Publications

The March edition provides an initial assessment of the operational and economic impact of the military conflict in the Gulf on airports and air transport across the Middle East. The report examines disruptions to air connectivity, passenger traffic, and airport performance, while outlining the immediate implications for the region's aviation sector.

Building on the March analysis, the April edition tracks the evolving impact of the conflict on regional aviation. The report presents updated traffic and connectivity trends, assesses the continued operational challenges facing airports, and highlights emerging implications for the airports.

The May edition provides the latest assessment of air transport disruptions in the Middle East, incorporating updated operational and economic data.

ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East has released its Travel Retail Study in the Post-Pandemic Era, developed in partnership with Auran and Steer, analysing 36 major airports across 21 countries. The study reveals a structural shift in airport retail performance, showing that passenger behaviour, demographics, and preferences increasingly drive commercial outcomes beyond traffic volumes alone. Millennials and Gen Z are emerging as key spenders, while duty-free remains central to airport revenues across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The report also highlights evolving spending patterns, retail category performance, sustainability expectations, and strategies airports can adopt to strengthen long-term commercial resilience.

The updated ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East Short-Term Forecast, developed with OAG, projects strong growth, with passenger traffic rising 4.8% annually in Asia-Pacific and 5.4% in the Middle East, while air cargo is expected to grow at 4.3% CAGR and 3.3% CAGR respectively.

The 2025 edition of Airfare Trends provides a data-driven perspective, highlighting markets that have experienced notable airfare increases and examining the factors behind this surge across two of the world’s most dynamic aviation regions.

ACI APAC & MID conducted a comprehensive survey, comprising over 30 key airports from the region to assess airport development needs. The findings indicate a strategic focus on both modernisation of the existing airports and development of new airport infrastructure.

ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East developed a detailed airport industry connectivity index in 2023 to 100 selected airports with coverage of all countries in Asia-Pacific and Middle East region. This 2024/25 report provides the index ranking of the selected 300 airports based on the full year data of 2024 and incorporates further updates to the methodology.