Global airport passenger traffic increased 4.9% in 2011 while aircraft movements rose 2.0%, according to the latest data from Airports Council International (ACI).

The growth of airport traffic in the Asia Pacific region however, outpaced the global average. Asia Pacific recorded a 5.7% rise in airport traffic last year, with 1.25 billion passengers - the third busiest region following Europe (+7.1% to 1.51 billion) and North America (+1.8% to 1.47 billion). The strongest growth rate was seen in Latin America & the Caribbean (+8.6% to 388.1 million) and the Middle East & Africa (+8.4% to 178.9 million). Africa’s airport traffic however, sank 5.9% to 133.6 million passengers.

Latin America also saw the strongest growth in aircraft movements (+5.5% to 5.3 million), followed by Asia Pacific (+5.2% to 10.6 million), Europe (+3.4% to 18.0 million) and the Middle East & Africa (+2.9% to 1.6 million). The number of aircraft movements in North America (-0.7% to 26.5 million) and Africa (-1.0% to 2.2 million) both declined.

“2011 could best be described as a year of global uncertainty,” said ACI’s World Director General, Angela Gittens. “International passenger traffic remained relatively unaffected by economies in Europe and North America teetering towards recession. Despite economic instability and political unrest in many regions of the world, overall, airports continued to experience sustained global passenger growth as compared to 2010.”

Atlanta (+3.4% to 92.4 million passengers) continues to be the world’s busiest airport, followed by Beijing (+4.7% to 77.4 million). London Heathrow (+5.4% to 69.4 million) returned to third place last year, while Chicago O’Hare (-0.5% to 66.6 million) was fourth.

Other Asia Pacific airports in the top 20 include Tokyo Haneda (fifth, -2.9% to 62.3 million), Hong Kong (10th, +5.9% to 53.3 million), Jakarta (12th, +19.2% to 52.4 million), Bangkok (16th, +12.0% to 49.8 million), Singapore (18th, +10.7% to 46.5 million) and Guangzhou (19th, +10.8% to 45.4 million).

Source: Travel Daily Asia