{
  "id": 12660490,
  "title": "Aviation connectivity delivers $244bn economic boost to Asean economies",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/aviation-connectivity-delivers-244bn-economic-boost-to-asean-economies",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-06T21:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf Times Business",
    "slug": "gulf-times-business",
    "url": "https://www.gulf-times.com/article/735145/business/aviation-connectivity-delivers-244bn-economic-boost-to-asean-economies"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A comprehensive study by the Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID) has revealed that airports and air connectivity in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) contributed $244 billion to GDP and supported 23.3 million jobs in 2025. Direct airport-related activity alone supported 1.6 million jobs, generating $55 billion in regional GDP and contributing $36 billion in tax revenues.\n\nThe study, based on scenario-based modelling, projects that full implementation of the Asean Single Aviation Market (ASAM) could increase intra-regional passenger traffic by 11.6%, adding 6 million additional passengers to 2025 levels. Complete market liberalisation could unlock 450,000 jobs and $4.3 billion in cumulative GDP gains through expanded trade, tourism, and aviation activities.\n\nACI APAC & MID's director general, Stefano Baronci, emphasized that while significant progress has been made with the market framework, challenges remain in achieving full potential. He called for addressing remaining issues around market access and traffic rights, particularly opening air connectivity to secondary cities to benefit more local economies.\n\nThe study estimates that $108 billion in airport investment will be needed by 2036 to accommodate passenger growth, with an additional $233 billion required between 2037 and 2056 as regional demand reaches 2.9 billion passengers. In total, $341 billion in investments will be required over the next 30 years to meet these demands.\n\nBaronci stressed the importance of sustainable funding for airport expansions, given that traffic in the ASEAN region is expected to more than double in the next decade. To support sustainable aviation growth, regional members must work together to accelerate implementation of existing air services agreements and address remaining capacity, regulatory, and operational barriers.",
  "summary": "Substantial infrastructure investments and policy reforms across Southeast Asian airports are required to unlock billions of dollars in economic value and millions of regional jobs over the coming dec...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}