摘要: |
The aviation industry continued to show resilience last year despite tough economic times. The activity of U.S. carriers at home and abroad increased by 3.5 percent in 2011. Despite a slight pause in growth projected for 2012, we expect that over the long run, aviation will continue to experience steady, moderate growth. U.S. airlines have returned to profitability in the last two years and we expect that trend will continue in 2012 as well. This forecast looks at how many planes and how many people will fly on U.S. carriers in the future from 2012 to 2032. We want to see a picture of air travel in the next 20 years, and we want to know what we at the FAA should strive to meet and accommodate. The FAA sees a competitive and profitable industry continuing to grow over the long term despite the fact that we are operating in a climate of economic uncertainty and rising oil prices. As the economy continues to recover, the total number of takeoffs and landings and the number of passengers who board U.S. airlines will continue to climb. This year, we expect that international markets for U.S. carriers will continue to grow faster than domestic markets, as they did last year. |