The Airports Council International, ACI world, has announced preliminary air traffic data for the month of December 2017 and throughout the year in general.

Decidedly positive the international panorama in the airport field: in fact, compared to the previous 2016, the data show an increase in volumes, both passengers and cargo, perfectly in line with the growth recorded from 2010, year of recovery after the negative trend of the previous recession.

In particular, the cargo sector in 2017 registered a +7.9%, the highest increase reported since 2009.

Europe and Asia-Pacific are the markets that most contributed to the growth of air traffic, respectively with increases of 8.5% and 7.8%.

Also good are the increases recorded by ACI World in Latin America-Caribbean and Africa, where +4.3% and +5.9% are already significant percentages when we consider that the major economic realities, Brazil and Nigeria, have been affected by a relevant phase of recession.

The diplomatic crisis with Qatar has instead slowed growth in the Middle East, an inevitable consequence of travel bans and trade blockades with other countries in the area.

Even in North America, 2017 has seen a significant increase: +3.5% is a very positive percentage when assessed in reference to an already mature market. Certainly this growth has been largely determined by the contribution of the Pacific and Central American markets.

The foreseeable growth prospects for the coming years could only be compromised by factors such as geopolitical instability, terrorism and security threats on the one hand, and excessive protectionist policies on the other.