the next two decades, according to recent UN and industry forecasts. The leading Middle East and North Africa airlines and airports will be well-positioned to ride this wave. Located strategically between East and West and near rising air travel populations in South Asia and large swathes of Africa, the "Big Three" aviation country powerhouses — the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Turkey — will continue to grow while facing deepening competition from an ambitious Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, low-cost carriers will continue their rise and the competition for increasingly lucrative air cargo dollars will intensify.