Aviation industry committee in place to enhance ties

The creation of a dedicated international aviation platform marked a significant step toward pooling global strengths to advance the high-standard development of trade in aviation services, which is vital to keeping global industrial and supply chains fluid and sustaining steady world economic growth, experts said.

The remarks came as the Global Alliance for Trade in Services (GATIS) officially held the founding conference of its Aviation Industry Committee in Beijing last Tuesday. During the event, Jiang Zengwei, president of GATIS — alongside the committee's chief expert — presented certificates to the first batch of member units and jointly unveiled the committee's official plaque.

In his keynote address, Jiang highlighted that the aviation sector is a key component of the national economy and global services trade. With a broad industrial chain and numerous interrelated links, the industry is vital to facilitating international travel and driving global economic recovery.

Jiang noted that the global aviation industry is currently on a solid recovery track. This aligns with a recent report by the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, which estimated global airline passenger numbers at 4.98 billion in 2025. The figure is expected to hit a record of 5.2 billion in 2026, up 4.4 percent year-on-year.

The industry's financial outlook is equally promising. According to IATA, total global aviation revenue is projected to reach $1.053 trillion in 2026, an increase of 4.5 percent from $1.008 trillion in 2025. Net profits are expected to climb to $41 billion this year, up from $39.5 billion in 2025.

The Asia-Pacific region remains a crucial engine for this global demand growth. Net profits for the region's aviation sector are forecast to reach $6.6 billion in 2026, up from an estimated $6.2 billion in 2025. Furthermore, passenger demand in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow by 7.3 percent this year, significantly outpacing the global average. Highlighting this regional vitality, data from aviation analytics platform OAG showed that seven of the world's top 10 busiest routes in December 2025 were in Asia.

The robust recovery of the aviation sector is closely intertwined with the steady growth of China's broader trade in services. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, China's total imports and exports of services reached 1.82 trillion yuan ($269.54 billion) in the first quarter of this year, up 2.3 percent year-on-year.

Driven by this growing trade volume and vast market potential, new business formats such as aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul, training, and finance are experiencing rapid growth. Emphasizing that the committee's creation aligns with these trends, Jiang stated that GATIS will fully support the committee in platform building, international liaison, and resource coordination to better serve member enterprises.

The Aviation Industry Committee was jointly initiated by 19 institutions spanning the global aviation value chain, covering industry associations, backbone enterprises, hub airports and industry think tanks.

The diverse group of initiators includes the China Air Transport Association, China National Aviation Holding Corp Ltd, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, Airbus China, Embraer and the Airport Authority Hong Kong, among others.

Jiang said the committee will focus on opening-up and innovation in aviation services trade, research on industry standards and rules, international exchange and cooperation, and industrial empowerment and upgrading.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn