Airport Operations Market Outlook:
Airport Operations Market size was valued at USD 8.1 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 60.6 billion by the end of 2035, rising at a CAGR of 22.3% during the forecast period, i.e., 2026-2035. In 2026, the industry size of airport operations is estimated at USD 9.9 billion.
The global airport operations market continues to expand in line with the increasing passenger movements, infrastructure modernization, and government-led capacity enhancement programs. According to the International Air Transport Association report in January 2024, the global air traffic rose to 36.9% in 2023, supported by the strong domestic and short-haul demand across the advanced and emerging economies. The ICAO data in 2024 states that the scheduled passenger traffic reached 4,2 billion in 2023, reflecting the increasing operational workload across the airport terminals' airside functions and safety systems. At the same time, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration noted that the U.S. airports are reinforcing the need for improved runway operations, securing the coordination and terminal flow management. Governments are accelerating the funds for the runway rehabilitation, taxiway upgrades, and safety infrastructure.
Global Air Traffic Recovery Report in 2023
|
Traffic Type |
Change in 2023 vs 2022 |
% of 2019 (Pre-Pandemic) |
December 2023 Change vs December 2022 |
December 2023% of December 2019 |
Q4 2023% of 2019 |
|
Total traffic (RPKs) |
+36.9% |
94.1% |
+25.3% |
97.5% |
98.2% |
|
International traffic |
+41.6% |
88.6% |
+24.2% |
94.7% |
94.5% |
|
Domestic traffic |
+30.4% |
103.9% |
+27.0% |
102.3% |
104.4% |
Source: IATA January 2024
Operational complexity is rising as governments strengthen the regulatory requirements around safety emissions and digital resiliency. The ICAO report in October 2025 depicts that it has delivered a framework of actions and strategies to support efforts by States and aviation operations service providers to reduce the fatalities that nearly 192 Member States have experienced, and the assembly has adopted the major updates for aviation safety, security, air navigation, cybersecurity, and innovation. Similarly, the Transport Security Administration report in January 2024 indicated they had screened 858 million passengers in 2023, a record volume that continues to shape investment decisions in checkpoint optimization, baggage handling, and workforce deployment. Airports are adapting to sustained cargo demand, increasing the pressure on the apron capacity, warehouse operations, and multimodal integration. The government-backed sustainability mandates further affect the operational planning.
